I was still bathing when I heard the doorbell ring. Not wanting Risa to feel awkward being all alone in an unfamiliar environment, I finished up as fast as I could. 

"Ms Polly, where's Risa?" I asked in between my light pants after running through the entire house. I could not find her. 

"Risa? I'm sorry, did your friend arrive already?"

"You didn't get the door?!" I exclaimed in shock. It has been quite a while. I rushed to the main door and yanked it open. A lonely figure was on the bench outside my house. She was barely illuminated by the moonlight. I did not turn on the porch lights. I should have. What sort of warm welcome was this?

"Did you fall asleep in the toilet?" She teased me while walking through the doorway.

"Meh. My bad." I led her to my parents' room so that she could greet them. 

"Your house is awfully quiet."

"Is it?" I could hear Frida talking on the phone and Trina's laughter behind their closed bedroom doors. "Your house must be very noisy then."

"It's not."

Before we could talk a lot, we reached my parents' room. I knocked on the door then waited for their permission to enter before I did. 

"Mom, Dad, Risa's here!"

"Hi there!"

"So you're Risa!"

My parents approached us with their usual warm demeanor. 

"He-" Risa's voice got cut.

I looked at her curiously. She looked speechless. Her eyes darted around like she was avoiding making eye contact with my parents. Why was everyone getting stunned and surprised today? Am I missing out on something?

"What's wrong?" I asked with a frown.

"Wha-? No. Nothing. Just... You look so much like your parents!" Her laughter was nervous and unnatural. I wondered if she did not like my family after all. My shoulders sagged along qith my confidence. I quickly perked myself up again though. Perhaps watching something together would help break the ice. 

"Mom, Dad, let's watch the video montage I just completed?"

"Oh, you're done with it?"

I nodded excitedly. I could not wait for them to watch this one. I like to believe that I improve a little every time I make another video.

"Sounds like a great idea then!"

We made our way to the guest room. On the way there, my sisters poked their heads out of their bedrooms.

"This is Frida, my older sister. This is Trina, my younger sister."

Risa smiled stiffly while she greeted them.

I could no longer ignore it. I whispered to her while everyone filed into the room before us, "Are you feeling uncomfortable? Do you not like it here?"

Risa looked at me for a good while with big round eyes. I held her steady gaze. "If you really don't like it here... We could sleepover at your house instead."

Finally, the smile I know revealed itself. She held onto my hands tightly and aplogised. "I'm sorry. It's just that your family resemblance is just so... uncanny. I've never seen anything like this before." She then joked with a cheeky smile, "Are you guys dolls or something?"

I laughed then rolled my eyes. "Yeah. We totally are."

With everything set up, it did not take long for me to find the video montage and play it on the large screen.

A happy and upbeat background music played through the surround sound system. The stylised words "2020 Trip to Africa" filled the screen. Video footages stitched together began transitioning along with the beat of the music.

While the video played, a whisper filled with awe left Risa's mouth, "Do you always do videos like this?"

"Of all my family's trips. It's my personal hobby."

Before anyone knew it, the words "The End" froze on the screen. Silence filled the room.

"Not too bad, huh?" I asked with hope in my heart.

"It's beautiful..." Risa said. I looked at Risa gratefully, then stared at the others with hopeful eyes. My mother was crying in my father's embrace like she saw something really sad. I was about to ask someone about it until it finally dawned on me that it was not just my mother. Everyone had tears in their eyes. 

"Why is everyone so... Solemn?" I laughed without enthusiasm. Today was definitely weird.

Risa looked at me with eyes full of guilt. She suddenly pulled me into her tight embrace.

"Risa? What's wrong?" My heart started to race and my stomach started to churn.

She whispered in my ear, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't hide the truth from you after all."

"Risa? What're you saying?" I pushed against her. However, she refused to let me go. I pushed harder. It did not work. How was she suddenly so strong?

