"Coming, Mommy!" Hope grabbed her small handbag that matched her shoes and ran to the top of the stairs. She slowed her pace as she decended the staircase concentrating carefully on each step to be certain her new shoes did not get the best of her. When she stopped at the bottom she stood proudly smiling at her mother. "How do I look?"

"Well, I can only see one side of you!" Maria replied.

"Oh!" Hope said and began to twirl.

Maria witnessed the twirl in slow motion. Her heart swelled with pride as her daughter became a young woman right before her eyes. Maria fought tears of happiness knowing Hope was still young enough she would misinterpret her rush of emotions. Maria didn't want to do anything to put doubt in her daughter's mind about the evening. "You look marvelous," Maria struggled to say.

"Really?" Hope stopped twirling and asked.

"You'll steal the show," Maria confirmed her daughters hopes.

Maria stretched out her arms for a hug and Hope began running towards her mother. Halfway there, Hope began to fade. Maria could see straight through her small body. "Hope?" Maria called unsure of what was happening to her daughter.

"Coming, Mommy!" Hope called.

"Hope!" Maria called again in response. She heard voices all around her but she could see no faces. She stood unable to move as she watched her daughter fade faster and faster. "Hope!" Maria began to call Hope's name frantically again and again. As Hope's image grew fainter and fainter, the voices around her grew louder and louder.

"Marianna!" Hope called the moment she completely disappeared.

Maria stood in fear. The light from the kitchen window began to get brighter and she could clearly hear voices coming from the room. She walked slowly towards the room. "Hope? Are you in there?"

"Marianna!" An unfamiliar voice answered.

"Hope!" Maria called as she quickened her pace towards the kitchen. The sun from the window grew brighter and stronger. Maria stopped suddenly when she remembered the sun had set an hour ago. "It's evening," she thought. "It's time for the Grammy awards."

"Marianna!" The voice called again.

"Who's there?" Maria spoke quietly. A stabbing pain shot through her head and she raised her hands to her head and dropped to her knees.

Maria heard the voice speak again. "Doctor! She spoke!"

Maria doubled over as pains began attacking her entire body. She grabbed her side and her chest before her arm went numb and flopped uncontrollably at her side. "What's happening?" She grasped for breath.

"Marianna, open your eyes," the voice called from the kitchen.

"They are," Maria answered with undeniable fear in her voice. Suddenly the fire alarm went off. She looked at the ceiling at the flashing light and began to cry. "I'm scared," she sobbed as the beeping fire alarm began to sound slower and slower. The sound then became one long beep.