How the Emperor trapped a Witch

Chapter Seventy-one: Home?

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"Ugh..." I groaned as I lifted my head, feeling oddly seasick though the ground was still. I opened my eyes and rubbed them  as I looked around in a very familiar room- my room. 

I slid my legs off of the bed and stood up, stretching as I glanced over the furniture as an odd feeling settled in my stomach.

The book that I had been meaning to finish was still sitting open on my nightstand with a small vase of dying flowers wilting next to it, the day's suit hanging next to a full length mirror, and a pile of papers rested on top and around my computer from working until 1 am.

I sighed and reached over to scoop up the fallen petals only to see my hand go through them. I stumble back swallowing panic that rose up in my throat and caught my reflection in my mirror. 

A short brown haired woman with large bags under her eyes and pale skin looked back at me and carefully reached up to touch the mirror, sighing in relief as our hands touched the cool glass. 

'ZZZZZZZZ! ZZZZZZZZZZ!'

I look over to see my phone lighting up with my alarm and headed out to take a shower. 

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I quickly packed my things into my briefcase as I walked out of my apartment, making sure to lock the door behind me. 

I spent the rest of the train ride feeling an odd sense of deja vu and tried to shrug it off as I power walked to my office building. I was halfway there when my phone goes off once more- a phone call from my sister.

"Hello?" I answered after fumbling around to pull out my phone, its weight feeling unfamiliar in my hand. 

"Sis?" Hearing my sister's voice cause a lump to form up in my throat for some reason. "Where are you? I need to talk with you now!"

"I'm almost at work..." I paused. "Is something wrong?"

"Meet me over at the Starlucks café in five minutes."

"But I need to get to work-"

"Five minutes. Tell your work that you'll be late for once." She quickly cut me off before hanging up.

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I looked over my sister as she sat down across from me; panting as she slumped in the chair.

"You want some water?" I ask her with concern as I pushed a glass over. 

"Ahh..." She grabs the glass and guzzles it down as I shook my head in amazement. 

"Now what was so important that you made me call my work that I will be late?"

My sister pauses for a moment as she stared me down. "Sam- have you read the draft to my new work?"

I flinched for some reason as my name left her lips, feeling like I haven't it in a long time. "Ya... Of course I did, I told you what I thought of it right?"

"It changed." She leaned forward and grabbed onto my hand. 

"Oh." I stared at her in confusion. "Then did you send me the new draft?"

"No." 

"O..Kay...." I fidgeted a little. "What's going on? Your acting weird Emily."

"I have no idea how to explain this to you..." Emily trails off as she squeezed my hand tightly. "But you died."

".....What?" 

The café suddenly went quiet as I pulled back while my heart started to pound. I glanced around to see that everything had faded into grey and the people were froze in place.