Emily cherished play dates, joys that somehow she knew that adults eventually seemed to forget as they grew older. One particularly lazy afternoon, Emily’s living room was buzzing with the playful laughter and energy of her closest friends - Lucy and Lily.

  Hours passed as the three friends dived into a myriad of activities - from enjoying board games, idle chatter filled with playground gossip, sketching fantastical and often whimsical characters,acting out scenes from their favorite movies, and even engaging in occasional friendly tussles - under the watchful eye of Sarah of course who seemed to alternate between amused observer and active referee.

  Conversely, Thomas’s patience did not last particularly long on this day. One glance at the loud, squealing children, and he conveniently remembered that he needed to run some rather critical errands “right the heck now.”

  “Oh, your father is definitely not plotting an escape from all the chaos at home…” Sarah sarcastically remarked, glancing knowingly at a sheepish Thomas making a hasty retreat. She tapped her foot a few times then added with a shrug “Eh…it was a difficult week at work…I’ll cut him slack this time…”

  Emily, swept up in the joy, energy and spirit of those around her, felt a sudden jolt of inspiration strike her. It was as though a latent part of her soul had awoken - a spark, a longing she craved but couldn’t quite put a name on. She turned her attention inwards, closing her eyes momentarily, trying to identify what she so desperately wanted.

  She needed, no - she craved music.

  Furthermore, she wasn’t content to simply listen. Her entire being—her heart, her mind, her soul—longed to sing, for reasons she couldn’t quite put into words.

  “Hey, Mom! Can we put on some music? Please?” she entreated her mother, bouncing in excitement. “We could have a little dance party!” she added, her eager,eyes fixed on Sarah.

  Lucy, ever the extrovert, perked her head up from a comic book, clapping her hands enthusiastically. “Yes! That sounds awesome!” she proclaimed with infectious enthusiasm. “Let's do it! Please Mrs Parker?”

  Lily, ever the cautious one, bit her lip, a little taken aback at this sudden development. Her eyes betrayed her true feelings however, a small, shy smile crept across her face as she seemed to warm up to the idea.

  Sarah couldn’t help but smile at her daughter’s sudden enthusiasm as she strolled over. “Why not? That actually sounds like a fantastic idea, Emily!” she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Okay, let’s see what we’ve got—why don’t you help me dig through your dad’s collection and see if we can find something that gets everyone moving?”

  Emily eagerly joined her, and together they began sifting through stacks of CDs and cassette tapes. As Emily rifled through the albums, she couldn’t help but chuckle softly as a voice, somewhere in the back of her mind, seemed to whisper, “Holy vinyl freaking retro!” in almost amused surprise.

  She felt herself drawn specifically to 80s’ music. She paused for a moment, holding a CD in her hands as an unexpected wave of nostalgia washed over her. “Hmm…maybe I like this music because Mom and Dad listen to it?” she wondered, hesitating slightly. “Maybe the songs are just so easy to sing and dance to?” Deep down however, it felt like more than that. It was as if the music carried an echo from a different time—one she didn’t quite understand but nevertheless felt tied to.

  Emily’s excitement peaked when she spotted a CD that felt oddly familiar. A buzzing sensation passing through her very being as she gingerly picked up the album and whispered the name softly to herself. She gazed at the album momentarily, somehow feeling more connected to it than she could discern why - it just felt right!

  “How about this?” she asked, her heart racing as she handed the album to Sarah.

  Sarah raised an eyebrow, amused, as she examined the cover. “Bon Jovi’s greatest hits, huh? You’ve got good taste, kiddo. Okay, which song?”

  Without a moment’s hesitation, Emily blurted out, “Living on a Prayer.” The choice surprised even her as the words left her mouth. Perhaps she heard her father blasting this track before? She felt like she must have—after all, she seemed to inexplicably know the lyrics. She wasn’t sure but the song resonated with her, a familiarity she couldn’t quite place, yet it somehow felt so utterly right.

  —

  As the opening riff to Living on a Prayer filled the room, Emily felt a cascade of energy pulse through her. She was transported—simultaneously feeling an emotional high and a growing sense of anticipation as the guitars and drums rang out. Her feet began tapping instinctively, resonating with the rhythm, the guitars, the bass, and the steady beat of the drums.

