When Shadows Rise | I

Ch. 2 | Daughter & Orphan

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"School is only a week away and I'm not ready to go back," April told Talia through FaceTime. Talia could hear cabinet doors slamming and the faucet running in the background. "Don't you think summer vacation went by too fast?"

"Times goes by when you're having fun," Talia smiled, dressed in her satin pajamas. "But think of it this way: only one grade left until we walk across the stage and receive our diploma. And then it's off to college."

"It's so hard to believe that soon we're about to move into the next chapter of our lives. I mean, just yesterday we were in the sixth grade where the most difficult thing was trying not to get on Miss Cooke's bad side. And now..." there was a long pause, "we actually have our future to think about."

Talia took a moment to register her friend's words. If there was something she rarely thought about, it was her future. Of course, she knew that in her sixteen years of living she was going to take her life seriously at some point, but it didn't really cross her mind when she was a child. In reality, no child contemplates about duties and responsibilities. Why worry about money and where your food was coming from when your only job was to be happy?

"When I lived in Israel, we had a saying: 'One must not let the sadness of the past nor the fear of the future ruin the happiness of our present.'"

April raised an eyebrow. "The people in Israel say that?"

"They would if you were there," Talia said, before bursting into a fit of giggles. "All I'm saying is that you shouldn't dwell too much on the future, because then you will be occupied with thoughts of 'what will become of me' or 'what path will I take' instead of focusing on what is now: your present. It's better to live in the moment, April."

The redhead smiles. "You know, Taly, you remind me of someone."

"I'd like to know who."

"You and him would get along real nicely, seeing that you two have a talent for sharing your daily dose of wise words."

"Him?" Talia mused. "You've certainly got me intrigued."

"Maybe one day I'll introduce you to him," April smirked. "Him and his family- which, speaking of, two of them attend the same school as us. What do you say I introduce you to them on the first day back?"

"That would be lovely."

"Sweet! Well, guess it's that time." April turned off the lights, darkness swallowing her room. "Night, Taly."

"Goodnight." Talia waved. "Love you."

"Not as much as me."

And that's how the FaceTime call ended. Talia set her phone on her nightstand and crawled under the covers. As she drifted to sleep, only sweet dreams filled her mind: her parents, April, her hopes and goals; everything. Sometimes, she even dreamed of traveling to different time periods and meeting historical figures from a specific era. In other dreams, she dreamt about finding the one and building a life together, children and all.

That was the life she yearned for the future. Perhaps not the time traveling part, but the part where she would be surrounded by her loved ones. Everything would be fine.

But sometimes, what one wishes to become reality, is nothing more than an illusion.

***

Talia didn't know how long she was asleep, but a loud bang coming from outside her room snapped her out of the wonderful dream she was having. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at her clock: 2am. Who could possibly be awake at this hour? Talia sat up and remained still, trying to hear to decipher the noise that had just woken her up.