Darkness is all I see. It's as if I'm blindfolded. I can't open my eyes!! I hear the hectic hospital room. The beeping monitor frightens me. There's no break in the sound. AM I FLAT-LINING?? I freak out about how rapidly my heart is pumping blood. My head is weightless...and scorches up hell.

"What is the issue here?" a doctor asks franticly.

"Head pain?" Another says.

"When did it begin?"

"A few minutes ago. Should we do an MRI?"

"The current MRI shows no brain injuries. This could be a side effect from the strong medication."

Is the doctor right? I hope that's what this is. But the liquid sensation worries me. My brain hasn't stopped trickling water...or is it blood? The nerves of my brain fire off like a cannonball. Persistent dizziness spins my surroundings. I feel faint again. I try to hold on.

I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK THERE!!

I try to scream this aloud, but my mouth is incapable of moving. My body is paralyzed. I can't summon enough strength to part my lips. I begin to fade away.

I CAN'T FALL UNCONSIOUS AGAIN! I'M SCARED! NOO!! WAKE UP!! My mind bellows desperately. SNAP OUT OF IT!! WAKE UP! I WANT BRAD. WHERE IS HE?!!

The thoughts in my head fizzle out. Silence plugs my ears. I stare at a pit. It drags on so long that I figure I'm dead. There's no other explanation for the zero sound and visuals. Not a glimmer of light seeps through. There's supposed to be a tunnel of white. There isn't. It's utter isolation. Darker than space...

I think my soul is gone. I believe I'm gone. A swarm of voices comes from far away. This brings hope that I'm alive. The tones are from different people. It sounds as if they're arguing. I focus on one of them to determine what's being said. I use all of my physical might to do so. The frontal lobe of my brain flexes. I demand my mind to listen.

"No, you're not taking her anywhere! Who do you think you are?" I wish it wasn't so faint. I can hardly comprehend the words. I'm sure I'm mishearing the conversation.

"Maybe he should. Maddy can't stay here with these damn doctors." That's my Lily. I know her sound even in death...or near death. Whatever state I'm in.

"Yes, she can't. There isn't enough time to bicker. Madison is getting worse. Let me take her. My doctors can reverse her condition. The resources here are limited, and the staff isn't as attentive as they should be. She won't face this outcome if I take her."

"Are you sure she can be transported?"

"I'm positive. But as I said, we have to be quick."

"I don't know about this," Jess speaks hesitantly.

"I say no, let the hospital do their job." This is Brad. Yes, that's his cozy voice, but who is the other guy? His voice isn't registering. Is he further away?

"You're trusting her here after what just happened?? You're not so bright, are you?"

"BRAD, NO!!" Lily shouts. I hear scuffling and heavy footsteps. What is going on??? This is so infuriating! My damn eyes need to open! "WALK IT OFF!" Lil yells like a drill sergeant. "DON'T YOU DARE FIGHT AROUND HER!" There's more scuffling. It's going away from me. Brad is being shoved; the sound of his dragging feet confirms this. The door slams. She puffs out air, then says, "we're trusting you to do better than these damn idiots. If you don't, I'll make your life a living hell!"

"You have my word."

I still can't detect the voice...or make sense of what I'm hearing. I'm getting a headache. I'm glad there's no more talking. My mind is put at ease. I must be back in the void. I believe it's Death Valley.

My soul, or whatever I am, grows stronger. I sense my drained body being replenished. I'm strengthening. I can move my eyes and my mouth now. My hearing restores. A crashing noise surrounds me. Not a bad kind..it's.a restful crashing. I'm aware of my body; I'm lying in bed. My fingers clutch at extremely soft sheets. Ones that are too luxurious for a hospital. It's what I would think satin would feel like.

I breathe effortlessly. Sunlight beams onto my eyelids. The baking sun is a blessing after being in the void. My temperature must have dropped. When I open my eyes, there, right before me, is the most dreamland view of a beach. The Pacific Ocean thrashes on glowing sand in the most marvelous motion. I sit up in bed. The wind brushes my blonde hair back in a gush. White curtains blow from cherry wood windows. They're massive and stretch the wall before me.

I'm in a room...not a hospital. This is a house. I lay in a California king-sized bed covered in pure white sheets. A standing monitor rests beside the bed with multiple bags of fluids. My arm has four IVs plugged into it.

I examine the sitting chairs in the corners, bookcases, and a flatscreen tv well over 90 inches. Tropical portraits hang on cream walls, and the blackest wood floors span at least 200 feet.

This room is gigantic! Too humongous to belong to someone in my class. This is a rich person's home. I only know one person who could own such a place. The peonies and the fancy card point to this being Jace Harrison's estate. That was him asking to take me away. But why? What happened?!

