Part 3

He grabbed the side of his face in shock. Liz’s lips curled up into a satisfied smirk.

*That should teach him not to touch me when I’m not conscious.*

Standing behind him was Maria, Michael, Isabel, and Kyle, all worried for her health.

“What?” Liz asked, irritated and annoyed.

They were in her bedroom, crowded around her bed. She tried to stand up, stumbling because of her weak legs. Max rushed to help her, but she batted his hands away. She didn’t want anything to do with him, not one single thing.

“Don’t touch me,” she told Max calmly. Turning to Maria, she asked, “What happened?”

Maria had dried tear tracks on her face, all of them did.

“You… heart… dead…” Maria sobbed, breaking down into Michael’s arms.

“What she’s trying to say,” Michael translated, “was that when you fell, your heart and breathing stopped.”

*What.*

Seeing Liz’s disbelieving face, Kyle added, “I caught you right before you hit your head on the ground and I couldn’t find any pulse. You had stopped breathing and you were so cold. Max tried to heal you but he couldn’t seem to jump start your heart.”

“So basically what you’re saying is that I had a near death experience?”

They nodded.

“How did I end up here?”

Isabel answered this question, “We carried you back here, hoping that the healing stones would help.”

Looking at Isabel’s hands, Liz spied the bag carrying the magical beans as Maria liked to call it.

“Before we could try anything, you started breathing and shaking on your own. We held your hands and feet down and when your body finally quit shaking, Max once again tried to wake you up,” she continued, “the rest of it you should already know.”

*Oh yeah. I slapped Max.* Liz eyed Max’s face, her handprint to be more exact. *Too far right. Note to self: next time aim more left. Score: Liz 1, Max 0.*

“Get out.”

*Did I say that?* Liz asked herself. *Oh well.*

“What did you say?” Michael asked, his brows knitted together in confusion.

She reached over and opened the door wide. “Get. Out.”

One by one, they exited her room, each looking dazed and confused as ever.

Maria looked at her and whispered into Liz’s ears, “You sure you okay?”

Liz didn’t say anything; she just nodded and closed the door behind her.

*Now how am I going to get the birth certificate?* She asked herself, leaning on the wall.

Her eyes wandered around the room, lingering on objects from time to time. They suddenly lit up in realization and she had an idea. She raced downstairs to find her parents, stopping by the laundry place to retrieve something first.

“Mom, I’m going to put your laundry basket in your room okay?” Liz took this opportunity to go look around their room just like the woman in her dream had advised.

“Go ahead,” Mrs. Parker said distantly, she was trying to make dinner while watching the TV at the same time.

Liz tiptoed into her parent’s room, making certain not to make any suspicious noise. Putting down the basket full of clean clothes, she began to rummage through her parents’ drawers, but never finding what she was looking for. Just as she was about to give up, she spotted something unusual on the wall from the corner of her eye.

Examining the wall next to her, she could make out a faint line. Tracing it lightly with her fingertips, she decided to test it by knocking on it. It was hallow sounding.

*There must be some sort of hidden box in there.*

She searches for a hook, a knot, or anything that would release the small hidden door.

*Bingo.*

There was a little hook on the far left. Liz had to squint to see it. She pulled it gently, and held her breath.

The door opened, revealing indeed a small vault. There, inside, were papers, a lot of them in fact.

Liz picked one up and stood rooted to the floor. Her mouth dropped open for the second time.

*Oh my god.*

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