What would you choose?

Chapter Eight

I woke up screaming and crying. I felt exhausted and drained as if I'd been running and I was also sweating like a pig. I've never woken up feeling this tired and drained. I calmed myself down and stopped crying. I've had that nightmare repeatedly since the car crash. It's always the same and always ends the same. Always ends with me being forced to watch my family die just like I had to in the car crash. He always finds us. However, this time my family just vanished. I was expecting my uncle to come stomping into my room screaming at me to shut up, but he strongly didn't, he probably already left for the police station. I wonder if someone from school killed all the flowers, I wouldn't put it past Aiden to do something like this.

I got out of bed and went over to the mirror to see how much of the bruise on my stomach has formed. I lifted up my shirt. "What the?" I checked so many times. It was gone. The bruise was gone. I know for a fact it was there last night. I remember feeling the pain and seeing all the shades of purple. As always, I made my bed and cleaned up any mess that was in my room and this morning's mess was loads of stationary and notebooks from when I was writing stories yesterday before we went shopping. I've almost finished one of my books. I have a really bad habit of thinking of a new book to write and focusing on that for ages. So, for me to actually finish a book is a big accomplishment. As much I would love for people to read one of my books, I don't have the confidence to put my work out there. I'm not good at writing anyways and my story ideas are boring and rubbish.

I finished tidying, got dressed and started to head downstairs. The second I left my room, the smell of bacon consumed my nose. My uncle never cooks, and I thought he was out. The whole house looked different. It looks spotless and was decorated nicely. It didn't smell of mould but instead of freshly cut flowers. I stepped into the kitchen and I was stopped in my tracks. My heart dropped. It was like I stepped into another house. Scrap that, it was like I stepped into another reality. "Morning darling, did you sleep well?"

I couldn't speak. How? What is going on? I must be dreaming. How are they here? How are they alive? "Mum?"

"Yes dear?"

"What's going on?"

"Are you feeling okay?" I couldn't breathe. How are my family here? My mum was stood at the stove cooking, Tommy was in his high-chair and dad was sat at the table on his phone. I stood there frozen. I couldn't breathe. This was not happening. My family are dead. I watched them all die. This isn't real. I'm still dreaming. I started hyperventilating. "What's wrong hunny?" My dad asked, concerned. I didn't answer him and just ran. I ran out of the room and out the front door. I had to get out of there. I could hear my parents shouting after me. I ran down the street faster than I've ever ran before. I got to end of the street, and I couldn't go any further. I couldn't breathe and my legs killed. I could still see the house. Even the outside was completely different, it looked modern and all done up. Even the garden looked beautiful, it was covered in different types of flowers. It's pouring down with rain, the storm's still going on and is much worse than yesterday. What's going on? First my hair, then the fruit and veg rotting and now this. None of this makes any sense.

After about twenty minutes, I managed to calm down and decided to head back to the house. I walked through the front door and went into the kitchen. My family were still in there, dad was still on his phone, Tommy was playing, and mum was cleaning up. "You're back, are you feeling okay?" My mum said.

"Uhm... yeah I'm fine." I didn't know what to do or say. I sat at the table and my mum handed me some breakfast.

"You sure you're okay? You look as if you've just seen a ghost." I just nodded. I was nowhere near okay but there was nothing I could do.

"Mum? Is this real? Are all of you really here?"

"Of course, we are silly."

"Why don't you come to work with me today? It might get you back to your usual self, summer vacation has turned your brain into mush," my dad laughed.

"No one's going anywhere today; the storm got really bad last night so loads of the roads are closed."

"Where's uncle?" I asked but both my parents just looked at me with confusion.

"Autumn we haven't seen your uncle for thirteen years, not since the meal to welcome him home from travelling" my mum finally stated. How haven't my family seen him in thirteen years when I live with him? I looked at my family and they look exactly how I remember, down to the tiniest detail. My mum's eyes sparkle like I remember, my dad's hair is as grey as I remember, and Tommy's laugh is just like I remember. It's as if they were plucked from my memory. I examined them all closely and paid attention to every single little detail. I looked at my mum and noticed she had claw marks on her arm that looked exactly like the one the hardling gave her in my dream. "Mum what happened to your arm?"

"I don't know dear, probably scratched it in my sleep knowing me" my mum laughed. My mum went back to washing up. I ran up and hugged her. She felt real. She smelt real. She sounded real. They were all real. This is really happening. My family are alive. I held my mum tight and buried my face into her. I didn't want to let go. This is all I've ever wanted. My family were alive and I was never going to lose them again. No matter what.

"So, seeing as we're stuck in all day, why don't we have a games day?" My dad said.

"Game game," Tommy clapped.

"You up to it sweetie?" My mum asked.

"Of course, I am." I was so happy. I was finally going to have the family day I've been dreaming of. I couldn't stop smiling. "I'll make some hot chocolate; dad can get the games out whilst Autumn gets into some comfy clothes and takes Tommy into the living room." I got Tommy out of his high-chair and put him in the front room then ran upstairs to get changed.

I came back downstairs, and my family were all sat on the floor in a circle around monopoly. They all looked so happy and it made me so happy. I don't care how my family got here but all I know is that I'm never going to lose them again. "Ready?"

"Yeah." I sat down next to Tommy as he wanted to be on my team. We started playing the game and spent the entire day having fun and eating food. It was the best day of my life and I never wanted it to end.