Dead Woman's Name

1371 Words
My life wasn't all pretty, but it was amazing how that instant, I felt like I lived a dream, a fairy tale with death as an ending. It was like a short version of my life; a short clip was played before my eyes. The time I've spent with my family, the memories I had with my closest friends, the smiles of people who believed in me, and the face of my dear husband. A scene played after another, begging to be seen and remembered. I knew my head was covered with blood as my car hit a tree. It was the last thing I could remember, and my head started feeling weird and dizzy. The world was suddenly turning in slow motion when I lost control of the car, and it fell somewhere deep. I had no idea where it would land. I was begging and silently praying but at that moment. I realized I was deep underwater and drowning... minutes, maybe seconds away from death. I tried moving, but I couldn't feel my hand move. I tried to open my eyes. I tried breathing, but it became harder and harder to push the longer I stayed underwater. As I lived my one last breath, feeling the pull of what seemed like the universe, and decided to be at peace with the fact that this was it. This is how my story ends. But I was wrong. My eyes opened, and by some miracle, I managed to escape the wrath of the water. I felt it all again. The energy, the life, the air, and the need to get my life back. I felt so cold with the wet dress I was wearing. My hands are pale and shaking, my lips too. The sun glare has left discomfort for my vision but provided warmth to my cold body. Good thing, I guess. I checked my skin for bruises but saw none. Thank goodness I thought I was about to die at that moment. I couldn't explain any of this... this miracle. A kind man, horrified when he heard my story offered me a ride to my house. I was stuttering and shaking as I explained my almost trip to death. I am still processing this peculiar feeling. All I want to do now is go home, hug my dear husband, take a warm shower and take a long nap which will hopefully help me recover from the shock. Maybe in the morning, I'll be able to take it all in. After he dropped me off by the street, I thanked the man; Jon was his name. I walked towards my home, and I couldn't help but notice some things different. Still lightheaded, I blamed it all on possible trauma. I touched my forehead again to check for blood, but there was none. I was glad to see the enormous Narra tree outside the house with birds chirping and flying freely, as they always do around sunset time. I used to love this view until I became too busy to notice. I'm here. Finally, I'm here. I know I've only been gone for a short while, but it felt like ages. I feel like literally woken up from death. I ran towards the house, eager to remember the warm feeling of home, so I hurriedly picked up the spare key under the rug and opened the door. Finally, I'm home. "What the f**k?" I was already a step inside my house when a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks. It was only the other day since we last saw each other, but how relieved I was to hear her voice. "Blake!" A surge of emotion followed when I turned my back to see her. My tears just uncontrollably fell. Suddenly, my knees were weak, but I still ran towards her to hug her. "You won't believe what happened to me." "Who the f**k are you? Stop touching me, Miss. I'll get wet!" Her indifference made me take a step back. Why did she say that? Could this be one of those pranks she loves to do sometimes? My disbelief was mirrored on her face; we both couldn't understand what was happening. I looked around, searching for clues of this being a massive prank. Staring at her face, I waited for her to give the joke up because I'm not really in the mood to play anybody's game at my current state. "Not now, please. I'm drained. Just get inside so we can talk." I really want to change now. I, for some miracle, just managed to rise from a deep river today on top of surviving an accident. It's too much to process, but I have time on my side since I'm freaking alive. I looked around the house and noticed some differences. It wasn't just a few. The whole place changed. "What happened here?" The white walls are now blue. My favorite painting, a gift from a student, was no longer on the wall. I even remember putting a flower vase just beside the pictures on top of the cabinet, which are all gone now. Even the chairs are different; it used to be wood, a kitchen set me and Yohan picked after the wedding, but it's black and steel now. It's an entirely different place. "I'm telling you right now! Leave, or I'll call the police!" Blake followed me inside, too but kept a safe distance as if I was either mad or crazy. Her forehead wrinkled as she looked at me, half-scared and confused. "What happened here, Blake?" "I don't know who you are... Please leave, or I wouldn't think twice about hurting you! I'll call the police!" "How could you not know me?" I realized she wasn't pranking me. This is too much for a prank. Even the horrified look on her face cannot just be a mask. She sincerely looked afraid of me, and I still couldn't understand why or how. I continued to scan my eyes around the house and noticed some pictures framed on the wall. I didn't have to move closer to see clearly who was in it, but I still did. Words are not enough to describe the horror of what I'm seeing. Why is there a wedding picture of Stephanie and my husband? In my house? They are smiling, his hands wrapped around hers as she holds her bouquet of flowers. What is all this? What the hell is happening! Why is this suddenly a different world? "Stop right there! I warned you!" I was brought back to the present after hearing another scream from Blake. This time, she's holding the baseball bat I used to hide outside the bedroom door just in case someone barges in. It's in her hands, and she's ready to hit me. The thought of losing consciousness and seeing black again didn't seem a bad idea at the moment. Maybe if I get struck by something hard in the head again, I'd wake up, and everything will be back to normal, back where it should be. This hallucination already seems so cruel and real. "Blake, it's me, Lily..." my voice shakes as I plead. I couldn't see the point of introducing myself to the closest friend I have, but she was staring at me like I was a stranger. The endless pour of tears continues. I really can't understand all these. I'm just so confused. "What is happening?" "I don't know what you're talking about." I saw how her grip on the bat tightened. She's really about to hit me. I turned my back on her to look at the picture again. If she's to hurt me, I didn't want to see it nor the rage in her eyes. I looked at their wedding picture instead. I started to wonder if Yohan looked that happy on our wedding day. Another person caught my view while looking at their picture. I grabbed a fistful of my damp hair as I stared at the reflection... my reflection. It was a face that didn't belong to me. "That's impossible. Lily has been dead for months." I heard Blake's whisper. "So, don't go around claiming a dead woman's name."
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