I fell to the tiled floor littered with dirt and debris. My legs felt wobbly beneath me but I managed to push myself to my feet. My gaze was fixated on the windows and doors in front of me before they shifted around the building I was in to find others with similar confused expressions matching my own.
The room resembled that of a restaurant, except some pieces of furniture were overturned making it look like a tornado struck its interior. The room gave off a dark and gloomy vibe despite some of the natural lighting being brought in by the sun. What used to be a restaurant was now vacant with mold and rust settling into it.
"What the hell happened?" A man inquired nearby.
No one answered him.
I walked deeper into the restaurant and searched my mind for memories of what took place before my arrival here. Or was I here the entire time? I worked my way down the line of tables and looked down to find the faint markings of happy birthday etched onto the floor in blue with a piece of small, round cardboard beside it. By the same table, were four plates rid of all possible food contents that may have graced them before.
My memories returned to me and I covered my mouth with my hand to hold in the soft gasps of shock that wanted to escape me. I felt the warmth my hand provided and I questioned if this was real, if my being here was real. I glanced at my hands to find them fully materialized and not ash as they were before.
"I'm alive," I murmured, earning curious glances from those around me. A spark of excitement lit within me before I felt a wave of relief. My thoughts turned to that of my family and my last memory being that of their terror-stricken reactions when I began turning into ash. Everything went black but somehow I returned and all in one piece. My eyes shifted to the doors and decided it was time to go home.
I bolted towards the exit, avoiding those within the building slowly moving in the same direction. I came to a stop outside the door to take in the feel of the sun on my skin and looked up at the endless blue sky. Birds were chirping but the overwhelming murmurs of people filled my ears. I looked ahead to find the street littered with people, their eyes shifting around in confusion. Did they return just as I have?
I continued walking ahead in the direction I knew was home and meandered my way through the small crowd of people. I attempted to not look anyone in the eyes but my short stature helped none in that factor. Every face I took in had a look of wonder within their eyes. More and more questions could be heard being muttered in the crowd.
I cut the corner and quickened my pace with there being fewer people as I entered a neighborhood. Nearby I noticed a man standing outside a wooden door, knocking away desperately. The door opened mid-knock and the person on the other side gasped in surprise before taking the man into an embrace. My heart warmed at the sight and I now began to run, with the anticipation of being welcomed by my family in the same manner.
I left the neighborhood and found my way onto a sidewalk with a crowd of people beside skyscrapers that aligned on both sides of the main road. I made myself small and worked my way through. I found myself being shoved on all sides with voices raising every second that went by. The crowd became restless and hostile with shouts of anger from those around me filling my ears.
I pushed my way through and nearly sighed in relief when I caught sight of the end where fewer people lingered. I was almost free when an elbow found its way to the space in between my eye and eyebrow. I hissed in pain, bringing my hand up to massage the area and at the same time, I broke free of the crowd. I turned to gaze upon the people and brought my hand in front of me to see spots of blood on my fingers.
"Savages," I scoffed. I shook my head and turned on my heels to continue in the direction I was going. Several moments went by and the throbbing pain turned to that of a dull ache until I felt nothing at all. I continued on the walk towards home at a quickened pace. I avoided crowds and took alleyways until the skyscrapers lessened to that of small buildings.
Knowing I was close, I began sprinting. I brought my legs before me one at a time and used them to drive my body forward. It wasn't long before my legs began to burn from the exertion but I couldn't stop now. Not when I was this close. I cut the corner once again to find the buildings coming to an end with houses now running along both sides of the road. Reality began to set in once my eyes caught sight of the numbers 7101 attached to that of a mailbox a few feet away. I slowed and came to a halt by the same mailbox to catch my breath.
I stood there panting before pressing a hand to my forehead. I shook my head in disbelief, continuing to wonder if any of this was real. I watched and felt as my body turned to ash before everything went dark. I thought I was dead and would never get to see my family again, but here I stood with only a door separating me from those I loved. This is real, I told myself. I chewed on the inside of my lip as a lump began to form in my throat. I gaped at the familiar exterior of my home and quickly ran up to press the doorbell.
I kept the tears at bay but my patience wore thin when only mere seconds went by since I pressed the doorbell. I resorted to using my fist to rap on the door until I heard the faint sound of locks coming undone. I quickly wiped my eyes as my vision began to blur with tears and at the same time, the door was pulled open to reveal a girl about my age staring back at me. I almost didn't recognize her but she knew who I was immediately upon the first glance. Her hand went to her mouth and I watched as her eyes welled with tears.
