Everland √

· Short Story ·

This short story is a tribute to EmmaWoodz, who committed suicide on January 25th, 2017. It will be about Annia, the character she created, having a conversation with Emma.

The little girl padded down the hallway in bare feet, a set of silky blue pajamas covering her pale skin. She stopped outside the door to her bedroom and took a deep breath. It was a year after her sister, Maariya, defeated the demon that had plagued the three kingdoms for months, but Annia still had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

She pushed the door open and walked into the room, stepping onto the wooden floor awash in moonlight. Through her window she could see a bright, starry sky, colored like deep blue velvet. Annia sat down on her bed, staring at the stars.

"Hello?" she said to the silent room. She did not think that anyone was there, but she said it again: "Hello?" There was no answer, as expected.

"I don't know what's happening," Annia said, her eyes filling with sudden tears. "I feel like part of my soul was just ripped out of my body...like I can never really be happy again." She sniffed and wiped her nose on her blue sleeve.

"So...whoever's up there right now..." She glanced up at the ceiling, though she was talking about what was beyond it. "I can tell that something horrible has happened. If it was my fault, I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" The tears began to roll down her cheeks, and she flopped back on the bed.

"Don't be sorry, Annia," a kind voice said. The little girl sat up abruptly, wiping her face. "I'm here."

"Wh-who are you?" Annia asked, a little bit scared. She could not see where the voice was coming from, she only knew that it was female, and gentle.

"I am Emma," the voice said. "Don't worry about a thing. You see, happiness is all the matters, even when things seem lost."

"What does that mean?" Annia was growing more and more curious and less and less afraid.

"It means that, although I am gone, I still want you to be happy. You see, I am the reason you are here, Annia. I am a part of you. That is why you feel so broken." Emma began to speak more softly, and before Annia's wide eyes, the shape of a girl appeared. Emma's voice came from her mouth.

"Really?" Annia asked, reaching out a hand. Emma took it and sat on the bed beside the little girl.

"Really." Emma gave her a small smile. "Don't forget to laugh. It's okay to laugh." To prove her point, she began to tickle Annia, who collapsed on the floor in a fit of giggles.

Footsteps could be heard down the hallway, and Emma sat up abruptly, pulling Annia back onto the bed. "I have to leave you now, Annia."

"But...you just got here!" Annia said, pouting.

Emma took the girl's hands and looked her right in the eyes. "Even if you can't see me or hear me, just know that I am always here." She put a hand over Annia's heart and disappeared.

The door was pushed open and Maariya stuck her head inside. "Are you okay, Annia?" she whispered.

"I'm fine," Annia said with a smile.

Rest in peace, Emma. You will always be missed.