Who is she?

Chapter Five - Her Past

"Honestly, I think I was able to figure out what it meant." Ericka gave a slight smile.

"You sure? It didn't make sense to me", Dan gave her a questioning look.

"See, if my uncle sent it, it would be related to me or my life. Also, there's only one event in my life that changed me and everything around me completely. The more I try to think of any different situation that can be represented by this clue, the more denial I face from myself", Ericka explained.

"Woah! Geez, calm down. This isn't your college admission essay." BJ gave Ericka a dramatic look. "Now I know what Harvard wants - To explain a simple sentence in 4-5 lines and make it look damn interesting and appealing without making sense. Although it did make a little sense here."

"Shut up! It's my dream. Although I can't attend it, I'm happy to see my friend living my dream," Dan put his hands his chest pretending to be hurt, and his voice was laced with melodrama.

"And that event is?" Brandon asked after the giggles and laughter ended.

Lorena eyed Ericka whose uneasiness gave her chills. "I don't remember much either", Ericka's soft reply was barely audible.

"Didn't you say this same sentence when that Nick thing had happened? Wait! Is it about him?" Maggie's anger surged.

"Magz, are you out of your mind?", Lorena and Brandon nearly screamed in unison. Ericka gave a fake smile and took a deep breathe, "Well, you are because clearly, that was just a year gap when it all happened and when I told you guys. So, it was obvious that I was lying. Now, if I told everything about that, why will I say I don't remember." Ericka laughed, and head slapped while others smiled. "It's something that happened when I was a kid. So, I really don't remember a lot."

"Like you aren't a kid now." Dan's remark was utterly ignored except Maggie, who rolled her eyes.

"Tell us everything you remember," Brandon demanded. Ericka closed her eyes and tried to remember everything she can.

My mom is sitting at the edge of a bed that I haven't seen before, or maybe I have, but I don't remember. I am trying to sleep with my head on her lap. It's very comfortable in a specific position. I am unable to sleep because of some recurring nightmare. I don't know what that was, but I start complaining to her when she starts smiling and says something. Oh god! I don't even remember that. Damn you!!! So frustrating.

"All I remember is my mom smiling and calming me down when I complained to her about my recurring nightmare." Ericka creased her forehead harder. "Let me think about that incident particularly."

"There was no light in the house for around five days, and I didn't see my parents during that time. I used to play alone in the dark. Suddenly, one day my dad came back, crying. He had locked himself in a room for a few days. That's when Mr. Smith came in my life for the first time. He became my caretaker, nanny, guardian everything. Since then, my dad was indifferent towards me and well, kind of avoided me. Around 7 days from the day he came back, my mom's death news came. I wasn't allowed to attend her funeral. The next day when I came back from my school, each and every picture of my mom was hidden or removed."

"Did you watch too many crime-thriller? Or maybe mystery?" BJ scratched his head, trying to make sense of what was just fed to his brain.

"What the heck is wrong with you guys?! This is so difficult for her that she never told anyone and you guys are...", Lorena scolded Bok Joon.

"Honestly, I was lost halfway. Please repeat it Ri?", Dan pleaded with puppy eyes.

"Lol sure, I just said that I was alone for five days suddenly and then my dad came back. He locked himself up and cried. Around a week from that time, my mom's death news came. Since then, everything changed."