The day I lost my life but found my love

1. October 16 2005

Hi! My name is Ella, Ella Delilah Lavender, an ordinary Swiss girl. This is the story of how I almost perished from the universe but instead was given a second chance in life. To top it all off, I got myself a pretty awesome boyfriend as well.

It was the morning of October 16, 2005, when I awoke to the voices of the singing birds on my window seal. 'Poor little creatures! They must be freezing. Why it's the middle of winter for crying out loud!', I thought to myself. Then, the morning sun captured my attention – shimmering invitingly on the fluffy white clouds above the village. I saw the crisp white silvery blanket of snow still on the ground, patiently awaiting energetic kids to play in them. The air was filled with excitement, while the winter birds sang their best melodies, the melodies that I have grown to love. I inhaled the refreshing scent of the cold winter morning, one that seemed to magically get everyone in a Christmas spirit, yet it was still too early, too fresh to be Christmas, I chuckled.

For a moment, the village stood silent.

I caught myself gazing out of the room window, mesmerised by how the fluffy paintings in the sky gave way for the sunlight to shine through onto the glistening snow. It waited for children to just dash out of their houses with the biggest smiles on their faces, with the sole mission of demolishing the crisp white blanket of fluffy snow, something about that always seems to get me.

As I rolled myself out of my heavenly bed to get some toasty breakfast with a nice warm mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream, marshmallows, and chocolate bits on top, I heard a knock on the front door. Emma – my elder sister – insisted on getting the door for me while I hurried down for breakfast in my Christmassy red and green plaid robe and a full head of bed hair.

Yum! Perfectly toasted bagels with scrambled eggs and ham. 'I can't wait to devour this,' I thought to myself. As soon as I started chewing on my mouth-watering breakfast, a voice and a pair of masculine footsteps disrupted me.

"Hey! Look who's here, Ella", said Emma from a distance.

"Hi, William" My voice muffled as the huge chunks of bagel and scrambled egg protrude out of my mouth. It was then when I realised that my hair is matted, not a single strain would cooperate with me, I haven't brushed my teeth nor washed my face let alone taken a shower, I probably smelled like a good blend of body odour, unwashed clothes, morning breath, and a hint of breakfast, not to mention, I was in that hideous red and green plaid robe.

My heart started to beat faster and faster as if it was going to take off. If it did, I would have needed to chase after it, wouldn't I? Thank God it didn't. Even then, shivers ran down my back, and my palms filled with sweat.

You see, William and I had been best friends since God knows when. Recently, I started to develop feelings for him but was just too shy to tell him. Emma said he might just like me too, which would always make me blush.

At that point, my elder brother Eliot had just woken up from his 'hibernation' to get some breakfast. He looked as if he had spent all night sobbing into a pillow.

"Oh God, what happened to you?" I asked in a shocked tone.

"His girlfriend broke up with him last night," replied Emma.

"And how have I not known a thing about it?"

"Well, Ella, you were simply fast asleep, off to dreamland to meet your knight in shining armour" Joked Emma.

"Or perhaps your prince charming?" Eliot continued with the slightest grin on his face.

"Don't you have better things to worry about Eliot?" I shot back, thankfully with food no longer hanging out of my mouth.

"That explains a lot, a waffle?" William offered the sniffling boy a bagel. Classic Will, always trying to make any bad situation better.

"Will? That's a bagel you're holding..."

Poor Elliot. The boy was completely unaware of William's slightly off-brand sense of humour. I started to slowly lose my focus on what was happening around me. However, my mind was still able to focus on one thing, and one thing only – which was how I had gotten so lucky to have this amazing human being in my life and be his best friend. How I longed to be together with him – to be in his arms, or even just to brush my hand through his slightly curled hair. Slowly, I came back to reality as everyone gathered around the table.

Suddenly, William was hit with a stroke of brilliance.

"Why don't we go for a quick ski on the alps?"

"Yes, we should totally go! It will take your mind off of last night, Eliot. You coming, Ella?" Emma enthusiastically interrupted William.

Her question brought up memories, causing me to remember how scared I was about skiing, how I face-planted into a tree by accident, and how I fell from a slope that seemed to be thousands and thousands of feet tall but it was actually only around 2 feet tall. Despite that, in the midst of my recollection, I recalled how I wanted to be there for Eliot through his sadness although now I doubt that he's even sad due to the fact that he's grinning and joking around now.

Either way, I still managed to gather up the courage to agree, "Yes of course I'm going, I would do anything for Eliot, plus it's about time that I get back on those lovely alps." As soon as the words left my mouth, I wandered off into my imagination, fantasising about what life would be like if William and I were together. Even better, if we were married off and had children of our own. Yes, I know that was a little far, but hey, I was young and a teenager, My mind then brought me to wonder about how cold the mountains would be.

"Hello? Sissy, Ella, you there? Ella back to Earth!" I was startled from my thoughts into reality by the repeated poking by Emma.

William explained that we should head off to pack our belongings, meet at the fountain outside my house at 9:30 a.m., and depart. I nodded and blushed a tiny bit.

That was the morning of October 16, 2005. Little did I know that my life would change on that fateful day, right before my eyes.