Forever

Chapter Four - Presence

Amara stared at Esmerelda, waiting for a response. "Well?"
"Dear, this is your chance. Tell him what you want to know."

Amara had never thought further than getting here. She knew she was desperate to get answers but now that she was here, Amara didn't have any idea what to say. And she didn't expect that he would actually be there!

"Em... Hi, what's your name again?" Amara knew fine well his name was Andrew but she didn't know how else to start.
"He said his name is Andrew."
"Ok... What do you look like?"
"He had blonde ruffled hair and brown eyes that reminded everyone of chocolate buttons." Esmerelda decided to almost act as a translator.
"Are you real? Like, where you ever alive or is this just all a scam?" Amara paused to take a breath and continued. "During the past week, I did consider if it might be true, but now I'm here... I'm not so sure."

No one spoke for a minute. Amara thought that Esmerelda was struggling to make up a lie to cover up why it was all fake.
"Andrew says that he doesn't know how to respond."
"Prove it."
"Prove what?"
"Prove that you are real. Show me—"
Her pocket was vibrating. It took her a second to realise what it was.
"Excuse me... I've got to take this."

Amara stepped outside, back into the deserted carnival that was getting tidied away. She took out her phone and discovered it was Chloe.

"Hello?" Says Amara, secretly hoping she gave up and won't be there.
"Hi, guess where I was."
"I don't —"
"You know what, I'll tell you. I was at the library. I thought I'd be considerate and drop off a latte." Amara felt her stomach clench and her gut drop. "But when I got there, you were nowhere to be seen."
"Oh...I must have left before you came." Amara felt at ease again.
"Really?" Chloe said sarcastically. " Because I knew you'd say that, so I asked the librarian. You were never there. I knew you'd never go to the library. Why lie? Do you not like me? Did you not want to spend time with me?"
"No, no that's not it."
"You know what, I don't even care what you're doing."
Beep...

Amara stood with the phone by her ear, staring at a tree. She recalled her dad swinging her onto his shoulders and tossing her onto the branches. She remembered feeling like a monkey, swinging on vines. On the last branch, her dad would scoop her into his arms and spin her around.

Amara snapped back into reality and turned around to see Esmerelda watching her.
"How much of that did you here?"
"Enough... Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I suppose." Amara reached into her pocket and took out a ten pound note. She stretched her arm to give it to Esmerelda.
"You're only due me £6.50 dear."
"I know."
"Keep it."
"What?"
"Keep it. I'll make this session free. After all I think you'll need it more than I do."
"What makes you say that?"
"You'll see." Esmerelda did a creepy smirk on her face as she turned around, back to pack up her things.