2 17, Again.

"Mimi, wake up. You're going to be late."

Someone nudged Mira. With an effort, she opened her eyes.

A familiar yet strange ceiling greeted her. It was filled with glow-in-the-dark stars. This place is familiar, because she remembers that this was exactly like the ceiling of her room when she was in highschool. Strange, because she knows that this house where they used to live was already demolished. So what was she doing here?

Mira sat up and scanned the room. Is this the afterlife? Its more ordinary than what she thought.

She looked at the source of the voice who woke her up. When she saw who it was, she was rendered speechless.

Her mother looked up from what she was doing and seemed surprised.

"Why are you crying?! What's wrong?" Her mother hurriedly asked her.

Mira can't help it, she immediately embraced her mother, calling her name again and again. Her mother became more surprised. Mira's heart was pounding so fast to the point that its the only thing she could hear. Before she knew it, she was already crying her heart out.

"Mama, Im sorry." She sobbed, her heart full of guilt.

She made so many mistakes, mistakes that not only affected her life but also the people around her. She recalled the last time she saw her mother, her mother had been sick at that time. But when her mother gave her an advice about her marriage, she told her instead that it wasn't her business.

What kind of daughter was she, except for the worst kind? On her mother's last moment, she wasn't even able to say sorry. Thinking about all of this, Mira cried harder. Only when her mother died did she realized how much she loves her, but then it was too late. People truly only realize the importance of things when they are gone.

Her mother didn't seem to know what to do except to pat her back.

"You're so old already, if you had a bad dream you shouldn't cry like that." her mother said.

She shook her head while crying. "Im really sorry. I was really a bad daughter. How can I treat you like that? I.. I made so many mistakes.. "

If it really all was a bad dream, how great would it be? Mira wished that she could stay in her mother's arms like this forever. Her mother patted her back again then stood up. She reluctantly let her go.

"What are you talking about?" Mira's mother sighed.

Mira stopped crying at the sudden weird feeling that overcame her. She felt lightheaded, as if she was forgetting something really important. "You, you died, Ma. And I-I wasn't there. So many things happened.. It was really hard for me.. Im sorry.." Mira tried to explain everything.

"This child. Forget about that, it was just a dream. You've probably slept too late that's why you dreamed of something like that. This the first day of your last year as a highschool student. You shouldn't be late, come down once you've prepared and eat breakfast already. Ok." Her mother patted her back before standing.

Mira watched as her mother left, her heart frantic. She wanted to stop her from leaving.

However, She felt that something is not right. She should be dead already, she remembered jumping off the cliff but although she remembers that she should be dead, everything felt real. Including her mother's embrace. Is afterlife supposed to be like this? She frowned. Her mother was already dead, so meeting her should be enough proof that she is dead. But why is it that she feels so strange?

She stood up and opened her window, letting the morning wind blew inside. Her family lived in a common neighborhood. Mira saw that the tree outside her window is still there. That tree though was cut before she went to college.

Huh?

She looked at the calendar.

March 03, 20XX.

Huh? 20XX? Isn't that the last year she was in highschool? An unbelievable idea popped into her mind.

"No way." She muttered. She ran in front of the mirror and looked at her face.

A childish face stared back at her. The girl in the mirror has a swollen face, chapped lips and unshaved eyebrows. A very obvious untaken cared-of-face. It is her 10 years ago.

Am I dreaming? She thought. What does this mean? Did she return back in time? No way! That only happens in novels!

Mira pinched herself. It hurts. But it wasn't enough for her. So she slapped herself. Hard.

Pak! A clear sound could be heard in the room.

"Aggggghhhhh. It hurts."

She looked again in the mirror, the only difference that she could see from the girl a while ago is the red imprint of a palm in her right cheek. She wasn't content with that, she also pinched herself and only when she can no longer tolerate the pain that she stopped.

She's really alive? She sat on on the edge of her bed, dumbfounded. Then, it kicked in. Once again, tears started to pour from her eyes. Is she really given another chance? All of her mistakes, can she correct them this time? Her dreams, the people that really matter, can she protect them now?

The girl in the mirror stared back at her with teary but resolute eyes. No matter what! She will make sure to live a good life this time. And the people who dragged her to hell in her past life, they better stay away from her because even Mira didn't know what she was capable of once they try to destroy her again. She will make sure to protect her life and be happy!