The ocean wind whips wildly and tussles my hair over my head. I gather it and tie it to the back while the air gushes continue.

A jumbo, two-sided door opens from my right. A woman in a maid outfit smiles. "Hello, Ms. Hart." She greets me so formally that I feel more important than I am. The maid pushes in a tray of breakfast food. Gourmet food by the looks of the quality of the texture. Everything on the tray looks sculpted by the gods; as if artwork brought to life. Jumbo and extremely vibrant. French toast, blueberries, oatmeal, and waffles. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Oh...umm. French toast and oatmeal. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Ms. Hart." The woman fixes my plate while handing me a cup of orange juice. "Are you comfortable? Need any adjustments?"

"No, I'm okay, thank you." I sip the juice.

"Are you sure?" She rests the plate on my lap.

"Yes."

"I'm just making sure Mr. Harrison's orders are followed. You're allowed anything you ask for, even if it's an errand."

I scoop a spoon into the oatmeal. "He said that?"

"Yes."

"Well...he shouldn't have." I retort, irritated. "I don't have to be waited on hand and foot. Once I'm better, I won't be an issue for you."

"Oh, it's no issue at all. It's my job. I enjoy it." The woman gives me an embroidered napkin; it's lacy and resembles a Japanese fan. "If there's anything you need, just ring that bell." She gestures to the device on a nightstand. "Any questions?"

"Yes. How long have I been here?"

"3 days."

"3 days???" I repeat, flabbergasted. "But...wasn't I just at the hospital last night?"

"No, you were here, miss."

"That doesn't seem right. Where did the time go?"

"You were in a temporary coma."

I squeeze the metal spoon so hard that it imprints into my palm. "COMA??" I stammer. Complete terror floods my veins. "I WAS IN A COMA???!" I exclaim hoarsely.

"Yes."

"How?!" The metal spoon cuts into my palm. I hiss from the stinging pressure.

The lady comes to loosen it and pats my hand comfortingly. "You're all better now, dear." Her kind-hearted voice persuades me to let go of the spoon. It drops into the porridge, clinging. The shape of the spoon marks my palm. I cut off its circulation. She massages the area. "There's no need to work up your anxiety. Be calm."

"I don't understand. How did that happen?" My voice raises an octave due to panic.

"I'm not informed on the matter. All I know is that you've improved. You could ask Mr. Harrison for more details once he arrives home. The Strygent expo will conclude in 2 hours. Would you like to tune in to the event?"

I stare blankly at her. "Sure..." My tone is flat and unnerved. The maid uses a remote to turn on the flatscreen and press numbers for a channel. "Is there a phone I could use? I need to make calls."

"Of course, I'll be back in a jiffy." She heads to the door.

"Hold the mix." The funny side of my mind comes to help me as a coping mechanism.

The maid is lost by my words until it clicks in her mind. "Oh, haha, funny. Jiffy Mix!" She laughs, holding her belly. "I'm glad you have a sense of humor; it'll help with the healing."

"I hope so." I huff longingly.

"It will." The maid departs into a luxurious hallway baring high crown molding and classy wallpaper. I eat some oatmeal and take a few bites of toast. I lose my appetite fast and lay my head in my hands. "I was in a coma?!" I freak. "What?! Oh my god!!" When footsteps approach, I break from the dismal position and gaze at the door.

"Which would you prefer?" She gives me a box of iPhones, Galaxies, and BlackBerrys. There are about 30 inside and all are still in their original packaging. Brand new.

"Whoa! Why so many?!"

"Mr. Harrison has a tendency of dropping his phone from the helicopter. It's a habit he can't break."

"No pun intended...or is there pun intended? I don't know." I shrug and grab an iPhone 13.

She cackles. "You're a blast, aren't you?"

"Mostly."

"It's nice having some comedy around here." The maid rolls the tray out of the room. She nods me farewell before closing the door.

I unbox the new phone and power it on. I try to fight the image of my old phone being snatched from my hand and hurled out the car window. I lose. I can't keep the memory away...it wins.

Don't think about that.

I wag my head to rid it of the scene. After the phone boots up and is set to English, I go to the Wi-Fi settings. There's only one labeled J.H. It occurs to me that I don't know the password. I peep at the door, then at the bell on the table. Before I can even lean over to ring it, the password is shared with me.

Oh...huh? That's cool. The maid must have done that. I'd like to get her name instead of calling her the maid. I debate who I should call. Brad or Lily? Hmm...Brad might still be mad...but I have to tell someone I'm at Jace's place. He would blow a gasket if I told him, so Lily it is. I'll call Brad after.

As soon as Lily picks up, I say, "you wouldn't believe where I am right now!"

#Romance
#Love