Death was not like ChunHua imagined it to be. From behind her eyelids, she could tell that wherever she was, it was brightly lit. The scent that wafted into her nose smelled like home. It was so nostalgic that it brought her to tears and enticed her to open her eyes, so she did.
No matter how much she had mentally prepared herself for it, she was still completely floored by the look of the afterlife.
"This is... This must be heaven... It can't be hell..." She whispered to herself as more tears streamed down her face. It was the room she grew up in. The large closet, drawers, dresser, curtains, even the dog bed in the corner. Everything was exactly the same as she remembered it to be.
"Dad. Mom. Big brother. They must be here. They must be!" ChunHua scrambled out of bed and combed through her large house. Not finding them anywhere on the second floor, she ran to the third, then down to the first floor, then out to the yard in the back. She crumbled down at the steps of the back door, weeping. "It can't be... Am I in hell after all?" To live here forever without her family would definitely break her.
"Baby?! What's wrong?" A deep reassuring voice exclaimed.
"Aiya, my precious! What're you doing there?!" Another comforting voice exclaimed with equal alarm.
ChunHua's shoulders jumped in surprise and she spun around to see them. Her face was immediately cupped by her mother who looked her up and down, checking if anything was wrong. By her left, her large St. Bernard was persistently stuffing his face between them. Her father was by the dog, gently stroking her back.
"Little sis, did that bastard Qi hurt you? I'll deal with him for you!" Her brother asked her with a comforting hand on her right shoulder.
"Dad... Mom... Big brother... I'm sorry... I'm sorry for failing you... I'm the worst daughter..." She apologised and scolded herself with tears pouring out of her red swollen eyes.
"Baby! What're you saying?!"
"Is that what that bastard said?!" Her brother demanded.
"Shh shh shhhhh!" Her mother cut everyone off then looked straight into ChunHua's eyes. Her gaze was so sharp that it made ChunHua focus a little better. "Why do you say these, precious ?"
"Everyone died... You all died! Because of me... And I couldn't get my revenge... Before I died... I have failed all of you... I don't deserve to be here. I'm such an-" Her breath got squeezed out of her as her mother wrapped her tightly in her strong embrace. When the two men joined in, she had no air left to speak.
"It's a bad dream, precious, it's just a bad dream. You're awake now. We're all here. Shhh..." Her mother gently soothed and calmed her the best she could. "It's okay. It's okay now."
Thinking that they were merely comforting her, she shook her head and squeaked, "You all- You all died in front of me. I-"
"Baby, baby. Look at us. Look at us." Her father urged gently but firmly, compelling ChunHua to obey. "We're well and alive. You're awake now."
Her brother wanted to say something but her mother tapped him on the shoulder. "WeiSheng dear, please make your sister's favourite drink."
WeiSheng looked like he had to swallow a bitter pill but promptly got to work.
"Darling?"
"Mm?"
"Please get our precious baby's favourite food and snacks?"
"On it." Her father pecked her mother on her cheek before moving away.
Her mother supported ChunHua up then guided her back to her room. ChunHua absentmindedly followed wherever she was led to.
"Mom... Are we really not in heaven...?" ChunHua finally asked.
"We're not in heaven. We're well and alive on earth." Her mother tucked ChunHua into her large poofy princess bed then climbed in to cuddle with her. Their dog snuggled up against her as well.
"... Where were all of you earlier?"
"Having breakfast. As usual. At our usual place."
"Usual...? Today's Sunday?"
"Mmhmm."
"... What date is it?"
"13th February 2014."
ChunHua shot up, sitting up with her back ramrod straight, and staring at her mother with her eyes as wide as saucers. "2014?"
"What's this about the year?" Her brother asked as he walked in with ChunHua's favourite blend of floral tea.
"She seems surprised about the date." Her mother updated him.
"You- I- We- We died in 2016..." ChunHua explained. However, she sounded like she could not believe it herself.
"That's a very long dream." Her father commented in awe while he came in with chrysanthemum jellies.
"Oh our poor baby... You're already sick yet you had such a long nightmare... Here, drink up, drink up. There's plenty more where that came from." Her mother urged her.
After taking a few sips, ChunHua asked once more. "It- It really is 2014...?"
WeiSheng whipped out his handphone to show her the date. In her shocked daze, he took the jelly from their father to feed ChunHua. She obediently opened and closed her mouth like a doll.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Her father asked while he settled down on the edge of her bed.
ChunHua opened her mouth but no words came out. /What if it really was all a dream? I can't let that ruin their impression of Bai Qiao. I can't let them worry about me./
"It's okay." ChunHua gave a weak smile. "I'll recover..." Even as she began convincing herself that it was all a mere dream, the possibility that it was all real still nagged at her. "Can I rest? With all of you here...?"
Everyone looked at her with their hearts aching. They knew at that moment that the princess of the house was different.
"Of course."
"We'll always be here."
"Rest well."
They reassured her one after another.
ChunHua laid in her mother's embrace and closed her eyes. However, as soon as she did, horrific memories flashed in her mind. Her eyelids flew open and her breathing quickened. Her mother stroked her arm. Seconds passed. Then minutes. Before she knew it, ChunHua's eyelids lowered once again.
When ChunHua came to again, her room was dyed in the purple and pink light of the setting sun. She got up very slowly and looked at everyone napping where they were. At that moment, images flashed through her mind. Her parents unconscious in their bed with blood and vomit all over themselves. Her brother by the foot of her bed in the same state. Her heart raced but ChunHua fought off the instinct to shake her them all awake.
"Mom? Mom?" ChunHua tapped her gently.
Receiving no response, ChunHua's heart went to her mouth and she shook her mother more violently. "Mom. Mom."
Her dog tilted its head curiously.
"Mommy!"
To her relief, her mother breathed in sharply and woke up with eyes wide. "What is it? What's wrong?"
The men also stirred awake and mumbled similar things to her mother.
"Uh. It's time for dinner. We should eat before it's too late."
"Oh." Her mother looked out the floor to ceiling windows that led out to a balcony. "You're right. How about we go to Herbal Kitchen?" She asked with a kind smile.
ChunHua shook her head. "Let's go to The Circle instead."
Her family shared a meaningful glance before looking back at her. "As long as that makes you happy."
With that decided, they left the room, tidied up, then hopped into their car and drove off.