Chapter 17: Meeting them again

Clarisse sighed and she relaxed back and took a deep breath.

' is he after my death? This is the second time I've been in a helicopter in just a day.

Clarisse cried in her mind, she had thought of the worst scenario that could happen and she was feeling so tired and hungry and the situation was not helping matters. They are finally done with taking pictures that took so long and now going to only heaven knows.

She clenched her gown and relaxed back, trying to steady her breath and not panic and it worked, she soon felt relaxed, and gradually she began to feel the cool gentle breeze on her skin and face, it was no longer noisy, rather the atmosphere seemed quiet and peaceful.

Have they arrived?

She opened her eyes to see if they had arrived but her eyes were opened to see a breathtaking and serene environment, it was so beautiful and was full of nature, she could see the birds flying, the trees had blossomed wonderfully and the floor was covered in different kinds of flowers that make the environment air so fragrance.

" Where am I?", She asked as she looked around the place she could have called heaven, she looked at where she was sitting and it was no longer in the helicopter but on the bench.

" is this...a dream?", She asked and relaxed back on the bench. She couldn't even remember the last time she had a dream, her expression was not pleased when she saw the environment, nor was there any form of bewilderment, it was just blank, empty, as she sat down like she was expecting something to happen, something unpleasant, or to be chased away that she doesn't belong here, she believes the beautiful dream could be taken away as nothing ever stays, the only thing that stays or belongs to her are pain, rejections, traumas, nightmares, loneliness, but now, emptiness, so being in a beautiful dream even seems strange and she was certain that it would be taken away.

" Clarisse", she heard a voice call her name from her side but her whole body was stiffened and she couldn't move.

It was the voice she was almost forgetting, everything seemed to stop and the only thing beating fast was her heart.

" Clarisse! My baby!".

Now she was sure, she turned sharply to where the voice was coming from and there it was, her parents, smiling beautifully at her, those smiles, they brought back so many memories that she stood up slightly, shivering and getting moved to tears.

" Mum? Dad?",

" oh my baby", Hamilton called looking at her like he was so proud of her.

She ran and hugged her father who wrapped his arms around her immediately, while her mother giggled and began to pat her hair.

Hamilton broke the hug after some seconds, he looked at his daughter's face and couldn't see any life, she wasn't looking happy or excited to see them, rather, she was looking relieved.

His wife saw the same thing and pulled her closer, rubbing her cheeks with her palm as they kept smiling at her.

" Have you come to take me with you?",

" oh baby!", Mrs. Hamilton sighed sadly, " no darling, we are not here to take you with us",

" no mum, you joking right", she pulled back, " you're here to take me with you, right Dad?", She said facing her father,

" no my daughter, we just came to see you and we'll be going back",

" you guys must be joking", she scoffed, " you're going to leave me here to go back to that hell?",

" I can understand how you feel my daughter", Mrs. Hamilton walked closer to her, " and we're very proud of you to have come this far, but now you're in safe hands".

Clarisse wriggled out of her old angrily looking at both of them disbelievingly,

"How could you say that? In safe hands? In those monsters' hands? You understood how I felt? You guys are so unbelievable, how do you understand how I feel when you're not even in my shoes, you two left me behind in this cruel world and you never even visited me worse, not once, you both forsake me and you know how I feel? Then do you know how lonely and scared I am? Do you know how badly I just wished you'd visit my dream and just tell me I'll be fine? Ho, even heaven has forsaken me and I guess they banned you two to not coming or caring about your daughter ", she yelled painfully.

Mrs Hamilton covered her mouth sobbing as she watched her daughter yell in pain and frustration while Hamilton bowed his head unable to look at her.

" We are sorry Clarisse, it wasn't like that, we never forsake you",

" oh really? You never forsake me so why didn't you take me along with you in the first place, or where were you guys when I was getting traumatized? Where were you guys when I was getting raped or where were you guys when I lost my baby", she yelled with tears pouring down her eyes, " this world is so cruel and monstrous and you left me all by myself", her breath quivered as she cried bitterly, biting her shivering lips, " everything was taken away from me, I query my purpose of living countless times, why? Why am I still alive? My dignity and pride were taken away, my joy and emotions were all taken away without sparing my sanity, what else remains, what else?", She said and fell to the ground wrapping her arms around her knees and crying out her eyes.

She felt the soft palms of her parents around her, comforting her.

" everything is going to be fine now, everything is going to change now", she heard them say. Suddenly she didn't feel their palms anymore and looked up but they were gone.

" Mum? Dad? Dad!! Mum!", She said but no response.

" mummy".

She heard a tiny voice call from behind and turned to see a little boy running over to her as he laughed and giggled in excitement. He hugged her leg when he got to her and laughed loudly as he looked up at her.

She was confused, she just stared at the cute little boy with tears in her and mucous in her nose.

" Mummy", he called again,

" mummy? Mummy?", She was surprised that the boy called her mummy, "Have you lost your mummy?", She asked but the little boy shook his head.

He giggled and started running away, laughing and jumping as he ran off.

" hey wait", Clarisse made to stop him but he kept running till he was out of sight.

" why did he call me mummy...?", She was still asking when it dawned on her, her eyes widened, " my baby", she ran immediately towards where the boy had gone and saw him walking away with her parents.

They looked back at her one more time and waved at her.

" wait! Wait a minute!", She said as she ran towards them but it was too late, they were gone like a flash of light.

" no please wait", she pleaded in tears, weeping seriously, " just a minute, give me just a minute. I haven't held my baby, I haven't told you how much I miss you, take me along with you", she cried.

" please...", She pleaded with tears in her eyes and opened them back to life.