Chapter 8

I was terrified. I wanted to find my dad.

I kept asking the uncle over and over, "Where's my dad? I want to see my dad!" But he wouldn't answer me. He was so scary. He wouldn't let me go. Then, he broke my arms and legs.

The pain was unbearable. I cried until my voice was hoarse, calling for my mom, for my dad, but no one came. The uncle got angry. His face twisted into something monstrous. He grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the floor, again and again, until everything faded to black.

When I woke up, I was floating. The uncle was gone, running away into the darkness, leaving me behind.

No, leaving my body behind.

It looked so strange, so… twisted. I wanted to go over and fix it, to make it right again, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't touch it. I wanted to go home, to find my mom, but I didn't know the way.

I waited and waited. I didn't know how long. Then, I saw flashing lights, heard footsteps, voices, police officers. Their faces were serious as they surrounded my body. Then, they brought my mom.

She tried to run to me, but the officers held her back. She screamed my name, sobbing so hard she could barely stand. Seeing her like that made my heart ache. I tried to hold her hand, to comfort her, but I couldn't. My fingers passed right through hers like air.

I called for her again and again, but she couldn't hear me.

When she finally went home, I followed her. She could barely walk straight, stumbling the whole way. I wanted to help, but I still couldn't touch her.

At home, she sat on the floor, clutching my photo, crying over and over. I wanted to wipe away her tears, but I couldn't even do that.

Then, Daddy came home.

But he wasn't alone.

There was another woman with him. I recognized her from Mommy's old graduation photo, Cindy.

For the first time, I saw Daddy yell at Mommy. He had always been gentle, but now, he was shouting. And with Cindy, he was so soft, so kind. That was when I finally understood why Mommy had been so sad all this time.

Daddy said he wanted to see me. So Mommy took him to the hospital, to where my body was.

She spoke to me like she used to when she tucked me in at night. She told me to look at Daddy, asked if I was happy now. But I wasn't. How could I be happy when they were both so sad?

After my parents separated, I watched Cindy say goodbye to my father at the airport. I thought he would try to stop her, beg her to stay, but he didn't. He just said, "We will never see each other again."

She cried as she boarded the plane. Daddy didn't even go to see her off. That was when I knew, it was truly over between them.

I went back to my mom, but she wasn't doing well. She got sick. She spent her days hugging my photo, whispering how much she missed me. I missed her too. At night, when she slept, I raised my arms, pretending to hug her. I called for her so many times, but she never heard me.

Then, one day, she walked alone to a high bridge.

The sun was too bright, burning me, making me feel strange, lighter, weaker. I looked down and saw my hands and feet slowly turning transparent.

Mom stood on the railing. She whispered that she was coming to be with me soon. I knew what she meant.

I didn't want her to leave this world.

She climbed higher, and I panicked. I threw myself at her, trying to hold her back, but I couldn't touch her. I cried, screamed, desperate to stop her. The sun blazed hotter, and my body faded more and more.

Then, just as she was about to jump,

Something changed.

I don't know how, but somehow, I managed to push her back. She fell onto the bridge, covering her face, sobbing.

She was safe.

I felt so relieved. But then, I noticed, I was shrinking. My body was disappearing.

And then, I saw her looking right at me.

She could see me.

I was so happy! I wanted to call her, but no words came out. I could only flutter in front of her, again and again. Then, I saw my own reflection in a puddle.

I had turned into a butterfly.

Mommy was safe, and for the first time in so long, she was looking at me.

My time here was almost over. I knew that now. I spread my wings, taking one last look at my mother.

Then, I flew toward home.

The End.