Chapter 1: 15 again

It's a sunny day in April, a young girl in white was sleeping soundly on the rocking chair while holding a book in her hand. She looks adorable, except for the drool that was coming out from the corner of her mouth. She suddenly opened her eyes and blinked a few times. There was disbelief written all over her face. She sprung up from the chair, so fast that she drops the book and even trip herself.

"Ah! Damn!" she almost fell straight to the lake.

After Steadying herself, she closed her eyes and take a few mouthfuls of air to calm herself down.

Opening her eyes again, she was stunned. Zuli rubbed her eyes a few times, unsure of what kind of thoughts she was having at the moment.

"Where am I? Eh? Eh isn't this... isn't this my favorite lake gush! I'm not dead yet?"

She panics, but when she saw her reflection, on the calm lake.

"ahhhh! Ghost "Zuli screamed, stumbled, and fell to the floor. Her pale face got even paler.

She is almost scared to death. That girl is a ghost, is she here to scare me? But I am also a dead person.

Her face is full of horror, but a lot of question is also popping out of her mind. Recalling the image carefully. she saw is a very skinny girl in white, with long hair that almost reached her waist. Her face was covered with her hair and only her blue eyes can be seen. What was scarier is that the little girl is pale as a dead person.

Blue eyes? B... blue eyes? That's quite familiar, that is also the color of my eyes. Zuli nodded repeatedly, but something wasn't right, what's happening? I'm very sure that I died, what am I doing here. Was I saved? Or did I die?

Zuli crawled to the edge of the lake and attempted to look again, the familiar yet unfamiliar face greet her.

This time she didn't scream but she stared at her reflection in a daze for an indescribable amount of time.

Wiping the drool in her mouth, Zuli was speechless. it finally dawns on her, that little girl from earlier was her younger self. She was so skinny at that time, that small wind can blow her off.

"So, I'm alive? I'm still alive." her heart pounded like crazy, that she even wanted to scream again.

"Eh! That means it's only a dream. It's Impossible right?" Biting her nails out of habit,

Zuli suddenly chuckled for a while then shook her head, pinching her thighs to confirm her thoughts. Feeling the pain in her thighs she yelped and her smile froze.

"So, I did!" Zuli stood up, she paced here and there, she is having a mixed feelings.

her mind was so chaotic that it made her head hurt.

This is crazy, if I remember correctly the doctor is even trying to save me.

the excruciating pain she experienced during that time, is still vivid in her mind. It's so real that it's hard to believe, that she is standing here alive and well.

Zuli's eyes willed up, she crouched down and hug her legs. After an indifferent amount of time, she finally stood up and arrange her messy dress. Zuli didn't shed tears nor delight can be seen on her calm face.

Her past life is painful enough that she didn't even have the tears to shed.

She just stood there and observed her surroundings, feeling the familiar scent of grass in the air. The questions in her mind are solved just like that. Murmuring to herself she asks instantaneously.

"Then how about my lovely grandpa?... he is still alive and well now…...right?"

Hi! I'm Lazuli Williams, my mother named me Lazuli because of my blue eyes. They call me lily or Zuli, and sometimes they call me, "Arrogant princess."

My Grandpa has been taking care of me since I was young. My mother died when I was only 3 years old. My grandpa told me that my mom is a gentle, and a caring woman. She was loved by every person that she met. But when she discovered that she was dying and can only live for 3 years, she suffered from depression.

'I mean, who would want to know that your days are numbered, and you're dying right?'

My mother has a mixed-blood type and it's not very optimistic to wait for a possible bone marrow match. The only way for her to survive is through chemotherapy. Which, is a very painful treatment process and will also make her look ugly. Just like me, my mom hates ugly things.

"I also can't imagine myself shaving all my hair. I will look like a monk or a featherless chicken."

She said," thinking about staying in the hospital makes me already go crazy. Counting my days gone by like this will also make me feel like dying."

So, for the first time, my mom decided to disobey grandpa. She wanted to go out, and see the world for herself. Grandpa wanted to stop her and have at least a little bit of hope.

But my mom was stubborn, so he decided to let her go. Grandpa feels like this is the only way he can compensate his daughter, for his shortcomings as a failed father. Great-grandpa was also furious and he refuses to let my mother leave the hospital. he may not show on the surface, how he cared about his granddaughter.

it's still pained him to see, his kin die one after the other. It's not been a year yet since he sent his daughter, and now he needs to send his granddaughter again?

Knowing great grandpa's attitude well, my mother sneaks away with the help of her best friend and leaves the country alone.

Grandpa serves in the military, so he can only visit home once, or twice a month.

When my grandparents got married grandpa was mocked by great-grandpa, Grandpa is only an orphan after all. He got no power nor wealth, while my grandma grew up as a rich young lady of a prominent family.

So, grandpa worked his ass out to gain the approval of his father-in-law, and to repay his wife's love.

He had indeed become successful in the end, and become a major general at the age of 40.

When he discovers that his wife is sick. It was already too late; his wife is already dying.

He felt lost and devastated, his years of hard work were for nothing.

The accomplishment that he thinks would bring him glory was only a joke in his father-in-law's eye. Sadness bore into him, so he decided to quit being a soldier and continue his wife's jewelry business.