The wind howled through the barren trees, whipping the rain into a furious torrent. The cold night seemed to swallow the young lady whole as she stood alone in the storm, shivering. Her thoughts were as dark and cold as the storm raging around her. Her heart was heavy, weighed down by sorrow and regret. She felt trapped like her soul had been imprisoned in a cage of her own making.
She found herself running, her legs carrying her forward as if by their own volition. She had no control over her movements, only a desperate need to escape. She ran until she reached a playground, its swings and slides looming like giant sentinels in the darkness. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Finally, she came to a halt, her legs trembling beneath her.
A bittersweet smile tugged at her lips as she remembered the day they first met at this very playground. Three years had passed, and so much had changed. But here she was standing in the same place, her heart still aching with the memory of that day; it was like a movie reel playing in her mind. She could see it so clearly- the way the sunlight had glinted off Emily's hair, the sound of her laughter, the way her eyes had sparkled when she smiled. It was truly a memory that was forever etched in her heart. She stood motionless, her face a blank canvas of fear and despair. Her mind was racing with a million thoughts and memories, all jumbled together in a chaotic mess.
SUDDENLY! A deafening CRASH!!! Ripped through the still night, startling her from her thoughts. She froze, her breath catching in her throat, as the noise reverberated through her body. It took a moment for her to process what had just happened.
"What is this?", Pain seared through her body, radiating from her hip and spreading through her limbs. She tried to scream but her throat was tight with fear. Her mind was a blank, unable to process what had just happened., "It's too hot".
"Oh, I remember…" slowly the realization dawned on her- she had been hit by something. Something big "I got hit by a community bus"
She looked around, taking in her surroundings. She was lying on the wet gravel road, the raindrops falling around her like a curtain. The lampposts cast eerie shadows on the ground, making the whole scene feel surreal. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. She tried to move, but her body was numb and unresponsive.
She tried to think back to what had happened, but her thoughts were jumbled and disjointed. All she could remember was walking through the dark streets, lost in her own world. She had been so caught up in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed the approaching danger.
Now she was lying here, hurt and alone. Her face was a waxen moon in the dim light, eyes opened staring at the illuminating stars, "There's no need to be afraid, I just need a little stitching up"
Through the haze of her pain and confusion, she heard a voice calling out to her. It was a deep, booming voice that cut through the rain and silence. "Hello? Are you okay? Can you hear me?" the voice continued, "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. I was going too fast. I'm sorry. Are you okay? Can you speak? Can you hear me?"
She looked up at the sky; trying to get the sight of her imminent demise out of her mind. She wanted to remember something happy but the only thing in her head was the fact that the cold hand of death was reaching out to her.
"Is this the end?", she wondered, as the edges of her vision began to blur. A lifetime reduced to this singular significant and ill-fated moment. As her heart gave its final beat, the world seemed to exhale with her, liberating a lifetime of love, grief and unsaid dreams into the universe.
Suddenly, everything went dark. A moment later she woke up in a lavish bedroom, lying in a soft comfortable bed. She looked around, confused and disoriented. As she tried to process what had happened, she saw a mirror on the wall, and looked into it. She sees a face that is not her own- it's a face of a model and a goddess. She looked at herself in shock, trying to understand what was happening.
"Oh my gosh!", she screamed, "Is this freaky Friday?"
As she studied her new face, she noticed that it looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Then, she started to have flashes of memories from her previous life- she could feel the emotions of her past life flooding back as well. She felt the happiness and joy of her youth, but also the sorrow and pain of her loss. She could feel the desperation and hopelessness she felt in her last moments, and the fear and confusion she was now experiencing. She realized that she had been given a second chance at life. But what does this mean? Why was she here, and what was she supposed to do now?