Cont.

She stepped out of the plane, unaware of what lay ahead of her. The endless scenarios played through her mind throughout the whole flight, but she knew she could never be prepared. Her weapons were futile, even though she spent years as a recluse eagerly sharpening her battle skills.

With her handbag in tow, she stepped up to grab her suitcase, eyeing it from afar, she followed it as it came closer. Pushing her handbag to the end of her shoulder, she quickly grabbed the handle with both hands and lifted it before it sped away. The suitcase suddenly felt lighter, but she was still in the process of lifting it. Confused, she noticed that a man standing next to her had bent down and grabbed the lower end.

“Let me help you.” He effortlessly cradled the suitcase, grabbed the handle and set it down next to her. With a quick smile and nod, he was gone. She only managed to whisper a thank you.

She walked past the massive throng of eager travelers, looking for a familiar face. A face she knew all too well, a reflection of her own. She stood still amidst the chaos looking straight towards two women. They were heading her way. She recognized her sister, who was a slightly older, more conservative version of herself, but was more curious to see who the woman in the wheelchair was. She looked like her grandmother, but that couldn’t be, since she passed away two days before her 10th birthday.

Only a few feet from each other, it took her a second to register the fact that she was facing her own mother. She instantly leapt forward, grabbed her mothers face with both hands and kissed her head. She was always welcomed with a full, thick bed of hair but now her lips met a cold scalp concealed by few, weak strands. She couldn’t keep up with the whirlwinds of questions that were racing in her mind. Her brain failed to acknowledge what her eyes were seeing.