20 Again

March 17 2020

I woke up to the warmth of the morning sun beaming through the curtain. Wrapped up in my duvet and hugging my pillow, the room smelt like cherry and sweet...

Wait...

What??!

I only had this feeling when I was still in my old room, back at my father's mansion. Was this a dream?

I guess I missed that place so much that now I'm dreaming about it.

I dragged myself up from bed, sitting up, I stretched and yawned, blinking my eyes open and what I saw next had me panicking.

I was in my old room, was this some sort of sick joke?

'oh my god' oh my god' oh my god' I kept whispering, my voice barely above a whisper.

I jumped out of bed, my body connected to the floor immediately, a loud thud vibrating through the room.

"Ouch" I winced standing on my feet.

"What sort of game are you trying to play, Nora" I yelled at the top of my voice.

Last I remembered I was with Nora and Mariam.

I heard my door click, and with a soft creak it flew open, it was Agnes, my stepmother... I hadn't seen her in five years.

"What is with the commotion, Lisa" she asked in disarray.

"Mother, how are you here, this must be a dream" I laughed pinching my cheek so I could come back to reality, but it was nothing but a failed attempt, because this felt... real.

"Whatever do you mean Melissa, I have always been here, this is our house if I remember correctly" she said calmly staring me down like I was some insane lunatic.

"But..." before I could complete my sentence Nora dashed into the room, coming straight at me, I already had my guards up but she hugged and wrapped her hands around me.

"Good morning Lisa" she breathed out pulling out of the hug and smiling so hard I could feel the tightness in my own face.

I stared at her, still confused as to what was going on.

Was all of that a dream? Did I loose my memory or something?

"Stop with the drama Lisa, we have alot of work to do today, we are expecting important guests later this evening, remember?" Mother asked and I nodded my head, but nope I didn't remember a thing.

"Good" she said before stepping out of the room.

"Get ready" Nora giggled excitedly "You're going to see your husband to be soon"

"Husband to be?" I asked, speaking more to myself than to her.

"Are you sure you're alright Lisa Gray?" Nora asked, the intensity of her voice and the way she has been talking since she came in here... like we had been best friends.

"Yeah... I am" I trailed off trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Great, we'll be downstairs" Nora grinned as she hopped out of the room.

The moment she left I ran to the door, slamming it shut and leaning heavily against it, breathless.

After a few seconds, my breathing had slowed down and I instinctively took my hand to my stomach to feel my protruding stomach, but it was... gone.

I looked down to my stomach, taking my night shirt up only to be met with a fresh butterfly tattoo at the side of my stomach and the flattest belly I had ever seen.

"What...?" I tried to choke out, the words hanging in my throat. I moved my hand to my face and every other part of my body frantically.

I practically sprinted to the other side of the room trying to get to the full length wall mirror that I had decorated with stickers years ago.

Standing before the mirror on the wall, I was faced with a younger version of myself, way less wrinkles around my siren grey eyes, with my shirt up, flat stomach, no stretch marks or extra fat from pregnancies, my body still in perfect shape.

"What the fuck" I whispered again.

I walked to the side of my old bed, heading for the night stand to grab my phone, it was my old phone, I pressed the button to check today's date.

March 17 2020.

I laughed uncontrollably, I must still be dreaming. I took the TV remote and turned on my medium sized TV, also plastered with stickers. I switched through the channels and stopped at a news channel, the headline,

BREAKING NEWS: TWO DEAD ON THE HIGHWAY, GUNNED DOWN BY A MAFIA GANG, ALLEGEDLY.

The date, MARCH 17 2020.

I staggered back on my feet, my body dropping to the bed, my hands on my head brushing through my hair roughly.

If I remembered correctly... I was married, to Blake Salvatore. I was heavily pregnant. I tried to escape and Nora came to my rescue but she betrayed me, and then... and then...

I died.

And now I am back here, here at my father's house, back to 2020, back in my old room.

Just then, realisation hit me, I had been REBORN.

Somehow I was brought back to the past, I still don't understand everything that's been going on, but...

"I am 20 again" I giggled, taking my pillow and hugging it so tight that my fingers were loosing blood flow.

Oh my gosh, this was wild. Who would have thought something like this was possible. I had never been the religious or superstitious type, but maybe I would start believing in stuff like this.

Now that I finally understood what was happening, I had to change my fate. Somehow.

I WILL NEVER MARRY BLAKE.

But father would never agree to something like that. He loved me but he has always been very strict with his decisions.

I can't come up with a plan now, but from what I can remember, If today was the first official meeting between both families, then I still had two months till the wedding, since I married in late spring. May 20 to be precise, a nice Saturday morning.

Satisfied with my thoughts and discovery, I rushed to the bathroom to shower, I so missed my old bathroom.

After some time I was out, I threw on a wide necked blouse with some old jeans and flip flops.

I headed downstairs to help Nora and my step mum, although I call her mum when I talking to her, but she's still my stepmother and the root of all my ruin. If I was gonna live a better life with my second chance, I had to start with her.

I moved down the staircase, a steady hand tracing the cool wood of the handrail, it was cold under my fingertips, the spiral wooden staircase ran down straight to the big living room... incase guests visit or there's a small party.

I headed straight to the kitchen and I heard Nora and mother talking.

"Mama, I want to marry Oliver" Nora whined as mother chopped the vegetables.

Mother looked at Nora and said,

"Trust me, I will make sure Melissa marries Blake, I can't let my sweet daughter end up with the bad one."