INTERCAMBIO DE TIEMPO (Written in English)

Leia

Her brows creased and her grip on the sheets tightened. " They are sending me to an Asylum or you are? " She asked with her head still lowered. " You think I'm going crazy, don't you? " She asked further.

" The doctor said you..." her mother tried to explain, but she was having none of it.

" What the doctor said doesn't matter! are you sending me to an Asylum or not?!" Emily asked in almost a yell with tears welling up in her eyes.

" Yes, I am!! You've been acting strange and all that. Last week I heard from your teacher, that you screamed in her class. I don't know what's going on with you but I just think you need help." Her mother yelled back furiously and took a step toward her. " I don't care if you hate me but I'm just looking out for you." She added and placed her hand over Emily's.

" I am not crazy, and I don't need any help," Emily said and withdrew her hand. " I don't want to stay here anymore." She added.

" Emily..."

" I'm fine, and I'd love to be left alone please." Emily pleaded and laid back down, arms folded. Her eyes were staring at the ceiling and her chest heaved up and down. She shut her eyes and the ringing headache assaulted her. She felt her eyes stung and the pain intensified. 

 " How long am I staying in this sh*t hole?" She asked and attempted to sit again when the doctor and some nurses walked in.

" Hey hey don't. you are still very weak." The doctor said and walked toward her.

" I'm fine and I'd love to go home now." She informed the nurse.

" No child, you are still..."

" What the hell is wrong with all of you?! I said I'm fine!!" She yelled at him and winced from the headache that threatened to pop her head like a balloon.

" It's the result of the PTSD, you need more rest." The doctor said. " I assure you, you'll be fine." He added.

" Yeah well, I don't wanna stay here anymore." Emily declined. "Are you going to let me go, or should I tell the police I've been abducted against my will?" she asked while staring at him.

*****************************

Charles sat in his room, looking at the moon from his bedroom window. He was worried about Emily even when her mother assured him, she was fine. He couldn't help but blame himself for not coming to her aid from whatever attacked her at school.

He stood up from the bed and walked toward the window, feeling the cool breeze on his face. He ran his hand through his hair, and shifted the curtains, to create a better view.

He did not know how long he stood there, staring at the moon and pondering on what happened, as rat-at-tat from the door, jolted him back to reality. " Come in." He said and walked toward his bed, sitting on it. " Hey, mom." He mumbled while flipping through a magazine on the bed.

" Hey, sweetie." His mother said. " Dinner is ready." She informed with her hands on the light switch.

" I'm not hungry, I'm good," Charles replied with a faint smile and flipped through the magazine.

" Sweetie..." His mother called with a concerned tone and sat beside him. " Are you alright?" She asked him looking worried.

" If alright means that your best friend isn't hospitalized, then I'm not alright." He replied and stood up. "Mom, I was there, I was there but I did nothing. I couldn't help her when she needed me. I heard her scream but I came too late... I failed her mom. It's probably all my fault..."

" Hey! it's not your fault and besides, she is not dead." his mother replied and stood up, placing her hands by the sides of his face " She's going to be alright, I promise. I see how you look at her and I can tell that you love her so much." She said with a smile, that crept on her face.

" Yeah?" Charles asked and walked toward his reading table, placing his hands on the desk. " It's ironic how I do everything, literally everything for her, but she doesn't seem to notice that. I truly love her but it hurts mom, it hurts that I standing right there and she doesn't see me. I feel like I'm a thin layer of clothing, that can be seen through. She sees me, but she..." He said and broke down in tears.

His mother walked toward him and embraced him tightly. " Hey, hey... Don't." She said and a tear fell from her eye. " She will be alright, and I know she loves you too." She assured.

**************

" Emily, can we talk?" Camila asked as she pulled over at their driveway.

" There is nothing to talk about," Emily replied rudely and alighted the car, slamming the door shut. She looked really upset and headed toward the house.

" Emily get back here now!" her mother ordered and alighted the car. 

Emily walked to the front door and walked in, without sparing a side glance. She walked upstairs into her room and began trashing almost everything. She yanked her curtain out, Picked up a reading lamp, and smashed it at her window.

She picked up her guitar and hurled it to the side angrily. While still in the middle of it, her mother walked in,  staring at her in awe.

" Emily stop!!" She yelled at her but was ignored. She walked toward Emily and pulled her wrist forcefully.

" Leave my hands!" Emily ordered and tried to twist her hands from her mother's grip.

" What has gotten over you?" Her mother asked." You've been acting strange and..."

" Oh, so you want to know?" Emily asked her. " It's the fact that I'm constantly reminded of what you did. I lost my father because of you and it's been like hell. Do you have any idea what's that like? Huh? every time I see you, I can't help but think back to that day. I just wish I never knew you, mom. I wish I was somewhere else, somewhere so far away. I wish I was somewhere where I could be happy. I wish I was never your daughter!..." She was interrupted by a slap on her cheeks.

" Enough!!" Her mother yelled angrily and she softened immediately, as she realized what she had just done. " Emily, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."

" Please leave," Emily said and sat on the bed, her head facing the opposite direction away from her mother. Her mother stared at her for a couple of seconds and walked toward the door. She glanced at Emily and walked out of the room. 

Emily picked up a picture frame and smashed it on the floor in rage. She buried her face in her palms and sobbed loudly. Tears streamed down her face and she need nothing else but to cry out her frustrations, however, something else on the floor had caught her attention.

It was the picture frame that she had smashed earlier. While wiping her tears, she picked up the picture frame. The glass was damaged badly and bits and bits of it were falling off and onto the floor.

She ran her hand slowly on the frame and took out the glass. Dropping the glass on her reading table, she took out the photograph in the frame. There was a beautiful lady in the photograph and a black scarf was draped over her shoulders.

She was Emily's great grandmother, Leia and surprisingly, they both have a striking resemblance. Her pure white teeth were exposed by her beautiful smile and her hazel eyes glistened. 

Emily's hand ran through the photograph and she felt like she was staring at a mirror. Apart from the tiny mole close to her mouth and her long lashes, the lady looked just like her.

Her grandfather always talked about her alot and he would tell Emily of how good and caring she was. He also told her that Leia lived a happy and fulfilled life. " I wish I was like you..." She said with a smile and a tear drop on the photograph.

" Grandpa talk about you alot. He said you were the mother he always..." She paused. " He said you were always happy." She added and dropped the photograph by the side of her bed.

She laid back down with her gaze fixed on the ceiling, recalling what had just happened between her and her mother. " I wish I was as happy as you are." she said and shut her eyes, giving in to nature.

The sounds of fluttering wings and rushing water woke her. Emily rubbed her eyes and yawned, with her eyes still closed. She suddenly felt energetic after what happened yesterday. Shock washed over her, as she opened her eyes.

She was lying by the side of a stream, with a black scarf drapped over her shoulder. She looked confused " Where am I ?" She asked no one in particular and pinched herself, to confirm if it was real.

She felt the sting from her pinch and suddenly became agitated. " No...No...No." She cried out with fear, worry and confusion written over her.