Chapter 1

It wasn't the first time she had been woken up by that horrible dream. Covered in sweats from head to toe Amelia looked blankly at the wall of her dimly lit room. Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest as if it was trying to jump out of it. Haunted by the flash backs of her father's tragic accident that took his life; Amelia was still unconvinced and horrified.

She was three years old when she clasped her mother's hand and got out of the Community Church on Sunday morning after prayer. Her father was walking ahead of them when they moved towards the car park. Sensing a speedy approaching Prado he immediately turned around and pushed Gianna and Amelia aside forcefully crashing himself into it. Amelia screamed in horror not knowing what just happened. "Why did you do it Dad?" she thought shedding off the scary incident from her mind. The only thing she remembered was the symbol on her father's forearm.

Ω

A Greek symbol omega. She puckered her eyebrows as if putting strain on her brain to figure out what that symbol actually meant. She was curious to know but her mother had never talked about it. She was in deep thoughts when Gianna entered her room. "What happened sweetie?" "nothing just…" "oh I know it's again that dream, isn't it?" she came closer and sat beside her. Amelia raised her eyes visibly tensed. She had so much to ask her mother but she knew she wouldn't get the answer that she had been waiting all these years. "Tell me sweetie. What is it that is bothering you so much?" Gianna asked lowering her voice to ease her anxiety.

Amelia seemed lost in her mother's eyes trying to visualize the answer to her impending question. "Will you tell me the truth if I ask you something?" "If that 'something' which you are going to ask me is known to me I will definitely tell you the truth," she said immediately.

"com'mon sweetie. Don't over stress yourself."

"Mom! Was there something that dad wanted to hide from us?" "No nothing..."

"Then why did he die like that?" Amelia stopped her mother mid-sentence.

"Like what?" Gianna looked surprised. "It was just an accident. Some alcoholic junkie missed the road and crashed straight into us. Your dad tried to save us both." "No mom. It wasn't just an accident. I bet it wasn't." Amelia pressed.

"Sweetie! You need to get past that incident. You have to leave it behind or it is going to haunt you forever."

"Like it does every moment," she thought. "What was that symbol on his forearm?" as if remembering another question.

"He was a scientist. He loved symbols. So that might have meant something to him?"

"Look Amelia. He loved us so much. The reason why he is not among us today is precisely because of that love. Had he loved us less things would have been different." She tried to make her daughter believe her. Amelia lowered her eyes not knowing what to believe, her own instincts or her mother's words.

She tucked hair behind her ears and gently laid her head on the pillow. Tears that had appeared at the corners of her eyes softly trickled on the side of her face. Gianna covered her in blanket and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well sweetie." She said softly and left the room after glancing back at her.