"Hallucinating."? Lucas asked.
Emily nodded, her eyes dropping slightly. "Yes, I saw myself as a child, locked in a room. I don't remember anything like that happening to me, but it felt so real. I could see myself, feel my own fear and pain. It was like I was reliving a memory, but I don't think it's a real one."
Lucas's expression turned thoughtful, his eyes narrowing slightly. "It's possible that your mind is trying to tell you something," he said gently. "Maybe there's a connection between your phobia and this... hallucination. Have you ever tried to talk to anyone about this, or explore the possibility of repressed memories?"
Emily shook her head, feeling a sense of trepidation. "No, I haven't,my parents told me that I developed my phobia ,when I got lost a fair and mistakenly wandered off to a lonely dark place,I was there for hours ,they said they found me looking paralyzed I recovered after days."
Lucas's turned to look at her,his expression uncracked "That must have been terrifying for you," he said. "It's no wonder you developed a phobia of dark open spaces after an experience like that."
Emily nodded, feeling a sense of validation. "Yes, it makes sense. But the thing is, I don't remember any of it. My parents told me the story, but I don't have any memories of that day. It's like my mind just... blocked it out or something."
Lucas's eyes locked onto hers, his gaze intense. "It's possible that your mind is trying to protect you from the trauma of that experience," he said gently. "But it's also possible that there's more to the story than you're aware of. Maybe there's something your parents aren't telling you, or something that you're not remembering."
Emily's expression turned defensive, her eyes sparkling with a hint of loyalty. "I don't think my parents would lie to me," she said, her voice firm. "They've always been honest with me, and I trust them. Maybe my mind is just trying to... fill in the gaps or something. You know, create a memory to explain my phobia."
Lucas's expression remained neutral, his eyes never leaving hers. "That's possible," he said gently. "Our minds are capable of creating all sorts of scenarios to explain things we don't understand. But it's also possible that there's more to it than that."
Emily shook her head, feeling a sense of uncertainty. She didn't want to doubt her parents, but a part of her wondered if there was more to the story. Lucas's words had planted a seed of doubt in her mind, and she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something she was missing.
*****
Emily's eyes adjusted slowly to the dim light in the room. She was lying in her bed, and the sound of running water was coming from the bathroom. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, wondering if she was still dreaming.
As she swung her legs over the side of the bed, her feet touched something cold and wet. She looked down to see a small puddle of water on the floor.
"Penny?" she called out, her voice shaking slightly.
There was no answer.
Emily got out of bed and walked cautiously to the bathroom. The door was slightly ajar, and she pushed it open slowly.
She walked in,to see a young girl pouring water into the bathtub. The girl looked up, startled, and Emily saw a flash of fear in her eyes.
"Who are you?" Emily asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The girl hesitated before answering. "I-I'm just the maid," she stammered.
Emily's mind was racing. What was going on? Why was there a maid in her bathroom?
"What are you doing?" Emily asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
The maid looked down, her eyes avoiding Emily's. "I was told to prepare the bath for you," she whispered.
Emily's eyes narrowed. "Who told you to do that?"
The maid's eyes darted nervously around the room before settling on Emily's face. "I-I don't know," she whispered.
Emily's skin was crawling with unease. Something was off, and she needed to get to the bottom of it.
Suddenly, the maid's eyes locked onto Emily's, and she saw a flicker of recognition.
"You're...you're the one, aren't you?" the maid whispered.
Emily's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice shaking.
The maid's eyes seemed to bore into Emily's soul. "You're the one who's been forgotten," she whispered.
Emily's mind reeled as she tried to process the maid's words. What did she mean? Forgotten?
Emily opened her eyes to to the sound of a gentle knock from the door,she took a deep breath relived it was a dream, she quickly stood up and walked to the door.
A young girl stood there with a tray a small smile on her face as she said."Good morning Miss,I brought you morning tea."
Emily took the tray from the maid, inhaling the soothing aroma of the tea. "Thank you," she said, smiling back at the maid.
The maid curtsied slightly. "Your bathing water has been heated up and transferred to your bathtub, Miss. You can bathe after having your tea. And please, be down for breakfast by 7:30."
Emily nodded, feeling a sense of normalcy wash over her. "Thank you, I'll be down on time."
The maid smiled again and turned to leave. Emily watched her go, feeling a sense of gratitude for the maid's kindness.
As she turned back to her room, Emily's eyes fell on the tea tray. She walked over to the table and set the tray down, pouring herself a cup of tea.
As she took a sip, she felt a sense of calm wash over her,the tea had a sweet thick scent just like a rose and it matched the bitter sweet taste of the tea.
Emily suddenly thought if her family,back at home ,they seldom had tea cause the price was high and it cost alot ,but most time when she went to visit her aunt who was married to a baron in the next town,but she admitted that the tea served here was ten times better that the one her aunt had.