"Mia. I'm sorry for saying that all of you look alike. The truth is you're all beautiful individuals. I didn't know because... I don't see them."

"What-"

"They're not real. Your family. They're not real."

"Shut up. I don't know what you're saying. I don't like it. Let me go. Let me go!" I screeched and pushed against her as hard as I could. Risa suddenly lost all her strength, so I escaped her clutches easily.

Bile was now in my throat. My throat constricted at the same time. It was a horrible experience. Breathing became hard and laborious. "Get. Out. Get out!" I screeched like a banshee while pointing at the door.

"No! I won't leave you alone here! I don't know what happened-"

"Get OUT!!" I continued to shriek.

"I need to wake you up! What REALLY happened?! Who's that helper?! Who's your aunt?! Is she even real?!"

"La la la la la." I sang off-tune to myself with my fingers stuffed into my ears, while I ran towards the door. My head felt like it was going to split open if I stayed any longer. 

The sound of the door locking stood out above all the noise in my head and in the room. It made me freeze. I stared at my mother in horror. 

"... Why...?" Tears filled my eyes.

My mother's tears were still flowing freely down her face. She shook her head then wordlessly pointed at Risa. I turned around. I took one shaky step after another away from Risa.

I shook my head very slowly. Unable to hold back any longer, I vomited all my dinner out onto the floor. Even when there was nothing left to vomit, I continued to retch. The air felt so thin. I could not breathe.

Is this how I die? I could not help but think to myself.

I barely noticed people clambering to my side. My vision was slowly blacking out. Suddenly, a strong scent of perfume hit me. Although dislikable, it was something I welcomed. A sweet and calm voice drifted into my consciousness. "Breathe... Breathe... In... Out... In... Out..." The voice sounded so soothing and inviting that I instinctively followed it. 

I turned towards the owner of the voice. "A- Aunty..."

"What happened?" Her kind eyes calmed me down further. Tears streamed down my face.

"My friend said that everything's not real. That my family- My family. Where's everyone? Where's Mommy? Where's Daddy? Where's Trina and Frida? Aunty! Where-"

"Mia." Her hands gripped my arms so tightly it hurt a little. Her voice was calm and steady. It compelled me to listen. "They left you to me. They're outside the room, waiting. It's alright now. You should rest though. You wouldn't want to worry them. Right?"

I thought about it. I wanted to see them but I was exhausted. I was also upset with what my mother did. "Okay."

My aunt helped me to the guest bed, while our helper cleaned up the mess I made.

"Where's your friend now?" She asked while tucking me into bed.

On the way to the bed, I noticed that Risa's things were gone. I briefly wondered about Risa's whereabouts. However, I stopped myself from thinking further. I don't care. I did not want to. "I don't know."

I guessed my aunt could read my thoughts, because she did not press me for information any further. She just continued to stroke my head. It was so gentle. It felt warm and soothing. My eyelids drooped lower and lower.

I heard my aunt whisper like she was singing a lullaby, "It was all a bad dream. An accident that should not have happened. All will be fine as long as you stay with me." 

"Mm..." I mumbled in my half-conscious state. 

She smiled with satisfaction, then kissed my forehead. 

In the darkness behind my eyelids, I entered a pre-dream state.

"Mia." A voice as clear as day sounded right by my ear.

My eyelids flew open. I jumped and rolled out of bed in an instant. I was poised and ready to fight. My hair stood on its ends.

I yelled when I finally registered who the voice belonged to. "What the f-!" Risa covered my mouth before I could curse aloud.

"Sshh! Don't make your aunt come back! You can't let her find me!" Her eyes were wide with fear. Her voice was filled with panic and urgency.

"Mia. I know something painful must have happened. But you can't stay here. Not like this. Your aunt's not helping you. You HAVE to remember. For yourself. For your family."

The sincerity in her eyes kept my gaze locked with hers. No matter how hard I willed myself to look away, I could not. Tears gradually filled my eyes again.

"What happened, Mia?"