Ace groaned and rolled onto his side. Something felt different. His hand brushed against the soft grass, and he could hear birds singing nearby. Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared at the bright sky above him. He sat up quickly and looked around, confused and shocked. Trees surrounded him, and tall grass stretched in every direction. There was nothing else around.
Ace held his forehead as he tried to understand what had happened. Then the memories came back. Last night, he drowned in the lake. And someone had saved him.
A woman.
He remembered no one else that night. He was sure she was the one who had helped him. As he prepared to stand, his hand accidentally touched a single sunflower lying in the grass. Ace picked it up and stared at it.
"Did she leave this for me?" he wondered.
Or maybe it had simply fallen there by chance. He looked at the sunflower for a moment before carefully holding it in his hand. The woman was gone, but somehow, the flower made him feel that she had been real and that last night had not been a dream.
Ace walked through the tall grass, holding the sunflower carefully in one hand. His clothes were still damp from the lake, but for some reason, he didn't mind.
A small smile rested on his face.
It felt strange.
For the first time in a long while, the heavy weight in his chest felt lighter. He reached his bike, picked it up, and began riding home. The sunflower stayed tucked safely in his hand. The morning sun shone through the trees as he rode along the quiet road. As he got closer to his house, his smile slowly faded. There was a police car parked outside. His heart skipped a beat.
The bike slipped from his hands and crashed onto the ground.
"No..." he whispered.
Without thinking, he ran. He rushed through the front door, breathing hard. Inside, two police officers were standing in the living room. His mother sat on the couch, crying. His father looked pale and unusually quiet. The moment his mother saw him, she jumped to her feet.
"Ace!"
She ran toward him and grabbed his shoulders. Her eyes quickly scanned his face, his arms, his body. Then she noticed his wet clothes.
"Oh, thank God..." she sobbed. She pulled him into a tight hug.
Ace stood frozen.
"What happened?" he asked. One of the officers stepped forward.
"Are you Ace?" Ace nodded slowly.
The officer exchanged a glance with his partner.
"We've been looking for you since last night, and your mother reported you missing."
Ace looked at his mother. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. She looked like she hadn't slept at all.
"We searched near the roads and the forest," the officer continued. "This morning, someone reported finding your bicycle near the old woods."
Ace swallowed hard. His mother tightened her grip on him.
"I thought I lost you, too," she whispered. The words hit him harder than he expected.
Too.
Just like David. For a moment, nobody spoke. Then the second officer cleared his throat.
"There's something else." The room suddenly felt colder. Ace looked at the officers. His father slowly lifted his head.
"What is it?" his mother asked nervously.
The officer hesitated. "We received several reports from people living near the old lake."
Ace felt his stomach twist.
"The same lake where your bicycle was found." His grip tightened around the sunflower.
"What reports?" Ace asked quietly.
The officer looked directly at him. "Over the years, several people have gone missing near that lake."
The room fell silent. Ace felt a chill run through his body.
"Some of them were found days later," the officer continued. "Dead in the water." His mother's face turned pale. The officer sighed and crossed his arms.
"Nobody knows exactly what happened. Some say they slipped. Others think the lake is simply dangerous." Then he looked at Ace.
"You're lucky you weren't one of them."
Ace swallowed hard.
His mind flashed back to the dark water filling his lungs. The feeling of something pulling him down. The second officer stepped forward.
"Listen, young man."
Ace looked at him. "Stay away from that lake, especially at night."
His voice was serious. "The paths around it are dangerous, and the water is deeper than it looks."
The officer pointed toward the window.
"You were fortunate this time. Be careful."
Ace nodded slowly. "I will."
The officers exchanged glances before giving a small nod.
"Good."
They turned toward the door. "We should get going."
His mother thanked them repeatedly as they walked outside. Ace remained standing in the living room. His wet clothes felt cold against his skin. A few moments later, he noticed one of the officers speaking quietly to his father near the police car. His father stood there with his head lowered. For once, he wasn't shouting. He wasn't angry. He just listened.
The officer placed a hand on his shoulder before returning to the car. Soon, the police vehicle drove away. Silence filled the yard. Ace's father remained outside, staring at the empty road. Then he slowly sat down on the front steps. His shoulders looked heavy.
Tired.
Old.
Ace had never seen him like that before.
"Ace."
He turned. His mother stood behind him. Tears still filled her eyes. Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around him again. This time, Ace didn't pull away. He stood there quietly while she cried against his shoulder. His eyes drifted down to the sunflower still in his hand. The bright yellow petals looked strangely out of place inside the gloomy house.
His mother noticed it. "Where did you get that flower?" she asked softly.
Ace froze.
For a moment, he thought about the woman. The dancing. The lake. The gentle smile. Then he looked away.
"I found it," Ace replied, a small spark shining in his eyes.
His mother smiled weakly.
"It's beautiful."
His mother noticed that he wasn't willing to talk about what had happened the night before, but she didn't force him. Whatever he had gone through, she knew he would tell her when he was ready. That night, after changing into dry clothes, Ace placed the sunflower in a glass of water beside his bed. The house was unusually quiet. As he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts returned to the forest. To the hidden path. To the woman in white.
Who was she?
And why couldn't he stop thinking about her?
The image of her dancing beneath the moonlight played over and over in his mind. Outside his window, a soft breeze moved through the darkness. On the table beside him, the sunflower swayed gently.
Almost as if someone had touched it.