The sound of snoring by her side made Eva awaken from her trance. The snoring comes from her sweet little angel who is sound asleep from exhaustion from running around in the evening. Eva look at her and tears comes flowing by on her cheeks. “Why?” She whispers to herself. “Why must you suffer for my stupid mistake?” She cannot answer herself.
It was still dark, and she thought of getting a little bit more sleep. She kissed her little angel and went back to sleep again.
When she wakes up that morning, her little angel is no longer sleeping beside her. It has been two weeks now since the day her little angel is snatched away from her by a serial kidnapper. Last night was only a dream and she has been having the dream ever since. It is always the same dream, where little Suzie is wearing her white dress, sleeping in a cold dark room on a thin smelly old mattress. Her little snores echo around the room.
Eva can still remember it clearly, two weeks ago. She and Suzie were walking down the Street on their way home from Suzie Singing Contest at her school. Suzie was so happy holding her shiny trophy, jumping around Eva singing the songs that let her win that day. Eva can only smile looking at her with a very proud feeling as her mother.
The feeling did not go for long. A few more steps forward, a yellow van stop right beside them with a screeching sound of the tyres and a man with a mask comes out and grab Suzie into the van. Eva rushes to her and manages to grab Suzie dress. She fought hard to get her daughter back. Suzie is screaming and crying out loud, “mummy, mummy, help me, mummy”. Her scream gave Eva a gush of strength and she almost manages to fight back until another man come out from the van and hit her head with something hard. Her head is bleeding and Suzie's voice is fading away. She could hear another person screaming and a police siren coming near before her consciousness is gone.
She starts to awaken with a very painful feeling at the back of her head. Her throat felt dry and congested like there is something long and hard were inside it. She tried to open her eyes, but bright white light is making it difficult. She tried to speak but her voice would not come out. She can hear a familiar voice speaking, “Doctor, doctor, she is moving.” Harold? She thought. She has not seen him since the kidnapping. She has been having the same day repeatedly. “Mummy,” Eva can hear a voice that she has missed so much. She started to feel sleepy again.
The moment she is awake again, she felt a little bit better. The pain on her head does not hurt so much anymore. She can move her finger and she can feel that someone is holding her hand. She opens her eyes slowly and it is a bit blurry at first. After a while, she can she Harold sleeping by her side. She tried calling him, but her voice would not come out. She tried moving her hand and that awake him. “Eva,” He said. “Eva?” and She blinks twice. “Doctor, Doctor,” Harold Shout. “She is awake.” Eva can hear a few footsteps rushing towards her.
“Mrs Pritchard, can you hear me?” Eva nods her head. “You are currently in the hospital. You have been in a coma for two months now.” Eva shocked. “Don’t worry Mrs Pritchard. We are going to do a few more examination and if everything goes well, we will take off your breathing machine soon. Take some rest, Mrs Pritchard, your husband and daughter have been here all the time waiting for you to wake up. Suzie has become our angel of joy this past two months. Suzie, Eva thought. She turns towards her husband and Harold is pointing to a sofa nearby where Suzie is soundly asleep. Eva is still a bit confused but deep inside a heart, she felt relief and elated.
A few days after, the doctor took off Eva ventilator and change it to an oxygen face mask. Eva can now breathe normally with not much pain. She can sit on the bed, move her body as usual even though it still felt like she is carrying a heavy log inside her. She was discharged home healthily after a month.
Harold and Suzie told her everything that happened.
On the day of the incident, their neighbours, Mr Patrick was preparing his telescope for stargazing when his wife Mrs Patrick notices that Eva and Suzie were followed by that van. Mr Patrick used his telescope to see and he saw three masked men in the van. He quickly asked his wife to call the police and he rushes towards Eva and Suzie to warn them. The kidnapper was shocked but one of them managed to hit Eva with a baseball bat before the police arrived.
The kidnappers were surrounded and arrested. They were an amateur that trying to find some money to feed their family.
Harold told Eva that Suzie sings to her every day in the hospital and Eva told them about her dreams. It felt just like two weeks pass in Eva dream, though it is two months already. They were all happy that everything went back to normal. Harold never again let Ava and Suzie walk alone without him. He started a business of his own where he can now spend more time with his family. Suzie is so happy to get her mother back and Eva is so happy that things did not happen like it was in her dream.
A week after that they invite Mr and Mrs Patrick to dinner. They become good neighbours. Eva and Suzie register to a self-defence class and slowly recovering from their trauma.
Nice article