The Departure

On the way to the airport, in the taxi.

Lily looks around, her neighborhood, her childhood days. The time she spent happily with her parents, all the roads she drove on her bike with Dom, take strolls in the park with Nana. Going to school and meeting friends. Everything was flashing in front of her eyes.

Her mind is slowly turning this familiar place into an unknown place laced in fear and distrust. She was beginning to dislike her hometown, doubting everything. As if this place is the reason for her problems now. This place caused her dad to get hurt, forced her mom to leave her. Her mind was building all sorts of things. As if she was trying to find answers, a closure to settle her restless inner self.

Then she suddenly realizes. It is not in this place. But what happened before coming here. It was all in the past she doesn't know about. To find the answer she has to find the past. Like that she was determined to find out what happened and determined to bring everything back to normal. Her family, Dom's family, Nana everyone back here.

"I'll be back" she promised to herself.

The taxi parked outside the airport. Lily gets off and pays the rent and gets off with her luggage. She is calm, in control, and alert.

When she was going in, Lily tracks some suspicious guys lurking near the airport. She wasn't sure but a bad feeling came. She hurries inside before getting noticed. Bam! She slams into a man by mistake.

She apologizes and again hurries. That man took a look at Lily. Lily looks back to take a glance at who he was. Her fears came true. He was looking at the other side and calling someone as well begin to approach her. Soon she spotted other men coming at her from all sides. She panicked. The boarding area was not far. All she need was to get inside. Luckily for her right than a swarm of people came from behind her. They too were headed for the boarding area. Probably they were a tourist group.

Lily blend in the crowd and reach the boarding area with them. Once she was inside she knew she was safe at least for then. No one would harm her in front of such high security and of course in the plane. Once she was going through the tunnel she looks back to see what the men were doing.

And surprising her they were not after her. In fact, they were not even together. Her panicked state of mind made her see things that were not even there. A lesson she learned.

She boarded nicely. Took her seat and let out a sigh of relief. She was thirsty and hungry. All this chaos made her forget everything. She even forgot about Dom.

"Dom!" she screamed.

"Any problem ma'am?" asked the air hostess.

"Hmm. Water. A glass of cold water, please. I hurried to catch the plane."

"Sure, ma'am."

Lily feels restless. Dom is her best friend. He has been there in her life as far as she can remember. She does not know what past she had lost but knows her memory is consists of Dom and others till present. And Dom has every right to know about the current situation.

But there is no way to contact him. He deserves at least one explanation from her. Maybe not the full story but words to console him in the rough times. Lily knows for sure once he returns and can't find her Dom will panic. She needs to do something.

"What to do?" she thought to herself. "Mom told me not to tell anyone, not even Dom but how can I leave Dom like that. We have been friends since forever. He genuinely worries. Leaving like this will shatter him", a fight between letting him know and following her mom's instruction was taking place in her head.

She knows her mom is right but Dom also deserves to know. At least he will not curve his head about what is going on like Lily is. The feeling of not knowing a thing is really bad. And Lily is hating it already. So she decides, she will let him know. The question is how.

She takes out her phone from the pocket of her coat but stops. She is continuously worried about Dom. If Lily and her family are in danger that means Dom's family too can be in danger. Though she is sure that her Mom has already warned them. She is a responsible person. But Lily doesn't want that the bad people find out that she is still contacting Dom. It might make him a target.

So she keeps her phone away and looks for an alternative way.

Lily gets up from her seat and head towards the air hostess station behind the curtains. She is wearing suit pants and traveling by business class. The prime customers for airlines. She knows she can ask for help and no one will deny her or ask any question. Power of money and perfect dressing sense.

"Excuse me. Can you help me, please?", she politely asks an air hostess with the last ounce of confidence she has in her now.

"Yes ma'am. How may I help you?"

"Really sorry to bother you. My battery seems to have run out and I didn' bring my power bank either. May I make a phone call? I need to let my mother know I have safely boarded the plane either she may worry."

��Yes, sure. Use this."

Lily might be wearing a suit but she is still a teenager. It shows.

"Are you traveling alone?", the air hostess asked. "You are so young."

"Yes. Actually I'm going back to Thailand. My grandmother has suddenly fallen ill. And I'm her baby doll! My parents still need to finish important business here so they let me go first. But they will join us soon."

"Oh. sorry to hear that. I pray your grandma gets well soon and please let me know if you need any kind of help. Here you can also charge your phone. Leave it here. I will get it back to you once the charge is complete."

"Thank you so much. You are an angel"

"You are so sweet! Get back to your seat soon we will be taking off in a few minutes. Okay?"

The air hostess leaves for her round. As soon as she leaves Lily calls Dom. Dom doesn't pick up. So she decides to leave a voice message.

"Dom. I…. I don't know where to start from or what to say to you. Just bear with me. I'm OK. I'll be fine. Stay calm. Tell everyone that I love them. And remember nothing is forever. And once this storm calms down we all be back to our respective lives. Till then wait. Patiently. Prepare yourself. Just... "

The flight attended comes back to make the announcement.

"Ma'am it is time for our take off. Please return to your seat."

"Yeah. just a minute." she goes back to the phone and puts on a sweet smile while saying. "I will be waiting for you. Bye."

Lily returns to her seat and buckles up. She doesn't know this time how her journey is going to be. In the past, she only felt excitement or relaxation when she flew off to a new destination. This flight experience is completely new to her. As if she is going to a new life with new equations.

She looks out the window and she gazes at the dark night outside. It was so dark. Lily thought the color of the night was the color of her current state. She didn't know exactly where she was headed to or what is surrounding her. Everything was dark as the night.

Tears are threatening to come out but she holds them with strong command. She buckles up her seat as if she is preparing for everything that is about to come her way.

The flight took off.