It happened exactly like in the movies, the cliche way that no one really believes until they experience it first hand.
The first image she saw was herself as a child, maybe six, seven years old. Unlike the other kids in her grade, she lacked the privilege of a having a lot of friends. Instead, she excelled in academics. She had big dreams of going to Yale one day. Everyone knew her mother as a highly recognized ambassador, and many expected Emily to follow in her footsteps. She did go to Yale but despite popular belief, it had nothing to do with her mother.
"Emily Prentiss?" she heard echo through the air around her as the crowd cheered. It was graduation day at Yale. She took one last look at the crown before exiting the chaotic life she knew and beginning something entirely new. One step at a time, she repeated to herself as she walked up the broad concrete steps to her new job. She walked down the hallway, still repeating those words to herself. This was the right place. They wanted her to be here. They wanted her skill-set. They wanted her.
"Emily?" she heard someone call out, faintly, maybe it was her imagination. "Come on, squeeze my hand if you can hear me." Emily was confused. Were they talking to her? Or was there another Emily she just hadn't been introduced to yet. For some reason she felt compelled to oblige and gave both fists a clench. She heard it again, maybe from the conference room to her right? "Emily, stay with me, baby." What the hell. She squeezed her fists again, this time harder. Suddenly she felt dizzy, everything around her began to spin, and the room went dark as she felt an excruciating pain in her stomach and the unquestionable motion of falling. Or was she flying?
