Was it a dream?

It was a dark and rainy night. Mark was driving to his home after a large and hard work in the office. When he almost arrived, headlights swept the street, illuminating the world with a ghostly sheen. But then... a mysterious shining light appeared, blinding him. He lost the control of the vehicle and crashed in a tree. Mark blackened out.

By the time he waked up he noticed that he was outside the garage of his house. The door was open and the rain was entering the car.

"What...? Where?" said rubbing his head. "My house?" Mark got out of the car and staggered to his house. For some reason the was something wrong about his house. Because he did not remembered that it was next to a forest.

Mark opened the door, everything was dark inside. The electricity was gone so he had to stumbled around the place to find some matches or a flashlight. Finally, he found a flashlight. He turned it on.when suddenly. He heard a sound coming from upstairs. He ran there just to find a... young teenager girl, wearing a red dress. He was stunned as he seemed to recognize her.

"Lara?" he asked. It was his first daughter. He lost her in an earthquake.

*Flashback*

One night, his family were sleeping peacefully. His wife and Mark were waiting for a new baby, it was the ninth month. When suddenly a heavy shook waked him up. He wake up his wife and helped her to ran to the exit. But then he heard a scream "Dad!!!" It was his other daughter she was trapped because of a column that was blocking the door. Mark tried to push the door... but to his bad luck her wife already... "broke the fountain" and needed attention immediately as she stumbled in the entrance.

You had to take a difficult decision. Finally he decided to help her wife first. "Honey, I promise that I will come for you." She just shouted to not leave her. He took his wife away of the house,... but the house collapse as you tried to go back.

"NOooooo. Laraaaaa!!!"

Mark decided to put that away for a moment and take her to the hospital. When you arrived you had to wait... but then you felt the depression of his lost. Finally he could see his new daughter. Mark's wife was in the resting room. She was carrying the baby in the hands. She asked about Lara. Mark could only put a sad face... and then said: "We have to take care of her, our Maria" and he hugged her

*End Flashback*

She just chuckled a little and went to a room. Mark followed her. But in the corridor, you noticed that the house was painted an incongruous shade of red from the inside. When he entered, the room was filled with a lot of photos and many of them... were about Lara and you. "Oh my God." said Mark. He could not avoid the tears when he remembered all those good moments. When she graduated from the primary school and when she played the main part in a play. Since the arrival of Maria, he forgot those good moments.

Lara went out of the room and upstairs. "Lara, wait for me" She did not answered she just went to her old room. Mark followed her again. The room was exactly the same as he remembered it was. But then he saw an scene that made him astonished.

She was standing in the window. Mark screamed "Lara please do not do it. I am sorry for leaving you and let you down Please forgive me..." Without a word she turned, smiling briefly, then jumped. "Nooooo" he shouted.

He opened his eyes. He was now in a hospital room.

"Dear, are you OK?" he heard the voice of his wife.

"Daddy" said his other daughter, Maria.

"What?" Mark said

"You suffered a crashing but you are now alright" said his wife.

"Daddy I thought that I would lost you" said Maria hugging his father.

"Let's go Maria. Let your father rest" she said while going to the door.

"OK. Mom" both went out. Mark lied down in the bed and could only say: "Lara... forgive me" It was morning now. The sun was more shining that morning... and irradiated a peaceful aura. You felt... that she was now happy.

(Word count: 738)