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Chapter 2

As I made my way down the staircase, I tripped on several occasions, only to immediately grab ahold of the railing. My mind was not focusing on the steps, rather my mother's behaviour this morning. By the time I finally reached the bottom of the staircase, I could hear my mother's gentle voice humming a calm tune. Although strange, I stopped walking, or rather tripping, to simply listen.

After a few moments, my mother stopped humming, breaking the trance. "Judice, come down to eat your breakfast!"

Immediately, I walked towards the kitchen and took a seat at the small dining table. We did not need anything larger as there was only ever the two us, my mother and I.

I looked at the food before me. Two pancakes with a bluish hue, topped with blueberries and maple syrup. The scent wafted through my nose as I simply stared at it with awe.

"Thanks mum." That was the first she took notice that I had come down, and looked up from whatever she had been doing. A bright smile illuminated her gentle face and I smiled back.

"Good morning."

"Good morning mum." I answered back. I picked up my fork and started breaking a piece of pancake off. As soon as I placed it in my mouth, it's silky texture slowly melted away and I felt at peace with my life. Then I remembered what had happened in the morning and my eyes flew open. I had not realised I had closed them while eating, until that point.

I looked at my mum. "Mum?" I waited for her response.

She looked up. "Yes honey?"

"We need to talk." With hesitant steps, she walked towards me and slowly sat down on the opposite chair. I looked up at her to find she was still smiling, but from that close, I realised that her smile was not reaching her eyes. She was faking. Then, seeing my expressionless face, her face transformed from fake happiness to true worry.

"Judice, are you ok?" My frustration was growing, and fast.

"Mum, what happened this morning?"

"Judice, you don't have to worry because it was nothing. I already told you, I just needed a hug. That's all." With that she stood up and turned around, walking back to the kitchen.

It was nothing...I just needed a hug. That's all...that's all...that's all.

I shut my eyes tightly and pressed my temples. A strong headache had begun and my mother's words repeated in my mind. I opened my eyes but was no longer seated at the table. My surroundings were hazy but I could tell that I was standing in the back garden, surrounded by a light fog.
I stood before my mother. Her lips were moving but I could not hear what she was saying. This entire situation felt unreal.

"...Judice, forget about it. It really was nothing at all, and I already told you that." Her voice was stern, sterner than she had ever directed at me.

Then I did something strange, or rather, this felt strange. "Mum! You aren't telling me what is wrong. I want to know. Why were you crying? And why are you denying it now?" My voice was loud and I realised I was yelling the words. However, it was not me who was talking. It was my voice and my hand gestures, but all in all, I felt like I was trapped in a body much like mine but not the same.

"Judice, I can't tell you." Her voice had become soft and broken, and I could tell she was on the brink of tears. Seeing her in this state was unbearable, but I wanted answers.

I began speaking softly and was surprised by the difference in the level of volume of how I was speaking now and just moments ago. "Mum, just yesterday we went shopping and cam home, and everything was fine. What hap-" Realisation struck, or so I thought. "Mum, are we having financial problems?"

Then the fog began to lift and the harsh throbbing pain in my head repeated. I shut my eyes once more in an attempt to withstand the torture. Slowly it died down but I was still gripping my temples. I could hear a distant voice calling out my name, my mother's voice.

"Judice...Judice..."

Hesitantly, I slightly opened my eyes, expecting to be in another world, surrounded by a fog, but was met with worried blue eyes. I was no longer in the back garden. I was sitting in my seat with my mother crouching beside me.

"Judice, are you alright?" I could hear the anxiety thick in her voice, or maybe that was just the attempt to hold back her tears.

"Mum, why were you crying and why are you denying it now? We went shopping yesterday and came home. Mum, are we having financial problems?" I repeated the words from the dream, only to see my mother's eyes widen with shock.

"How...how did you?..." Tears began to pour down her face but a small smile played on her lips. I could tell that this joy was not being faked, but I did stop to wonder why she was happy. However, as I opened my mouth to speak, no words came out. I had been rendered speechless.
Then, in a movement so brisk and agile, my mother stood up and began walking towards the staircase. As I looked back at her, expecting her to explain or at least say something to me, she turned around. A wide grin had enveloped her face and her eyes sparkled. "I have to make a quick phone call upstairs." She quickly ran up the stairs, yelling, "Eat!" Then I heard a door close in a very loud manner.

I turned back to my breakfast. The food which had seemed like the most delicious food on the face of this earth, just moments ago, now did not seem as endearing. I grabbed the fork and started rolling a blueberry around on the plate. I did not feel like eating anymore, for my day had just been a mixture of unusual weirdness.

I am not one to eavesdrop, but when my mother's excited voice made its way down the staircase to my innocent ears, I could not help but listen. I stopped playing around with my food and quietly placed the fork back on the table.

"...Yes, I know! But it - it's not like that." There was a pause in my mother's erratic voice, as she waited for the other person to stop talking, I assumed. "I know, I know! But you have to trust me! I am...Yep!...Exact same!" Exact same? There was an even longer pause this time before me mother continued. "Ok, thank you so much. We'll be right there. Thank you so much."
With that, I heard a door open, and my mother's rushed footsteps run down the staircase. I turned around to find my mother bursting with happiness as she stared at me.
"Judice, get ready. We are going to visit an old friend."

And with that, we were off.

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I am so sorry to all of my readers. I had to retype this chapter because it was deleted unexpectedly. Sorry for keeping many of you waiting.
Hope that you like this chapter.
-SK