Lost

Chapter 2: New Life

"Saph, are you alright?"

The amethyst-eyed girl snapped out from her pointless thinking and turned her head ever so slowly towards the elder calling her. Still in disbelief, she promptly nodded her head, not knowing what to else to do except innocently play along. What just happened to her life all of a sudden? The last thing she knew was cutting her left wrist... but why was she alive? And why does she feel that she was forgetting something really, really important? She kept thinking silently... until it suddenly hit her straight on.

".. I shall let you live your life to the fullest, until then I shall not take your life. But be ready..." the reaper's voice started to fade away slowly. ".. I shall watch your every move..."

Sapphire unconciously shuddered at the thought. She thought that it was just simply a dream but... what the hell? Where was that reaper? If he even really existed.

"Sapphire, are you sure? You have been like this since this morning. Do you not feel sick?" Asked the man that has the same hair color as her and black eyes in a worried tone, it made Sapphire feel nostalgic.

Said man swiftly reached out to feel his daughter's forehead but ended up with a confused look for Sapphire was undeniably colder than her usual temperature. Sapphire slightly flinched at the warm hands but deliberately shook her head.

"No," she disregarded. "I'm just... feeling a bit tired than usual, that's all," she reassured him as she tried to focus on eating. It was like a millennia since she last ate food that was made especially for her. Ever since their parents had left her and her brother alone because of a car accident, she had never really eaten with more than two people on the table as a whole family.

The girl's parents, although worried sick, decided to just let it go and continue eating none the less. The atmosphere was filled with agonizing silence as each and everyone of them ate at different paces. Finally, her mother decided to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Zeph is later than usual, isn't he? He overslept again, he might skip breakfast with us again." The elder woman stated calmly while eating that made Sapphire jerk at the name said.

Sapphire's eyes moved upwards slowly, lips parted slightly as she stopped eating momentarily. "I beg your pardon?" Was all she could say.

"Good point," her father agreed, turning his head lightly towards Sapphire's direction. "Will you fetch your brother, Sapphire?" The two of you would be late for school," the elder requested softly, somehow changing Sapphire's poker face into a sweet smile that was hardly seen over those past few years.

"Sure!" She said excitedly before abruptly standing up and then skillfully running up the stairs. But then immediately stopped on her tracks and shouted. "Wait for us, mom, dad, we'll be there in uhh... a minute or two!" She said happily, continuing to run upstairs. The couple just blinked before a faint smile was put on both of their aged lips.

Sapphire gradually slowed down to walking, roaming around the wide corridors with her heart pounding against her chest. Just thinking about seeing her beloved brother again filled her up with nervousness mixed with a hint of excitement. After all those years, she had longed for the sight of her brother, missing him so badly until it just hurts, grieving everyday, never-ending pain, guilt taking the best of her, and each day suffering with the feeling of cold, loneliness and pain.

She stopped on her tracks as she took sight of a door, slightly ajar and light seeping out through it. A faint snoring heard through the thin walls of the place that made Sapphire smile unintentionally.

She steadily made her way towards the door, restraining herself from running inside and hugging the sleeping man to death. She slowly opened the door, making a small creaking noise that woke up the other, considering Zepphire had always been a light sleeper and would be woken up by even just the sound of the smallest pin dropping on the ground. Really, he never really changed.