When Blood Turns Cold

Emerald returned to her apartment, which she shared with her paternal grandmother, after a tiring day as a teacher. Just as she was about to press the doorbell, her eyes landed on a large box sitting on the doormat, waiting for her. Emerald sighed; she had been expecting this. It must be a gift from her best friend, Amy. What was it with Amy and those big boxes? Emerald wondered.

"Emmy dear," her grandmother said in a frail voice as Emerald finally managed to drag the box inside and place it on the center table in the living room. "Hi, Granny," Emerald replied, her tone revealing just how exhausted she felt. "I thought that brat didn't want any extra classes," her grandmother said, wrinkling her nose in disappointment. Emmy sighed; her grandmother was particular about the people she allowed close to her and could be quite judgmental at times. The student her grandmother referred to wasn't just any student—it was the daughter of the mayor. He was a very stubborn man, and Emmy knew exactly how to handle children with highly influential parents. The mayor insisted that Emmy tutor his daughter for a full five hours after school, which was why her grandmother despised that family. However, the mayor paid handsomely, and money was always a factor to consider.

"Grandmother," Emmy began to say, but her grandmother cut her off. "I'm going for a walk downstairs. Make sure to have your dinner and get some rest. No snooping allowed, or I'll make sure to throw away those novels you've been reading late at night." Her tone left no room for denial as she shut the door behind her and went for her evening walk. Emmy went to her room to quickly change out of her work clothes and take a warm shower. After freshening up, she warmed the dinner that her granny had left in the oven and silently ate it while scrolling through Instagram Reels. Once she finished, she quickly washed the dishes and decided to open the big box that Amy had sent her. She couldn't let her curiosity get the better of her. It had been a while since Amy had sent her anything—perhaps it was a gift to celebrate her promotion. As she opened the box, lost in her thoughts, her phone rang, and she hurried to answer it.

Seeing that it was an unknown number Emmy decided to answer it anyway. "Hello this is Emerald Peterson on the line" she started to say but the man on the other end cut her off. "Emmy it's your grandmother she just had an accident hurry to the state clinic," he said in an urgent tone and hung up. Emmy felt a wave of weakness wash over her at the thought of something happening to her grandmother; her grandmother meant the world to her. When Emmy was three years old, her parents left her in the care of her grandmother. Although her grandmother never explained why, Emmy never asked either. After all, what could be worse than abandoning your child with your mother? Her parents were very cruel, and she didn't want any association with them. She loved her grandmother, who cared for her like a father, mother, friend, and sister all rolled into one.

Emmy quickly grabbed her phone charger and rushed to her room to collect her handbag. She turned off the lights and locked her apartment door before sprinting to the clinic. The Gardens Estate was adjacent to her apartment, and the clinic was located next to the fire station within the estate. Emmy ran as fast as she could, and when she arrived at the reception of the clinic, she was panting heavily. Barely able to catch her breath, she asked the receptionist for help. Soon after, she was led to her grandmother's room.

 Inside, the doctor was speaking in low tones with a nurse, as if a baby were sleeping nearby. They turned to Emmy when she abruptly opened the door, and their expressions fell. It was clear that her grandmother had not made it. "No, no, this isn't happening," Emmy thought. "My granny can't just leave me like this." Struggling to control her emotions, she approached the bed slowly. In disbelief, she checked to see if her grandmother was breathing, but there was no sign of life. Overwhelmed with grief, Emmy collapsed on the floor beside the bed and wept loudly. "No, Granny, please don't leave me here!"

Emmy sat there crying loudly for what felt like an eternity before the man who called her came to her aid. It was Uncle Brown, her Granny's best friend, and their old neighbor. He typically sat beside the estate, selling books. Little did he know that today he would witness his friend having an accident right before his eyes and would have to rush her to the clinic. He placed an arm on her shoulder and said, "Emmy, your grandmother asked me to give you this." Emmy silently took the piece of paper that had a phone number on it and slid it into her pocket. She stood up and straightened her dress. Her face was a mess from crying, but it was nothing compared to her mind, which had started its usual overthinking.

Emmy pulled her phone out of her bag and called Amy. She realized that if she didn't reach out to enough people to be there for her, she might consider ending her life due to the overwhelming despair she felt. It was essential for her to inform her best friend about her struggles so that Amy could help her with the funeral arrangements while Emmy attempted to compose herself and process the loss.