Fiction#223...... Erica's journey.

Erica, a vibrant young girl, was doing well, excelling in her academics and her family showered her with love and even her friends adored her. Everyday was a success for Erica and you would always see her smiling and hoping for new possibilities.

Erica was loved and cherished by everyone around her because of her meekness and accommodative nature. She was never a spoiled brat even when everything was at her beck and call. As she continued her happy living, she never knew what life held for her.

One fateful day, a strategy struck that changed Erica's perspective about life. She was with her parents in the car after returning from a friend's birthday party.

They were chatting and laughing when she suddenly heard a sound of glass smashing. The next thing she saw was herself on the hospital bed.

“Where am I? Erica asked.

“You are in the hospital.” A nurse beside her responded.

“What happened and why I'm I in the hospital? She enquired.

“You were involved in an accident.” The nurse replied.

“Where are my parents? and why are they not here with me, because I remember being in the car with them.” Erica started crying.

The nurse couldn't answer her, all she could say was that your aunt will come pick you up. We have already contacted her so she is on her way. When Erica heard that, she knew something was not adding up but she did not press further.

After a while, her aunt arrived at the hospital and rushed to the bed, hugged her with tears in her eyes.

“Aunt, why are you crying?” Erica asked.

“Nothing my dear, I'm happy you are fine.” Her aunt replied.

“What about my parents?” She enquired.

“They are fine, just get well soon my dear.” Her aunt responded.

Erica did not know what was going on because nobody was willing to tell her the whereabouts of her parents. After being discharged from the hospital, she went to stay with her aunt and her family.

Two weeks after the incident, Erica was ill at ease because she did not see or hear from her parents and her aunt did not tell her anything about it. So one evening at dinner Erica decided to ask her aunt again.

“Aunty, It's been two weeks now since the accident and I have not heard anything about my parents whereabouts.”

“I didn't want to tell you then because you were still recovering. Your parents did not make it alive from the car accident. You were the only one that survived.” She said with tears in her eyes.

Erica could not believe that her parents were no more. Tears rolled down her eyes and she couldn't say a word to her aunt. She was never herself again.

The once vibrant and loving little girl became a shadow of herself.

She never knew what would become of herself since the people that loved her so dear were no more. She was happy at least her aunt was there for her even though her aunt was not as buoyant as her late parents.

After many years, Erica graduated with a first class in Business Administration and her aunt was very happy for her. Erica was happy too because she did not allow her parents death to affect her, though it did but with the love her aunt showered on her she did not really feel it. She was grateful for aunt taking care of her as her daughter, not minding that she doesn't have much.

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Thank you all for reading.

Images used are generated from Meta Ai.