  She closed her eyes, letting the sounds wash over her and through her. For a moment, she could discern each instrument—the steady bass, the powerful guitars, the almost addictive beat of the drums—all coming together in a perfect, harmonious whole. The melody resonated deep within her, and her body began to sway, her movements syncing effortlessly with the rhythm. It felt as though the music itself was guiding her, her movements driven by an inner impulse she couldn’t quite name.

  As the chorus neared, adrenaline surged through her, the music pulsing with a boundless energy that ignited a sense of joy, aliveness, and wholeness.

  The moment the drums hit their peak, Emily couldn’t hold back any longer—a part of her soared. She opened her eyes and, with a confidence she didn’t know she possessed, grabbed the nearest remote control, clutching it like a microphone. She took center stage in the living room, standing tall and poised—as if she’d done this a thousand times before.

  Drawing in a deep, invigorating breath, she belted out, “Woah, we’re halfway there... Woah-oh, livin’ on a prayer!”

  The words poured out of her, a blend of familiarity and newfound power. In that moment, Emily didn’t care about the past or the present, the why or how of her actions. In that moment—she was Emily, but also more than Emily. She was whole. Complete.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Sarah, Lily, and Lucy stopped dead in their tracks, staring at Emily in amazement as her voice soared. It carried power and weight, the notes ringing with an accuracy and emotion that surprised even herself. Her pitch was flawless, her movements perfectly in sync with the melody as she moved with a near-practiced ease. She couldn’t remember ever singing like this, yet in some incredible way, it felt completely natural—like she had always known how.

  Surrendering fully to the music, Emily sang with all her might, pouring her entire being into the performance. The sheer force of her voice swept through the room, drawing her audience into the moment. When the song reached its peak, her captivated listeners burst into applause, their amazement transforming into unrestrained excitement.

  Feeding off the energy of the applause, Emily leaned fully into theatrics. She moved around the room with flair—throwing her head back, sinking to her knees, and even playfully miming the smashing of an imaginary guitar.

  Caught up in the infectious energy, Sarah laughed and grabbed a second remote, holding it like a microphone. “Move over, rock star!” she exclaimed jokingly, joining Emily as a co-singer. Together, they danced and sang around the living room, their laughter mingling with the music in a joyful, chaotic cacophony.

  Lucy and Lily, swept up in the excitement, joined in wholeheartedly. With a mischievous grin, Lucy commandeered a hairbrush and stepped up as Emily’s enthusiastic partner. Though she was a little off-key, her spirit (at the very least) harmonized perfectly with Emily’s as they sang at the top of their lungs.

  Encouraged by Emily’s confidence, Lily overcame her shyness and grabbed an imaginary air guitar. Her initial hesitation melted away as she strummed with gusto, her pretend chords resonating with her newfound boldness.

  The song finally ended—everyone’s spirits soaring from the singing, dancing, and laughter. Emily, her craving satisfied, set her imaginary microphone back on its perch with exaggerated care and collapsed backward onto the carpet with a deep, joyous sigh.

  One by one, the other children followed, tumbling onto her in a heap of giggles and laughter. They formed a cheerful, wriggling “puppy pile,” their energy and unbridled joy echoing through the room.

  –

  “Wow, Emily, that was amazing!” Sarah exclaimed, her chuckles mingling with the fading music as she reached for the stereo to turn it down. “How did I not know you could sing like that? I had no idea my little girl could rock out like this!” she added, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she worked to extricate each child from the giggling heap.

  Emily shrugged, unsure herself where the sudden talent had come from. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a subtle nudge seemed to whisper, “Don’t overthink it…just enjoy it!” Grinning, Emily followed the advice and replied, “It just came to me. I guess I really like the song?”

  “Well, you’ve definitely got a future in music if you want it!” Sarah declared proudly, punctuating her statement with an enthusiastic high five.

  As they all settled down, catching their breath, Lucy, still brimming with energy, started play-dancing again, clearly eager to keep the fun going. “That was so much fun! We should do this more often,” she exclaimed, twirling dramatically.

