Lily's Fight For Light

Chapter 2

     "I'm sorry, Lily, but I'm not sure I follow. Who was over here earlier?"

"You were. Well, obviously not really you, because you're here now. Wait, hold on. How do I even know it's really you? This is getting creepy. We should have a safe word or something, " I say, backing away from her. 

Emma (or should I say, maybe Emma) does not have any time to reply to my question, because the doorbell rings and interrupts our conversation. Because I am too shaken at the moment to answer any more people at the door, I decide to just ignore it, and I continue asking "Emma" questions to make sure that it is really her.

"When did we first connect?" I ask suspiciously.

"Lily, you know we met in the grocery sto-"

"No, not when we met. When we first connected. When we really became friends."

"We had just escaped the car that was chasing you, which I would later find out was your adoptive father. We started telling each other about our past. Even though you lied about your past and said that you were an orphan, that was when we really became friends."

"Okay," I sigh in relief. "I haven't seen you in such a long time."

"Yeah."

After that, we just stare at each other in an awkward silence. When my phone starts ringing and I see that it says "Mom" on the caller ID, I finally answer.

"Lily, open the door!"

"Yeah, yeah, Mom, I'm coming."

My mother walks in and greets me, but when she sees Emma, she seems to be a bit scared.

"Emma? What's the matter this time? I saw that you were driving over here and I decided to come over to see what was going on."

"Yeah, that's the thing, I came over to tell Lily something important-"

"What?" My mom and I both ask in unison.

Emma continues speaking like she's running out of time or something. "Only I never really got the chance to explain why I actually came here because Lily started telling me that I was just here, only I was not just here, so someone is taking my identity, and that could mean-"

"I'll explain it to you, later, Mom," I quickly mutter. "So, let's just get straight to the point, okay? What did you actually want to tell me, Emma?"

"Well, I was looking through some old boxes yesterday, and I found this red box. It had some pictures in it, you and some other people, but the most important thing is, there was a letter. I had your name and address on it. I have no idea where it came from. It's like it just appeared out of nowhere."

"Well, what did the letter say?" I ask in an appalled tone of voice.

"That's just why I came here, Lily. I didn't want to invade your privacy,"

"Well, let's open it then," I say. Then I remember finding a red box lying on the floor when the fake Emma left my house. I didn't open it then because it seemed way too suspicious, but now, since Emma has the real one, I decide that maybe it's worth a shot to just ask her.

"Emma, before I open that box,  there is something that I must ask you."

"Ask me, then," is Emma's quick response. The look on her face is like a robot. I understand that she must be extremely tired, coming all the way here to show me something, so I know that it must be very urgent and I really should not stall. Still, I cannot control my mouth nor my mind from running at a speed of about a million miles an hour as I explain all that I have been thinking about for the past few weeks. I'm aware that it sounds incredibly immature, but I miss these conversations. Oh, how I miss the times when we were teenagers, Emma and I. She trusted me fully. I trusted her mostly. It was great until I went and ruined it like I ruined everything else that seemed good to me at the time. That was when I truly felt like a dragon destined for ruin.  Even though we have not been in touch recently, Emma still knows me. I say whatever comes to my mind first, even if I don't always mean it. This time, however, I definitely do mean it, and it sounds crazy, but I am certain that Emma will understand.

"When the woman who looked like you came over here earlier, she dropped this," I whisper as I take the box from my bag. Emma simultaneously reaches into her own bag but comes up empty-handed. "Is- is this it?" I ask though I am not a fool. Of course, I already know the answer. "Yes, yes it is," Emma breathes. "Or maybe it only appears to be. It still seems too risky, Lily. I would hold on to it if I were you, but I wouldn't open it yet until we have more information. There is always the possibility that it could be magic,".

"Okay, that seems reasonable," I reply, but I am also extremely disappointed. I was actually very curious for a moment there.  Wait, where is my mom?

"Mom!"

Emma and I search the house and find her lying upstairs on the sofa with a distressed look on her face. "I really don't want to deal with this kind of trouble anymore. I just need some peace," Is all Maleficent can manage to say.

"Well, I guess I'll be going, then," Emma tells us. "Best of luck to the both of you.

As I try to fall asleep that night, I desperately want to forget about that box. I am almost successful, but then something ever-changing catches my eye. There is something on the box that I can assure you was not there before. A glowing star, just like the birthmark on my wrist.