A soft cry left me as the tears began to flow. "Jordyn?" I choked out through the overbearing lump in my throat. A whimper left the girl before we closed the space between us to embrace each other. "What the hell, you're a grown woman now," I laughed despite the tears rolling down my cheeks. My chest was heavy with emotion. But the pure bliss I felt in this moment couldn't be matched.
We remained that way for some time before I pulled away to take in my younger sister once again. "You've got boobs!" I acknowledged. She let out a laugh as she wiped the tears that fell to her cheeks. It then occurred to me that some time went by and my little sister wasn't so little anymore. "How long has it been?" I wondered. The smile that had befallen her lips fell.
"Who is it?" Someone called out from inside. I looked passed Jordyn's shoulders to find a small petite woman working her way to the door. Our eyes met and her mouth fell open as she caught sight of me. My lips pressed into a thin line to prevent the next onset of tears while I gaped at my mother. She stepped closer until the light illuminated her figure and I then noticed her hair littered with grey hair and fine lines running around her eyes.
"Jessica?" My name rolled out of her mouth sounding like a sigh of disbelief.
"It's me, mom," I assured.
She maneuvered past my sister and reached out a hand for me to take. "My baby girl," she cried, pulling me into a hug. I took in her warmth but not before noticing how small she felt in my arms. She was a lot thinner than I remembered last. But I pushed the thought aside as I took in her embrace and the overwhelming love being emitted from the two women before me. I opened my eyes to see Jordyn standing at the threshold with her hand to her mouth as she watched us with new tears falling to her cheeks. The sight was enough to send me sobbing, but this time, I didn't bother holding back.
"I thought I was dead," I cried in between sobs. My declaration prompted my mother to hold me tighter. My knees buckled with the overwhelming emotion but I kept my feet firmly on the ground and used my mom as a slight source to keep me uplifted. She caressed my back and allowed me to take the time necessary to get my emotions back intact. I didn't want this moment to end for it was something I thought I'd never get again.
Once my sobs subsided, my mother pulled away to cup my cheeks and removed the tears that stained them. "You're here with us now and you're well," she told me with a small smile. She pulled away and motioned towards our home. "Come inside."
Jordyn turned and led the way inside. My mom followed in suit and I behind her. I closed the door behind me and walked the narrow hallway that led to our kitchen. On either side of me along the walls were pictures of my family, dated to several years back when Jordyn and I were children to more current ones. We now stood in the kitchen and the two women stared at me while my eyes shifted around the room as if it were my first time here.
"What happened to your eye?" My mother inquired.
I shrugged my shoulders before raising a hand to the injury the savages in the streets caused. If I had to guess, it probably bruised over by now. "Someone in a crowd elbowed me in the face on my way home." My sister nodded her head in understanding while my mother had a murderous look on her face.
I waved it off, trying to defuse her anger and decided to ask the question that was burning in my mind earlier. "How long was I gone?" My sister looking like she aged twenty years and the building being rundown were clear signs of time passing.
"Five years," my sister answered.
My mouth fell open in shock. "Five ye-" my voice trailed off. I ran a hand through my thick hair and sighed before crossing my arms over my chest. I felt the same and far as I knew, looked the same as if five years hadn't gone by but that certainly wasn't the case for my family. I missed five whole years of life with my family for reasons unknown.
I sighed in frustration before tearing my eyes away to gaze upon the fridge. I was prepared to ask another question but the words caught in my throat once I eyed an obituary and a familiar face being supported by a magnet on the fridge.
The name Johnathon Drew was etched on the front with the years 1965-2021 printed in a cursive font along the bottom edge of the paper. I took the pamphlet into my hands and slowly turned to face my mother and sister.
"Please tell me this isn't true," I pleaded. My heart sank in my chest as I looked to their faces. Sadness now filled their gazes with neither of them saying anything. The reality of the situation came crashing down on me. I missed five years of time with my family and in this timeframe, my father passed away and I wasn't there. I wasn't there in his final moments and I wasn't there for my grieving family.
"Fuck!" I shouted, slapping my hand along the fridge. The action caused my hand to sting but the anger and regret I felt over-powered it more to make it feel more like a dulling pain. My breaths came out in sobs with my eyes blurring from the tears.
The pain was unbearable. I clutched a hand to my chest before turning in my stance to use the fridge as support to keep me upright as I fell to the floor. I shut my eyes closed and it felt like sorrow overtook my entire being. The gentle hands that clasped my arms weren't enough to dimish the pain I felt. My sobs continued and didn't slow.
"I'm sorry," I muttered to no one in particular.
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