Chapter 16 Chapter sixteen
Emma pov
I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. I was lying in the middle of a huge beautiful garden blooming with flowers and the rays of the sun was so soft caressing my skin as if teasing me. I sat up and ran my fingers through the beautiful grass.
“Emma….! Emma…!
I suddenly heard my name and turned back. A couple holding hands lovingly walked towards me smiling with a lot of familiarity. I tried remembering if I've seen them before, but there was no such memory.
They got to where i was sitting and helped ne me to my feet. “Princess Emma, You've finally decided to return to us” the man said hugging me warmly but my confusion only grew. Strangely, i felt safe and calm in those arms like I've been there before.
“Who..who are you?.” I blurted out trying to move away. “You're our daughter” the man replied but this only snapped something in me and i pushed them away. “How did i get there?.. don't come closer to me..!” I shouted beginning to get hysterical.
“We are your biological parents. Mr and Mrs Kimlin from the royal family of the celestial city.” The man introduced himself but I only drew back more. “That's a lie. I have just one parent from the Walker family. What have you done to my parents? Give them back.!” I shouted sending the surrounding birds into flight.
Immediately i said this, the woman bursted into tears. “It's all because of liriah and Rexy. They've cause my daughter's love to be transferred to earthly people” she cried sorrowfully.
On hearing those two familiar names again, my guard lowered a bit and i realized there's more to my existence than i ever thought. “Could it be the walkers aren't my real parents.? Why have they lied to me for eighteen years?” I questioned myself aloud in doubt.
“Eighteen years..? No no Emma. You're just eighteen days old” the woman implied. I bursted out laughing on hearing this. Eighteen days? All the days that has passed all my entire life was just eighteen days? This has to be the joke of the century.
I laughed till tears rolled down my cheeks. But on seeing the serious faces of the couple, i realized it wasn't a joke. “Wait…how am i eighteen days old?” I asked my face beginning to turn serious. “Darling, let's not ignore the fact that she has spent almost all her time on earth. She's very ignorant.” The man consoled his wife on seeing her hurt expression when i laughed at her.
“You see baby, a day in the demon world, sum up to a whole year in the human world…” the man began to explain gently but i couldn't control my emotions and bursted into laughter again. “ A day sum up to a year? This definitely isn't real. The only way this can happen is only in a freaking novel” i thought as i laughed harder.
On seeing Emma taking all they say as a joke, Mrs Kimlin heart broke and she began to sob. “Its all our fault…. Its my fault… I couldn't protect her enough.” She wept while her husband began to look at me with a different expression, the earlier warmth and delight on his face fading.
On seeing the woman crying because of my laughter, i knew things are definitely not what I think they were. “Come on.. what world will such a thing exist.? Well the only planet and universe I know is earth” i sarcastically said and turned to walk away.
“How long have you been in the hollow and any other place apart from earth?” The man suddenly asked and i stopped on my tracks. I tried to think but the memory seemed hazy. “ I think a day or two?” I guessed turning back to face them.
“Then it has been a year and a half on earth.” The man said and i panicked immediately. “My parents will be so worried sick about me. I need to go back, please help me” i desperately begged but the man shook his head gently.
“You can't go back child. You have a more important mission ahead of you. Thousands of people lives are in your hands. If you return to earth and abandon everything you need to do here, hell will fall apart and you definitely won't be spared even if you're on earth” he explained.
“Yes i think I've heard about the so called heavenly mission. But I don't still get. If i was born in an alternate universe, how did i get to earth? Why am i being hunted by some strange people with strange powers? If the celestial city is really in ruins, then where am I now?” I fired questions back at them.
The man closed his eyes in pain and tears fell from them. I felt guilty instantly. Have I been a little too harsh on them? “I'm sorry….but..” i tried apologizing but he quickly stopped me.
“No baby don't apologize. It isn't your fault. I sincerely don't know how you got to earth but I'm very happy you did because if you were still here, you probably won't have survived. She gave her life for you…” he said and trailed off again the atmosphere becoming more sorrowful.
I stood confusingly watching them cry. Although all my questions haven't been answered, i eloped them in a warm embrace as they cried like something really bad happened. I patiently waited for them to let it all out, feeling a strange warmth i haven't felt with any other people except the walker family.
“I really want to know what happened, please help me” i pleaded when their emotions have died down. They looked at each other as if contemplating if to help me or not. “But baby, you have a more important task right now. You really need to save yourself and…..” his wife gently tapped him on his arm as if telling him to slow things down. He sighed deeply.
“Alright, I'll help you but…. Prepare your mind because the task coming is really great” he warned and touched my forehead lightly. I felt my eyes grow heavy and my body grow lighter like i was now floating.
I began to rapidly decend down a dark tunnel filled with eeire objects. I finally landed in a beautiful courtyard similar to the one i had just been and a little girl was happily running around chasing butterflies.
It was the younger version of me ….