  Lily, still smiling, gave a feigned oh, if we must nod, her lopsided grin making everyone laugh.

  Later that evening, over dinner, Emily and Sarah excitedly recounted the day’s adventures, their enthusiasm escalating with each story and gesture. Thomas watched his wife and daughter with a mix of pride and curiosity, his smile growing wider with every detail.

  “You both really got into it, huh?” he said, chuckling. “Em, it sounds like you were the star of the show. I didn’t know you liked music so much! And Bon Jovi? Man, I’m proud of you.”

  He paused thoughtfully, then added with a playful wink, “Maybe next time I should join in? I used to play the guitar myself, you know.”

  His light-hearted suggestion was immediately met with laughter, teasing, and good-natured ribbing. Nevertheless, Thomas made it clear that he was determined to join the next karaoke session—wherever and whenever it might be.

  —

  That night, Emily lay sprawled on her bed, the excitement of the day still flowing and buzzing through her. She smiled at the ceiling, replaying the joyful scenes in her mind—the music, the laughter, her friends, and her mother dancing. She relived the thrill of dancing, of being the performer, of bringing others together in joy and harmony.

  As sleep took over, the glow of her daydreams morphed into a deeper, stranger dream. Once again, she was singing belting 'Living on a Prayer' with gusto - but this time, she was surrounded by a group of adults; friends from a different life. Their faces were hazy, nebulous yet deeply familiar, as though she had known them forever. She laughed, grabbed the microphone and engaged in theatrics, thoroughly immersed in the moment and with those around her.

  However, as she raised a glass in a toast, the polished surface reflected her face back at her - freezing her in her tracks. It wasn’t her reflection staring back, but a man with messy, moppy brown hair and intense, knowing eyes.

  Emily awoke with a jolt, sitting up in her bed, her heart pounding. A name lingered in her minds and on her lips - “Daniel”. She whispered the name again, with care, almost as if the word were sacred - familiar yet undeniably foreign. The same name that had come to her months ago as she was waking up as if from a dream. “Daniel…” the name resonated with her, an echo of something lost and found again.

  Questions flooded her mind - what had she just experienced? Was it a memory, a dream, or something else entirely? Her mind grasped at straws and momentarily drew fantastical explanations - perhaps she was momentarily transported to another universe, a place she once knew? Was she viewing a memory from a past life? Or perhaps was this Daniel simply a figment of her imagination? A remnant of a dream?

  No - she stopped herself from dismissing the truth any further. This felt different - she knew this was different - something real even if it seemed inexplicable at the moment. She had been denying it but something had changed within her - something had changed in her for a long time and she realized with a gulp - it was still changing.

  Until tonight, she’d accepted her world without question. Yet as she focused, she realized she could no longer ignore the quiet presence at the back of her mind, a voice that had always felt like a part of herself but now felt separate yet not - guiding, advising, nudging her toward choices she hadn’t fully understood. She had considered it her inner voice, her conscience, her intuition—but was it really or had she been feigning excuses?

  Emily lay back down, twisting and turning in bed, memories long forgotten or suppressed now surfacing. She saw herself in fleeting images with a shadowy figure in her dreams - conversing, the figure whispering gentle reassurances. She recollected that fateful night - many months ago, when she had woken up in this house and glimpsed herself in the mirror with an expression that hadn’t felt like her own. Except - Emily realized, her stomach turning, that while the body was hers - the soul in those eyes was someone else.

  These thoughts sent a shiver through her, filling her with a dread she couldn’t name. The knowledge, the memories of another universe, the voice in her head, the name, Daniel - so foreign yet so familiar. She buried her head under her pillow, desperate to make sense of any of it, but each revelation and each second only left her more confused.

  She pulled the pillow from her face, her gaze transfixed on the shadows playing on the bedroom ceiling - so similar to the shadow in her dreams. A single stream of thought haunted her relentlessly “Am I Emily? Am I Daniel? Am I a continuation of something, or is this life uniquely mine?” She lay there, her heart pounding as fear tingled at the edges of her consciousness , a fear that perhaps she wasn’t as alone in her mind as she had once believed, that her reality was far more complex than she had believed.