I've always wondered what life would be like if wishes actually came true. Would it be magical? Blissful? Peaceful? No fear, no worries—because everything you wanted was happening exactly as you dreamed.
Maybe if my wishes had come true, I'd still be home—safe with a caring dad…and mom, she'd still be alive. Maybe I never would've met Miss Cathy, or Josephine. Maybe I'd still be happy. Everything would feel normal. I wouldn't have had to kill Dad. I wouldn't have had to run away from everything and everyone—over and over again.
But that's just a dream. A fairy tale. A wish that will never come true.
I lay still on my bed, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. The chirping of birds filled the room, a faint spot of sunlight reflecting off the wall opposite my bed. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the image from my mind. Who was that man? ,Where did he come from ?, Is this really his house?,What was he doing to— Amilia? Who was that elderly woman? What if he had killed me? Maybe it would have been better—then I'd be free from this crushing guilt, free from the constant pain and loneliness that choke me every single time. And the voice... the voice I keep hearing. What is it? Who is it? Why does it haunt me? Why does it push me to do things I never even thought I was capable of? Why does it taunt me constantly ?, why does it make me feel worthless ?, why does it make my life seem meaningless?
Lost in these thoughts, I suddenly heard voices drifting from outside the room. They were distant but just clear enough to make out, though I couldn't tell who was speaking. I rose slowly from the bed and crept to the door, pressing my ear against it, trying to catch more of the conversation. The voices were still faint. With a trembling hand, I turned the doorknob and peeked out. Normally, I would have been terrified—what if Grant caught me? What if he repeated what he did before? But strangely, I wasn't scared. Not at all. It was as if I was a different girl now... someone far removed from who I was just yesterday.
I eased my whole body out of the room and crept down the hallway toward the stairs. The voices grew louder, clearer. I recognized Amilia's calm, gentle voice, then the old lady's, and finally his—Grant's. I froze, a sharp fear clutching at my chest. But something inside me pushed me forward. I kept moving. When I was about halfway down the staircase, close enough to hear their words clearly, I stopped.
"Ma... I'm sorry, but she's harmless and homeless..." Amilia said softly. *Who's 'she'? Is she talking about me?
"Harmless?" Grant's voice sent chills down my spine. "How do you know that? What if she's a spy... You always act without thinking. Don't you have any brains, woman?"
"Grant..." the old woman's voice cut through the tension, calm but firm, just like last night. "That's no way to speak. We need to decide what to do next. Shouting won't solve anything."
I took a careful step closer, peeking through the gaps in the stair railing to catch sight of the three of them as they talked.
"Ma… the few days I've spent with her have started to heal wounds I've carried for years," Amilia said, her voice trembling, tears welling up in her eyes. "She reminds me of Sam… Ma… her smile, her voice, her little jokes—everything about her brings me peace."
Tears slipped down her cheeks. Her words struck a chord deep inside me. I thought of Miss Cathy… and my mom. I saw the care in Amilia's eyes, and I felt the pain hidden in her voice. I also remembered the resolution I'd made weeks ago—I had to return to the orphanage. I had to go back to Miss Cathy.
Grant's voice pulled me back to their conversation. Disgust twisted his face as he spat out, "Quit this emotional nonsense, woman. Don't tell me you've been carrying feelings for a corpse all these years. Haven't I done enough?"
"Grant!" the old woman interrupted sharply, her tone stricter than before.
"Amilia, dear, I understand how you feel, but she's still a stranger..."
"No, Ma. She isn't a stranger to me. I consider her my daughter. Ma, I want to adopt her."
The word "adopt" hit me like lightning. I'd heard it before… back at the orphanage. Does this mean she's planning to send me away too? If that happens, I won't be able to return to Miss Cathy...
Their voices faded into the background as I slowly turned away and headed back toward my room. Suddenly, my foot slipped, and before I could react, I was falling—landing hard on the floor downstairs, my body stretched out flat.