Chapter 21

  A cheerful buzzing chatting from the distant woke up Epharil. She sat down quickly and stared at the monitor then at the door, waiting for it to open; waiting for someone to ordered it to—waiting for it to recognize those voices.

  ‘Access accepted,’ Anne, the program, declared. The way opened, and the discussions have almost made her deaf. They are so loud, which is very unusual.

  The room get filled with voices, talking at the same time. Epharil seated on her bed. They have never been so lively before. Watching them exchanging conversations about this and that makes her feel half grateful and half not. Her kids—their kids, their poor kids. They deserve more of such wonderful moment, naturally.

  “Where have you been?” Eula approached her.

  “Are you guys okay? Don’t you feel something wrong?” she responded instead and cautiously inspected them.

  “What do you mean? Are you alright?” one of the girls asked when she pulled up her shirt to check on her.