In Time

-Five-

17 April 2017, Monday

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I woke up with a jolt, feeling the hard stone bench against my back. Argh, I'd fallen asleep in an awkward position and my sore neck was killing me. Flexing my neck and massaging it with my fingers, I suddenly remembered the strange lady from my dream. That was rare, I never actually remembered any of my dreams long enough to think through them after I was awake.

And what day was it again? I always had this moment of confusion after I awoke from a nap, especially if it was an unintentional nap. I checked my watch, 4 April 2017. Only 4 April? Wasn't it already past Homecoming on 7 April? And that was like last week? Focusing hard, I forced myself to think. I couldn't let a broken watch disorientate me. I wrecked my brain for whatever information I could gather, this wasn't a good time for amnesia. Yes, I was at Diana's funeral, I had a chat with Daniel on this bench, and he handed me...... Diana's suicide letter. I was holding it in my hands!

I got up from my seat and scrambled to find the piece of foolscap paper. It wasn't on the grass, nor in the lake; I must have dropped it when I was asleep. To have lost such an important document, I was ashamed of myself. How was I going to face Daniel after losing the only thing he had left of his sister?

I was searching between the pebbles and the grass patches when I heard a wailing cry. It was a young girl, probably around the age of five or so. She was burying her face in her hands, a bunny plushie clutched tightly to her side. There wasn't anyone with her; she was probably lost. I knew that I had to find the letter, but something about that girl felt so familiar yet I couldn't put my finger on it, almost like déjà vu.

I knew at that moment that I had to help her.

"Hey girl, are you lost?" I approached her, bending down to match her height.

"...I can't find M...Mummy..." she explained in between sobs.

"Now, I will help you find your Mummy, but first you've got to help me out," I reassured her. "Now tell me, what does Mummy look like? What is she wearing? And where were you before you got lost?"

"M...Mummy brought me to c...carnival," she pointed to several tents in the distance, calming down.

"Alright, we'll go to the carnival and find your Mummy okay?"

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'Family Bonding Day 2017'.

Something was uncanny about that flashy banner at the entrance. Wasn't there just a bonding day say only 2 weeks ago? Were family ties getting strained at an increased rate or something?

"Now, where did you last see your Mummy?" I probed.

"Mummy buying cotton candy..."

I held the little girl's hand in my own and made a beeline for the nearest cotton candy stall in sight. It was so ridiculously crowded; there were people everywhere, as though there were freebies or something. I clutched even tighter at the little girl's hand, determined not to lose her in the crowd.

"Is your Mummy anywhere around here?" I gestured to the snaking queue behind the cotton candy stall.

"No, cotton candy has rabbit," she looked at a kid passing by who was devouring a bunny-shaped cotton candy.

Great, if only I grabbed one of those brochures at the entrance; then I wouldn't have to spend time elbowing my way through the crowd with a little girl in search of a stall selling bunny-shaped cotton candy.

Pushing my way through the massive crowd, I felt a sudden slap on my back followed by a tug on my ear. I almost retaliated in reflex, until I turned around and realised that the perpetrator was my Mum.