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A L I C E

Somehow, as soon as Ms Ortiz gave me some of the churros that her daughter's had made, I had finished my essay. I was about to ask if I could leave when Adella and Julieta approached me. "Will you play with us, Alice?" They both gave me puppy dog eyes, and I just couldn't say no. "One game" They squealed and motioned for me to sit at their dinner table, and for their parents to join them as well.

We were all sat around the table when Adella started explaining the game. "We are going to play the game 'presi presi' it is AMAZING!" I nodded with a smile, not wanting to disappointed them by seeming bored. "So, we all get different names, so I'm Presi, Madre is Vice, Julieta is Secre, you are uno and Padre is tonto tonto. All the names mean different things, I am presi, which means president, Vice is Vice president, secre means secretary, uno means one, and tonto means stupid." She then places both of her hands on her knees.

"So I'll go, Presi Presi," She slapped her knees Tonto Tonto" then she clicked her fingers. "And then padre will reply with;" Mr Alvarez sighed but smiled, "Tonto tonto, and then whoever I want to pick on, for example. Tonto tonto, vice vice" Ms Ortiz smirked at him, "Vice vice, tonto tonto" And if you mess it up, you become tonto, or tonta if you're a girl."

We played Adella's game for a while before we were interrupted by the sound of my phone's ringtone. I saw that the number was unfamiliar but I answered the call anyway. "Is this Alice Alexander?" I replied with a yes before the speaker went on, "Please could you come down to the Grove Moor hospital, it's about your parents" My heart sunk to the bottom of my stomach and I could now hear my heartbeat thumping any in my body much louder than before.

I went back to the room where everybody was playing and just stared at them, tears building in my eyes. "Ms Ortiz, please can you take me somewhere?" She got up from the table, nodding. "Where?" She asked, I visibly gulped, "The hospital, I got a call about my parents" Her hand went over her mouth in shock. "Oh Alice"

We arrived at the hospital ten minutes later, Ms Ortiz turned off the car and looked to me. "Alice, I want you to know that whatever happens in there, you don't to anything irrational. Nothing stupid, you promise?" I nodded at her, wiping a story tear that escaped my eye from my cheek. I hate hospitals, and my sentiment seemed to be shared by Ms Ortiz as we walked through the corridor towards the front desk. "Evening Miss, how can I help you?" Ms Ortiz gave her a sad look, "I'm here with Alice Alexander, she has news to receive about her parents"

The receptionists' face fell, before nodding and a greying woman came towards us, her figure was covered by a white doctor's coat. "Miss Alexander, I'm glad you could make it. We can speak I private if you like?" The woman said, glancing at Ms Ortiz who had now retreated behind me. "Yes please" The doctor led me into a separate room that seemed to be an empty patient room. "Your parents were in a car wreck, and the car caught on fire, we believe they were on their way to the store. Usually, we'd want you to identify the bodies, but in this case, we think it will be best if you refrain from seeing them. They are quite distressing"

My breathing became more ragged and I couldn't see properly. This couldn't be happening. They couldn't be dead. This is a bad dream. It's not happening. I can't be. I am Alice Alexander, I have two parents who love me and we live together at 1387 Forest Lane. We don't have any pets but don't need them as we have eachother. I am-

Then it all went black