Our Last Summer

Chapter 36, Repeating History

(No POV)
August 27, 2008

Tomorrow was going to be Danielle's first day of first grade and she was nervous. Danielle didn't have any of her friends in her class. Caroline had Tyler and Noah. Madelyn had Jason. Rebecca had Ethan, and Danielle had no one. She was terrified and she got up from bed. She stood behind the couch until her parents noticed her. Danielle's mom took her back into her room and talked her through it. Emma stepped out of Danielle's room after finally calming her down. When she walked out of the room, her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and grabbed the wine glass that she set on the table by Danielle's room. She answered the phone and placed it to her ear, sipping her drink.

"Hello?" She answered, walking toward the couch.

"Emma, I don't know what to do, he's talking about leaving and he says there's no other option, but they're going to take her away and I thought they were--" Liz's voice rang on the phone quickly. Emma's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"Woah, Liz, slow down. What are you talking about?"

"It's Michael. He keeps saying that they're trying to take Rebecca back and he's going there to stop them."

Emma's heart raced and she looked around. Chris, Danielle's dad, was sitting on the couch, still watching the baseball game. She quickly walked to her bedroom and shut the door quietly behind her so that Chris would be oblivious. She placed the glass on her vanity and sat on the bed, trying to control her emotions.

"So, he's trying to go back to the island to what? Stop them once and for all?" She asked into the phone.

"Yes, and I-- I don't know. Should I go with him? Like, he's packing a bag right now and I'm freaking out." Liz whispered into her phone as she watched her husband pack a bag. He threw in his old suit and Liz placed her hand on her heart. "Maybe you could watch them, or maybe Sarah... Nora. Oh, I don't know."

"You shouldn't go, Liz, your kids need you. Imagine they wake up without any parents in the house." Liz sighed and listened carefully to Emma's words. "He can't go by himself. We barely made it out of there when we were together."

"He's not snapping out of it," Liz said with tears brimming her eyes. Emma opened her mouth to speak, but nothing was coming out. She sighed and rubbed her forehead in stress. She didn't think this was how her night would turn out.

"What if--" She sighed again, trying to find the words to speak.

"What if what?" Liz asked quickly.

"Just tell him to meet us outside. We all need to talk about it."

"Okay." Liz nodded, hanging up the phone.

Emma quickly jumped up from her bed and walked out of her room. She shut the door quietly and sighed, not knowing what to do. Chris was coming from the kitchen with chips in his hand for him and Emma to share. He could see the stress on her face and he immediately paused.

"Emma, what's going on?" He questioned. She looked up at him, her mouth open, but still too shocked to speak. "Is Liz having another episode--"

"Michael is trying to go back." Chris stopped talking and he stared at Emma, dumbfounded. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Go back? What does he mean by 'go back'? He'd never step foot there again." Chris chuckled in hopes that Emma was just kidding, but as he saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes, he dropped the chips on the table, making them litter out. "Please tell me you're just messing around." She shook her head in despair.

"No, Chris, this is real. It's happening. He said that they're trying to take Rebecca and he's going there to stop him." She explained, barely even able to speak. He rubbed his mouth, shaking his head while the thoughts were processed in his brain.