CRYONICS

Chapter 3

"Mel! It was fun today, right?" Said the boy trying to catch up with mel walking in a fast pace.

"Yep, it was and I hate to admit it but your adventure was worth going for".

"I told you so."

A moment of pause before the little kids began chattering again.

"Mel, let's promise if we ever encounter any problem or challenges in our life we'll face it together. And if by that time, we are somehow in a different place. We will come here near the stream, meet each other, share it and promise to complete the story together."

" Wow, you sound like some old wise man. where did you learned that from mr. Sage"

"Come on Mel! Don't make fun of me!".

.....

"I don't know. I just feel like saying it". "Hey, hey, hey. Did you complete tomorrow's homework," shouted the boy with his eyes wide.

"Oh God, I totally forgot about it. What are we gonna do now" said the boy pulling on his hair.

"We had a homework?" a few seconds of Silence followed by.

"Mel, are you serious?"

" Yeah. Sorry".

"So we are going to stand out tomorrow during the glass again?" Asked mel

"Yeah." Said the boy sulking.

"Well, see that later. Now, let's go back before anyone gets up and finds us missing."

The two of them got up, dusted out, their pants to start walking towards their neighborhood. Meanwhile, back in the house sarah was already searching madly for her daughter all around the house. she ran towards the little boy's house. The first thing that came in her mind. Breathing heavily, she pressed the house bells 3 to 4 times continuously. The owners of the house, Mr. And mrs. Bhattacharya game down running. "What happened? Sarah is everything. All right?" Said the woman in a worried tone in her Indian accent.

"I can't find melissa anywhere. Nayan, I searched for her everywhere".

Shocked, the husband and wife looked at each other before proceeding to say, "Mel hasn't come here or-" paused as she said, and looked back at her son's room

"druv!" She approached his room and, with a single push the door flung open. Mr. Bhattacharya rushed inside and shouted "He isn't here"

"Mel isn't here, drove isn't here. Don't tell me. They ran away together" said the lady in a scared voice. Chill, ran down Sarah spine as she ran towards the road shouting her daughter's name wildly.

"I already lost him, I can't lose her now", she acted insanely as she uttered it to herself in spite of repeated consoling words from her very much worried , neighbors, the world around her started spinning. And in a few seconds it was all pitch black, as she fell deep in sleep.

"Mom, mom, wake up, please."

Said the girl sobbing as tears roll down her cheeks.

"mum, why isn't aunt Sarah waking up?" Asked the boy visibly confused and on the verge of crying. After some silence, the woman standing next to Sarah, spoke out loud and in a commanding voice "where did you two go?" Dhruv now scared stuttered as he said "W-we went to see the Festival" and before his mother could say anything more. He added "I am sorry. I'm very sorry. I never thought something like this will happen."

Nayan stood still with that same straight face, making it obvious to dhruv of how angry she was.

Few minutes passed by. Everyone was silent. Except for the girl's sobbing echoing through the hallway.

"Melissa"

everyone looked up towards Sarah, Now half awake trying to say something. Mel, who was sitting beside her, excited, started calling out to her. Everyone left out a deep exhalation and moved forward towards the bed. the woman upon gaining full consciousness, hugged Melissa and kissed her all over the face and hands.

"Where did you go? Don't you know mama was going to be so worried",

"I'm sorry Mother" cried Mel as sarah wrapped her hands around Mel.

Dhruv, now stepped forward gathering up all his courage and spoke out "aunt Sarah, It wasn't her fault. It was me who convinced her to go on this adventure. We Wanted to see the Festival".

everyone was silent and dhruv with his head down trying to control those heavy tears, as they filled his eyes again and again. Just when Nayan was going to say something Sarah interrupted her and commanded him to come near her bed.

"It's all right honey. I appreciate your honesty, but you two never do this again. All right?"

"Yes", both replied together.

Now that the situation was pretty much under control. Everyone left their house and went home. Dhruv knew very well he had additional scoldings. The rest of the night, lights were on and loud voices could be heard from their house making the situation quite known to Mel who occasionally peeked out of the window when the voices got loud.

Mel has left the room for a moment to get the water from the kitchen. As she was filling up the bottle, she cursed herself for going with the flow and how much of a stupid she was to act without thinking. As she was quite deep into the thinking, few loud foot steps caused her to peek out to the hallway. And much to her surprise It was Sarah, sweating profusely and panting.

"What happened mum? Why did you get up?"

"You were going to leave me alone again. Weren't you? just like your father"

Sarah's face, grew darker. As she said these words to Mel. Mel now shocked, unable to recognize her Mother took two steps back as her instincts kicked in for something was wrong. Her heart started racing and chills ran down her spine. Sarah shaking Mel violently asked again and again. Mel, visibly scared, looked into Sarah's deep, dark eyes felt as if she was sinking in the blackhole as if it was some sort of ......hypnotism.