Story Ideas

[2]: Wait For Me When I'm Gone

Ok I didn't finish even the first chapter on this one but it's the story I've had the longest (besides one more that's so stupid I don't wanna post it). The first part is just the summary ^^

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"Can you hear me?"

"Yeah. I can hear you."

"Okay, Esther. I want you to carefully listen to me. Run as far away as you can from here. Don't tell anyone that you saw me here."

"What! But I—"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine, alright? Just you wait, Esther."

"Wait for me when I'm gone."

~ ~ ~

Esther Cera is clinging on to her last pieces of hope as she watches her only reason to live slowly disappear from her grasp. Two years after the accident that shattered her life, Esther's father forces her to leave her hometown, where remnants of her past life are left behind. Everyone is telling her to leave it all behind, and to forget about everything that has happened, but she finds this seamlessly simple task impossible. If she can just find her way back to her long-forgotten past; back to Annabella, her best and only friend, and find the reason why she can't remember anything, will everything be fixed?

~ ~ ~

Chapter One

All I heard were voices. Loud, monotone voices that created an endless chatter. I pushed my way through the crowd, blurring out the voices that yelled at me to watch out or to be careful. I couldn't focus right now. I felt dizzy, like I was going to throw up any second. Was it always this crowded back at my old school?

I couldn't remember.

When me and Father left our old house, we left everything behind. Photos, souvenirs from road trips, and memories. The times I would run around with the neighborhood kids, or walked to the nearby corner store, where they sold ice cream; I had to pretend like it never happened. At least, this is what Father told me to do. I just couldn't figure out why this was so necessary in order for me to live a normal life. Was he hiding something from me?

"Ow!"

Suddenly snapping out of my daydream, I looked up at the opposing person, feeling a very subtle throbbing in my forehead. It was a guy with light, wavy brown hair. He grimaced at me as he rubbed his head in pain. When he finally realized that I was still standing there, he changed his facial expression and appeared polite; friendly even.

"Sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." He shook his head in apology.

Before I could even say anything, he waved his hand as in to forget about it, and walked away. Flustered and embarrassed, I put my head down and continued to walk towards my next class.

☾ ☾ ☾

I sat on my bed, staring at my Spanish homework when I heard the rattling of furniture downstairs. The front door slammed shut, and I sighed.

Father's home.

I laid my head back on a pillow, the softness consuming me, and shut my eyes. Images flashed through my mind of the girl with soft golden eyes and a kind smile. I opened my eyes again and all of a sudden my mind went fuzzy. My breathing became raggedy, and my head started hurting.

No. Not again. Not today.

I stumbled to the bathroom, struggling to open the medicine cabinet for the bottle of Advil. Finally, I clumsily grabbed the container, and desperately swallowed down the pills.

When I finally woke up it was dark, moonlight was shining through the window, and the quiet sound of traffic outside echoed in my ears. The blankets laid on the floor, and my body was flipped upside down on the bed.

Confused, I slowly stood up, quickly sitting back down as I felt a subtle pain in my head. The memories then came back to me. Father coming home; the girl with a gentle smile; the headache; collapsing on my bed after swallowing some medicine.

I sat there for another minute before getting up and heading downstairs. The lights were off, meaning Father was asleep, meaning I was safe. Walking into the kitchen, I opened up the fridge, searching for something that would make up for dinner.

"Esty?"

I flinched. "What the—?"

Annette stood in the doorway of the kitchen, hugging a stuffed bunny with large fluffy ears. She whimpered. "Sorry..."

I stood there for a second, then, when I saw that it was just my sister, I calmed down a bit.

"Oh. It's just you." I sighed in relief. "You surprised me."

"Sorry," she apologized again, a guilty look in her eyes.

I smiled in sympathy. Kneeling down, I patted her head. "It's fine. As long as it's just you."

"But—"

"Calm down. It's not your fault." I paused. "What are you doing down here?"

Annette looked down. "I was waiting for you to wake up. I know how much you hate being woken up. Especially after . . ." She stopped. "I don't know exactly what happened, but I know you hate it!" She suddenly blurted out.

I stared out her for a second. At her small fiddling hands, her messy blonde braids, and the look of pure innocence in her big brown eyes. The resemblance between her and Mum was too uncanny. Even their habits were the same.

I, on the other hand, didn't look like any of my parents. I didn't have Mum's straight blonde hair, or Father's blue eyes and tan skin. Pale with long dark hair and hazel eyes, I was the exact opposite of Mum and Father.

Kneeling down, I gave Annette a reassuring smile and said, "C'mon. I'll be alright, so let's get bed, okay?"

"Promise?"

I hesitated.

Memories of me and that girl appeared in my mind. The girl who smiled at me like I was the only person she saw. Like I was the only person she needed in this world.

"Hey! Wait up!"

I grinned at her from the top of the mountain. "You're the one who's slow! Hurry up!"

When we finally made it to the edge of the cliff, where the stars were supposed to be the brightest around here, I saw a dark figure off to the side.

"What is it, Esther?"

"Huh?" I stared at her for a moment. "Oh. Sorry. I thought I saw something."

"Oh." The girl pointed ahead. "Shall we get going then?"

"Alright."

I didn't follow her though. Instead, I walked towards the figure in the shadows. A choice that led to a promise that I would regret for the rest of my life.

In front of me was a woman, but it wasn't just any woman.

"Mum?"

"Esty? What's wrong?"

I blinked a few times, before realizing that Annette was still talking to me.

"H-Huh? Oh, yeah . . . S-Sorry," I stuttered out. At this point, I couldn't lie about it anymore. I held my sister's soft complexion with both of my hands and broke down. "I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry–."

TO BE CONTINUED . . .