I Amsterdam (Completed)

Chapter 11.4 - Emma

It was only me who knocked on the Schneider's door. There was no Brandon, no luggage, just me. The door opened, and a drowsy Mr. Schneider stood on the other side. His eyes sprung open wide as he was hit by a wave of surprise the moment he saw me. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I guess I'm back," I said. I twiddled my thumbs. "Is it okay if I come in?"

Without hesitation, he made way for me to enter. "Did something happen? Where's all your stuff?"

I stood in the hallway, and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "Brandon..." I said, but my voice faded. I tried to maintain my composure. "He came over before I left. He said he wanted to leave with me. And I let him. But he started getting sick on the train, so before it left, I dragged him off and called the EMS. The train took away all my stuff."

It took some time for Mr. Schneider to process. "Brandon?" he asked. "Came over?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"And he got sick?"

"Uh huh."

"Is he okay?"

I inhaled sharply, on the verge of tears once again. "I only hope so."

Mr. Schneider could feel my pain. "Oh, okay," he said, still thinking. "We'll get your stuff back, don't worry."

I nodded, but that was the least of my problems right now. "Is it okay..." I asked cautiously. "That I stay here for the night?"

"Yeah," Mr. Schneider answered. "Of course." His eyes were waiting, expecting.

I knew what he was wondering. "And after," I added. "I'll need a trip back to the US. I don't have enough money for a plane ticket, and I'm sorry to ask this, but-"

"I'll pay for it all," Mr. Schneider interrupted. His eyes lit up. "I got it covered, Emma."

"Well I can-"

"Everything," he stopped me. "I got everything covered."

I nodded slowly. It's not too late to turn back around. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. "Thank you," I said. "I don't deserve this."

"You do," he assured.

I nodded again.

"It was all Brandon, wasn't it?" Mr. Schneider asked, his eyes curious. "He made you doubt."

I bit my lip. "Yeah," I answered. "It was all him."

"That's the power of love," remarked Mr. Schneider. "I'm glad for you Emma."

I smiled to show my appreciation. "I'm going to get some sleep." I was about to leave before I remembered something. "Oh, and Brandon also lost his backpack, too. Could you also tell the station to bring his stuff home too, please?"

"Sure," Mr. Schneider answered.

And with that, I left for the room I had stayed in for the whole past week. For once, it no longer felt cozy and warm, and I struggled to capture what I once felt gazing up at the sunrise and at Brandon. Instead, the room only felt daunting and eerie, a dark, mysterious envelope blanketing it.

But beside that, it looked just as how I left it. On my bed laid the raven sketch, the sunrise keychain I had bought for Brandon the day he discovered I was lying to him, and my sketchbook, all in the same exact position they were in when I thought I would see them for the last time. I had left them behind in hopes that it would make Amsterdam easier to forget, for each item contained so many memories.

My fingers reached for the sunrise keychain, delicately balancing the small thing between my hands. It was no bigger than my palm, glittering in the sunlight. Brandon didn't even get to see it.

I placed the keychain on my nightstand, the metal making a small clink the moment it touched the surface. My hands then went for the raven sketch, laying on top of my sketchbook. It still had a crease in the middle from when it was folded in half, and some dirt was smudged on the side, giving the raven a more artistic look. Magic, was all I thought, Brandon's voice ringing like a bell in my ears, swiftly flowing on the wind towards the peaceful ocean. I set the raven down next to the sunrise keychain.

Lastly, I took my sketchbook, sitting down on the edge of the bed and placing it on my lap.

I flipped it open and the first page I landed on was my sketch of Brandon.