A Humongous house II

It was pouring rain, and thunder echoed in the distance. The sky was dark. Emma approached the enormous main door of the house, where a lock the size of her hand secured it. 

"The door is locked. I will check behind the house," she decided. As she made her way around, she noticed a shed nearby. "What is this clean chair doing here? I can feel warmth—was someone here? Anton! It must be Anton," she thought to herself. "He must be nearby. It's so dark. Mom and Dad must be waiting for us. I need to hurry and find Anton."

The house loomed large, appearing as though it had been abandoned for ages. "Did nobody live in this house after Mrs. Lara left? I can't walk through this. These thorns are going to tear me apart," she muttered, feeling her stomach grumble. "I am so hungry. Where are you, Anton?

This is all my fault. I shouldn't have left him alone. He must be crying somewhere, all alone."

"What am I going to tell Mom and Dad? I don't even have my lunchbox. Emilia threw it in the dustbin. I don't think I did anything to get on her bad side. What am I going to tell my Mom when she asks me about the lunch box? I wonder if she even cares. She did not even care to make noodles for me. She only cares about Lea and Anton. Dad only cares about Anton. Nobody cares about me. Today, Emil and Jakob were also making fun of me. I don't like them. Emilia hates me. Am I that bad? I have been nice to everyone I know. I never talk back. I do everything Mom and Dad tell me to do. Lea hid my tie. She also hates me. I havebeen studying hard. I have been doing my homework on time. Teachers at school never complain but they also don't care. They must also know I am a prostitute's daughter. That must be it. That is why everybody hates me. Because my mom is a prostitute. Sniff* Sniff*. But I have never met my mom. She never said anything to me. She left me at that orphanage. Did she love me? What about now? Does she remember me? slaps her head* I promised myself I would not think about her. My current mom and dad never said anything mean to me. They have provided me with everything that I wanted. They love me. I know. But they don't show it. *Tears flow from her eyes* How long will this continue? I want to leave. I want to go far away—from this house... away from school." 

Frustrated, she began shouting, "ANTON! WHERE ARE YOU? ANTON! ANTON!" She paced back and forth, her legs scratched and her body drenched. Shivering, she felt drained but continued calling out, "ANTON!" She wandered into the garden, shouting his name. "Anton... An...t...o...n..." Then, she fell. 

The rain showed no signs of stopping. It was dark, the air had turned cold, and the sky rumbled with thunder. Emma lay on the ground, having fallen in despair.

Mmmm~ It's warm. I can feel the sunlight on my face. She opens her eyes and finds herself in a garden full of tulips. 

"Emma!" 

"Who is this?" She sees someone waving from a huge window in the house, a beautiful person with pretty copper hair tied in a braid, blue eyes, pale skin, and reddish lips.

"Emma! I made you some cookies! What are you doing out there? Sleeping? Hahaha, couldn't you have found a better place to sleep? Come inside. Wait! I'll come down!"

Is that Mrs. Clara? What is she doing here? I remember... what was I doing? It's so good to see Mrs. Clara; it has been so long. I remember her voice.

"Emma, you little tulip. Why were you sleeping here? Hahaha! Look, I made your favorite cookies. You love them, right?"

"Yes, Mrs. Clara, I love them. *In a playful voice* I'll have the first bite."

"Go ahead, my pretty tulip."

"Mrs. Clara, I wanted to ask you something. When did you leave this house? I've missed you." Her eyes are on the verge of tears.

"Are you making fun of me? I have always been living in this house, waiting for my little tulip."

"But—Mrs. Clara..."

"No buts." She places a finger on Emma's lips to silence her. "You can make fun of me later. First, you should eat these cookies. You must be hungry; you've been starving since morning."

Admitting it, Emma smiles and picks up a cookie from the beautiful basket Mrs. Clara uses for her cookies. She looks at Mrs. Lara and smiles. I have missed that smile. She thinks to herself. I wish I stay forever and ever with Mrs. Clara. She loves me. And I love her.

Suddenly, a thought crosses her mind: she never told Mrs. Clara she hadn't eaten since morning.

"Mrs. Clara..."

Laughing, Mrs. Clara asks, "Did you see a ghost? Why are you stuttering?"

"How did you know...?"

"What? That you've been starving since morning?"

Looking straight into Emma's eyes, Mrs. Clara says, "That is because you need to wake up!"

"What?! Mrs. Clara?"

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

Emma opens her eyes, realizing she's lying on the chair she had touched earlier. The rain has stopped, but the sky remains overcast. Morning has arrived. 

"Did I sleep here all night?" she wonders, noticing that her legs are covered in scratches that sting. The blood is sticking to her wounds. She takes off her tie and tears it into long strips, wrapping the pieces around her legs before getting up.

"Why does my stomach feel full?" she thinks. "I have so much energy. I can start dancing anytime. I feel so magically light. I still haven't found Anton. Where did he spend the night? It was pouring the whole time. I hope he is alright. Maybe he is at home! Perhaps someone helped him get there. That must be it." Feeling happy.

"He knows the address and the way back. I should head home too. Hopefully, he's fine. "

The enormous house and school are in opposite directions, with her house on the way to the school. 

"I'll have to go to school first," she decides, walking along the path toward the school. When she arrives, she notices it seems early—there's no one around. "I didn't see anyone on the way here either," she mutters. 

She begins to walk toward her house again. She walks and walks but finds no one, not even stray dogs. The road and small side paths are empty. She thinks to herself what time it must be? Is it four in the morning? People are usually out for work. I know two misters who start their work early. I can't see them. She walks finding nothing. Houses are far apart. They look dull. As if nobody lives in them.

Eventually, she spots a house surrounded by trees. She quickens her pace.

"I've seen this house before."

When she stands in front of it, she feels a wave of confusion wash over her. "How did I end up here? It's the same house—Mrs. Lara's house." 

Feeling disoriented, she walks inside. Everything is familiar: the same thorns, the same bushes. She walks toward the main door. "It has the same lock. It's the same size as my hand." 

Fear grips her as she moves behind the house. There's the same shed and the same chair.

She laughs nervously. "I must be half awake. I walked back to this enormous house. Ha ha. 

I really need to go to school," she tells herself, noticing the stale air around her. 

Determined, she walks back to the school, retracing the same path she usually takes to her house. Still, there is no sign of life on the streets. No one on the road. In a moment of panic, she begins to run. 

Just as she does, she sees the enormous house again.

Terror fills her.