Second Life For Amelie [ENGLISH]

[1] He just asked for some time.

"Your happiness, I assure you, won't last for long."

—Hands, touching hands... Reaching out, touching me, touching you... —That song had been in my head for several days; I continued my journey home, sensing the presence of someone else, but the aroma of coffee wafting from the corner café distracted me. Everything was so familiar and monotonous. —Sweet Caroline... —My steps, one in front of the other, the shops closing as always, exactly at the same time; I had to go home.

That presence I had felt before, I could perceive it as I turned the corner. Instinctively, I diverted my gaze towards the café window; I could see the reflection of a man dressed entirely in black. Slowly, I lowered the volume of the music as I tried to sharpen all my senses; his steps behind me became much louder.

Stay calm, almost home, no need to worry.

I thought about walking much slower, hoping that man would continue on his way, but he didn't. His steps were following me, getting closer each time, my heartbeats synchronized with his footsteps, both resonating strongly—mine in my chest and his on the ground. No, I shouldn't worry; it was just a little further to home. Stay calm, steady yourself.

—I have been inclined, to believe they never would... But now I... —I could still hear Neil Diamond's voice softly in my ears, too low to continue hearing the footsteps of that man. I just need to calm down, a couple more streets straight ahead, and I'd be home. But who am I trying to fool?

No one is waiting for me; for a long time, no one has been waiting for me at home. My heartbeats were getting faster, his steps getting closer; I wanted to go home, needed to go home.

—Sweet Caroline... —The sound of a gunshot. I... truly wanted to go home; it didn't matter if no one was waiting for me, but it hurts.

In my mind, the thought of "almost home" kept repeating, it was absurd; my steps were getting slower, I felt tired, and my legs were trembling. I couldn't focus my vision well, and my chest hurt too much.

I didn't want to lower my gaze, but my eyes couldn't obey my mind. There was a growing red stain, painting my favorite blouse.

I started to feel dizzy, my legs kept trembling until they couldn't anymore. I was falling to the ground; everything felt in slow motion. Strangely, I didn't feel the cold of the floor. My eyes closed long before I could feel it.

The sound of the door opening, of slow but firm steps getting louder, woke me up. I felt strange, I could only see clearly a pink blanket covering me. My hands were small and pale, everything was different. The steps I had heard before stopped; there was a blurry figure in front of me, with very long brown hair. She reached out her arms toward me, trying to take me in with care. I tried to move away, but my body didn't obey.

When I was in her arms, I quickly realized it was a woman. She was wearing a pink dress (almost the same shade as the blanket that surrounded me before), white lace fell over her shoulders, making her look elegant. Judging by the style and the center jewel, I could swear it was a dress from another time, almost like from a fantasy tale. Her eyes were chocolate brown, but that didn't stop them from shining like diamonds. She showed me a beautiful smile before hugging me tightly, without causing any harm.

Feeling comfortable in her arms made me feel guilty. I mean, I don't even know how I got to this place; maybe I'm dreaming... and now that I think about it, it must be nothing more than a dream or hallucination due to blood loss.

Blood? What blood? What nonsense is this...? I stifled a scream as I ran my hands over my body; I'm so small, everything is too small... I... I'm sure I got shot on my way home, even though the rest is a bit confusing, but I could still feel the sweet aroma of coffee and the pressure on my chest. They could be small fragments of memory, but I didn't think I would be able to forget them.