Death was not like ChunHua imagined it to be.
From behind her eyelids, she could tell that wherever she was, it was brightly lit. The scent that wafted into her nose smelled like home. It was so nostalgic that it brought her to tears and enticed her to open her eyes, so she did.
No matter how much she had mentally prepared herself for it, she was still completely floored by the look of the afterlife.
"This is... This must be heaven... It can't be hell..." She whispered to herself as more tears streamed down her face. It was the room she grew up in. The large closet, drawers, dresser, curtains, even the dog bed in the corner. Everything was exactly the same as she remembered it to be.
"Dad. Mom. Big brother. They must be here. They must be!" ChunHua scrambled out of bed and combed through her large house.
Not finding them anywhere on the second floor, she ran to the third, then down to the first floor, then out to the yard in the back. Finally, she crumbled down at the steps of the back door, weeping.
"It can't be... Am I in hell after all?" To live here forever without her family would definitely break her.
"Baby?! What's wrong?" A deep reassuring voice exclaimed.
"Aiya, my precious! What're you doing there?!" Another comforting voice exclaimed with equal alarm.
ChunHua's shoulders jumped in surprise and she spun around.
Her face was immediately cupped by her mother who looked her up and down, checking if anything was wrong.
On her left, her large St. Bernard was persistently stuffing his face between them. Her father was beside the dog, gently stroking ChunHua's back.
"Little sis, did that bastard Qi hurt you? I'll deal with him for you!" Her brother was already cracking his knuckles, ready to fly off as soon as she dropped the word.
"Dad... Mom... Big brother..." Tears continued to pour out of her red swollen eyes. She was choked up but she forced her voice out. She had to apologise.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for failing you... I'm the worst daughter..."
"Baby! What're you saying?!"
"Is that what that bastard said?!" Her brother demanded.
"Shh shh shhhhh!" Her mother waved her hands and cut everyone off. Then, she looked straight into ChunHua's eyes. Her gaze was so sharp that it made ChunHua focus a little better. "Why do you say these, precious?"
"Everyone died... You all died! Because of me..." ChunHua could barely make out her words amidst her hiccups.
"And- And I couldn't get- Get my revenge... Before- Before I died... I have failed- All of you. I don't deserve to be here." ChunHua could no longer talk. It was too painful.
Her mother wrapped ChunHua tightly in her embrace. The heartbreaking scene prompted the two men to do the same.
"It's a bad dream, precious, it's just a bad dream. You're awake now. We're all here. Shhh..." Her mother gently soothed and calmed her the best she could. "It's okay. It's okay now."
Thinking that they were merely comforting her, she shook her head and squeaked, "You all- You all died...! In front of me! I saw-"
"Baby, baby. Look at us. Look at us." Her father urged gently but firmly, compelling ChunHua to obey. "We're alive and well. See?" Her father took her hand and put it to his cheek. "You're awake now."
ChunHua stared at her father's face then at her hands, a little in a daze.
Her brother wanted to say something but her mother tapped him on the shoulder. "WeiSheng dear, please make your sister's favourite drink?"
YOU ARE READING
It's My Turn
RomanceMo ChunHua was the precious little sheltered child of the famous Mo family. She may have taken her family for granted but she never meant to cause their downfall, especially not their deaths. All because she stubbornly loved the one they had warned...
