80 CHAPTER 80: HER NIGHTMARE

"Mom? Dad? Where are you going?" little Erika was wiping her sleepy eyes. she came out from their room when she heard some noises outside. She can hear feet rushing up and down the stairway. She and Emily just turned six years old that time.

"It's none of your business! So just go back and sleep, tweak!" The man yelled at the child. Emily was a little scared.

"Stop it!" her mother shouted at the man then she knelt. She held her shoulders, "Erika, I and your father needs to go somewhere, we'll be back tomorrow, okay." she lied.

"Ehm." Erika was so innocent not to notice anything.

"Erika, promise me you'll take good care of your sister Emily while we're gone, okay? we'll be back before you notice it." she smiled then kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Yes Mom." Erika yawned. The night is still young so she felt sleepy.

"Cherry!" they heard the father called from the kitchen, "Time to go!"'

"Coming!" she answered, "Be strong and be good okay. always remember that mom loves you so much no matter what happens, okay?" she held her tears.

"Yes mum." Then she kissed her goodbye. Erika went back to the room and laid back to bed.

The last thing she heard was the screeching of the tires but she was so sleepy to even look outside the window. She dozed off.

"uMma! UMma!" Little Erika woke up by a weak voice. She wiped her eyes and looked around.

"uMma!" she heard Emily.

"Emily? You okay?" she tried to wake her sister but her sister continued to mutter the same word over and over again. Despite shaking her sister, Emily didn't even open her eyes.

Why is she sweating that much? She tried to wipe her face. She's hot and shivering? Wait, she knew this. She once experienced it before. Yes! she remembered. She was suffering from colds back then but her mom was there to take care of her.

Erika went out the room to call her mom.

"Moma!Moma! Emily is sick!" she was yelling. "Moma!" she continued. She knew that when her father hears her shouting, he'll probably punish her like before. But it's okay. it's for her sister anyway.

She went to her parent's room and tried to knock but she didn't receive any response. She knocked again and again and again. Her father will definitely get mad but it's okay, it's for her sister Emily.

"Moma! Moma! Emily is sick!" she kept knocking on the door and yelling at the same time but no one answered. Hmm, they should have woken up due to her loudness. Then she tried to twist the doorknob. she was surprise to find that the room was not locked. She opened it wide but to her surprise, there is no one inside.

No pillowcase, no bedsheet, no blanket. She can't even see her mother's make-up collection on the table. She's feeling unease all of a sudden. She walked towards the drawer and opened it. where are their clothes! Erika was not that stupid not to realize the possible scenario. She's smart and a quick learner. Did their parents abandon them? No! impossible! Her mom loves them so much!

Then she remembered what happened last night and what her mom told her. they will be back today! she believed it in her heart. Since they're not yet here, she needs to take good care of Emily. But what will she do? she tried to recall what her mom did when she was sick.

She took a wet towel and wiped her sister's sweat, after that, she helped her change her clothes. Erika went to the kitchen to see some food. She found their leftovers in the fridge. She took some bread and poured an amount of milk in a small glass then went back to their room. she tried to awaken her sister to feed her but she was sleeping soundly.

Days passed but she never saw her parents again. Emily's fever raised and Erika doesn't have the slightest idea as to what she needs to do. she went from her neighbors to asked for help. An elderly woman came and found an unresponsive Emily so she called the emergency hotline.

At the hospital, they tried to call the parents of these children. They need to discuss her condition but they can't reach them. Not even one of their relative. The doctors took the children's name and asked helped from the social workers in hope that they will be able to locate their whereabouts. Leaving two helpless kids at home for a week is definitely not a good idea. What can a six years old child do at home alone? They looked petite. Emily developed a heart problem due to her convulsion the past days.

The doctors tried to find any relative but to no avail. Then after three days in the hospital, they received a report that the children's parents died in a car accident a week ago. This news devastated Erika who was left alone to tend her sick sister. the doctors don't want to discuss her sister's condition but she is a bit nosy. She heard them.

"Emily, don't worry I'll take good care of you just as I promised Moma. I will never leave you." She assured her twin sister.

The Social Worker took them in an orphanage. It was then that Erika taught herself how to be strong and independent.

One night, Erika had a nightmare.

"Moma! Moma! Don't leave us, moma!" Erika was screaming.She was crying pitifully. She looked at her bloody mother. "Moma!Momma!"Someone help! Please help my moma!" the six-year-old held her mother's unconscious body in her arms.

"What have you done, Erika? You killed your mom! It's your fault!" she turned around to see her father glaring at her.

"No, It's not me!" she screamed her heart out.

"You murderer! It's no doubt! You will be the cause of the death of the people around you sooner or later!"the father was outraged.

"No, No, No!!!" Little Erika was wobbling and shouting.

"Hey! Wake up! Aisha wake up!" She can hear someone calling her Aisha. "Wake up!" someone shook her. she woke up.

"C-Caleb?" she was surprised. she was gasping for air as if she run a hundred-mile race. Her dreams, or should we say nightmare came into her remembrance. What was that? Is it a nightmare or a part of her childhood memories? She's not sure.

"You were yelling with your eyes closed. I thought you were having a nightmare so I woke you up." He explained.

"Thank you." She mumbled. Then she looked around. She looked over the window, the sun was shining bright. This isn't her room! she looked at her self, why is she wearing a hospital gown? why was there a bandage in her arm?

"Where am I?" she caressed her temples.

"You're in the hospital. you fell asleep while the doctor was cleaning your gunshot wound!"

"A sniper!" she exclaimed. Then she immediately recalled what happen last night.

"Ethan? Where is Ethan?! How is he?" She held Caleb's arms. Caleb's lively face suddenly turned pale.

"Caleb, where is he? How is she?" she tried to calm her nerves.

"Aisha, Ethan is --- he is…" he bowed his head then closed his eyes as he pursed his lips.