Why me?

Part 20

"You get one more chance"...

... I didn't feel all that well. My breathing was shallow and my heartbeat very slow. I felt so weak, I couldn't move my arms, not even my fingertips. My eyes would open and then suddenly a huge flash of light would hit them so I'd have to close them immediately. If only this were darker... Wherever I am.

While we're at it, where am I, anyway? Is anybody here? Why do I feel so... human?  Wait a second. Who am I? Am I a girl? Boy? Dead? Alive?

This is so confusing. I let my mind wander once again and fall into deep darkness.

"Alice", somebody was calling as the little red-haired girl slowly started opening her eyes and then closing them quickly, once more.

"Alice! Wake up, honey, you're starting to worry me".

Somebody was tapping my face. Rather softly. I really didn't mind, but it started to feel uncomfortable after a while. I wished it would stop. And suddenly it did.

"Let's leave her for a moment, maybe she's still sleepy".

"But she can't be, we need to get going!"

"I'm sure that they won't mind us being late, sweetheart. Let's just leave her for a couple more minutes and then we can get going, I'm sure she'll be awake by then. I mean, you really did hit her face hard a couple of times, she must be at least out of the REM phase".

I  couldn't utter a word. These voices sounded so familiar! What is going on? I'm really confused. Is this... Is this what being dead feels like? Well. It's not that bad. I could get used to it.

She heard the door close and forced her eyes open, although the light wasn't getting any kinder to her and her pupils got smaller, but not like it was visible since her black eyes never allowed that to noticed.

She looked around her, but her eyesight was a bit too blurry so she rubbed her eyes with her fists and opened them once more. Was this... Was this seriously her room? The one she left that morning, all happy to be going to the... seaside?

"What?", she uttered and gasped as she remembered: "You get one more chance"

Was this really possible? Suddenly everything that had happened started flowing through her mind, from the second of the accident, over Berta's body dangling from the roof to the moment her heart was stabbed by the crazy man with the dead dog. 

She covered her eyes that started filling with tears, but didn't even try to stop herself. She buried her head in her pillow and breathed in deeply the warm smell of home, love, kindness, tears pouring down and making the bedspread wet.

"Alice? Baby?", somebody started opening the door. It was a red-haired woman with greenish eyes and Alice suddenly remembered what Billy had told her. Was it possible that this was her actual mother?

"Mom?", she said, her voice shaking. "Yeah, baby girl?"

"Mom!", Alice got up, started running towards her but suddenly felt very weak and dropped to the floor. Her mother ran to her.

"Sweety, are you alright?"

"Yeah, mumma", she mumbled, her voice muffled by the carpet. 

"Come on downstairs, you need to have breakfast. Do you want me to carry you?" Alice raised her face and smiled. She hugged her mother and squeezed with all her might.

"Woah. Somebody is feeling cuddly today", her mother said as she hugged Alice back with all the love Alice ever dreamed of.

"I love you, mumma".

"I love you too, honey. Now let's get downstairs. Daddy is waiting, he made pancakes and yesterday I bought a chocolate topping and some bananas, so we can use those, since we're all out of peanut butter".

Alice smiled and felt her heart fill with joy and happiness. She couldn't believe what was happening, but suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

"Mumma?"

"Yeah, baby girl?"

"Are we dead?" Her mother's eyes widened, and then she started laughing.

"Well that's a silly question. Of course we're not dead, Alice, why would we be?"

"I just... I thought..."

"You hear that? That sound your tummy is making? It means it's hungry. And as far as I know, dead people can't be hungry. So let's get our buddy filled up so we can get going!"

They walked downstairs and Alice ran into her father and squeezed him happily. "Daddy I love you!" Her father exchanged glances with her mother, both raising eyebrows and smiling. "Love you too, cookie".

"Cookie? Cookie! You used to call me cookie!", Alice remembered happily.

"I still do, Alice. Are you sure you're okay?", he asked.

"Perfect", she replied, "I just can't believe this is possible". She glanced at the mirror. Yup. It was definitely her body.

She jumped out of joy.

"Well, are you ready for our trip?"

"W-... Trip? What trip? The seaside?", she asked, worried. Her mother chuckled. "No, Alice. Who goes to the seaside in the middle of March? Since you don't know, we won't even tell you until we get there".

"Fine. As long as it is not the seaside..."