1. Grey - RAY

I touched my head, feeling slightly sleepy. The noise was disconcerting, and I felt vaguely aware that it was night.

I tried to trace the noise, but nothing made sense, and for a moment I thought somebody was knocking on the door. I slowly opened my eyes, trying to discern shapes in the dark.

But listening closely, sleep robbed off my eyes, the noise seemed to come from my left, and the door was to my right.

The 'tap tap' continued, so I looked around the room, hoping to find what was making that noise.

No such luck.

The room was dark, the door was shut, and the air-conditioning was working in full blast.

I moved the blankets from over me, then slightly shivered. My pillow had wet blotches and felt cold, my face felt dry, and the hospital gown wasn't giving me much coverage against the brutal onslaught of the air-conditioning.

Sitting up, I touched my wet pillow, fingers tracing patterns.

I knew it was way past midnight, since I heard a dead silence, only broken by the 'tap tap' now and again.

I closed my eyes and breathed in, turning my head up, thanking my good fortune. I could now go to him.

But only after I knew what was making that noise.

I ripped the morphine drip from my arm.

I winced, but I clamped my mouth shut, slowly taking in the pain.

I stood up, slowly letting my eyes adjust to the darkness.

I could easily switch on that small light-bulb, it would help my eye-sight. But the dark gave me leverage.

I strained my ears, and slowly moved closer to the constant 'tap tap'.

My hands touched the glass window.

The noise came again, and I could feel the glass vibrate.

For a moment I stood, clueless, slightly scared too.

Then as my eyes started to recognise things in the dark, I figured it was a branch.

It must have been windy outside. The branch of that huge tree I saw this morning, hit the window again and again, making that 'tap tap' noise.

I shifted away, and sat down on my bed, fisting the blanket.

What do I do now?

I don't have my phone. No purse. No money. Nothing.

And I don't even have spare clothes.

How the hell do I go to Iridium?

I got up and started pacing the room, still begging the Lord above, to keep things favorable.

I need a way out, and fast.

After a lot of thinking, I decided I would go home.

All the essentials I'd need would be back at home, and I'd sneak in and hopefully be lucky enough to sneak back out undiscovered.

Lovely. Sneaking into my own home.

Mind set, I slowly opened the door. The lights were on, but they were dim. It took me a while to adjust my eyes, even though the lights were dim.

I felt helpless at first, since I had never gone out of my room. Also, there was a probability of doctors and nurses roaming around the corridors. But, if I did have luck by my side and the corridor was empty for a moment, then what? Where were the elevators? Or the stairs?

I touched my throbbing arm, I had pulled it too hard.

But this felt good.

Freedom.

I looked out again, and there were two nurses talking. But after a moment, they were gone, walking away.

I walked slowly, turning left, following where the nurses went.

And then I saw them. Stairs.

I waited for a second, to see if anyone was coming up or down.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves, and trying to ease the light-headedness and the pain.

Then I start running down.

Counting floors.

1, pant, 2, pant, 3, pant, 4, stop.

I pressed my palm on my chest and steadied myself, panting, while I glanced at  the receptionist behind the desk.

What do I do?

I walked towards the corridor, then found an empty room, with a half open door. Blankets and pillows were arranged in stacks.

I grabbed a white blanket, and covered myself with it.

After checking myself to find not a bit of that hospital gown peeking through, I moved out.

I clutched the sheet around me, and waited for the blond receptionist, to look away.

Adrenaline was surging through my body and I felt restless.

And she did. In fact, she moved out from behind her desk, and clicking her heels, walked past the very door I was hiding behind.

I snapped into action, the opportunity too great.

I moved out from my hiding place, and walked out of the building, sure to keep my head low.

As soon as I was out, I looked up at the building, to see shiny lit up letters greet me.

'24X7 – THE TOWN HOSPITAL'.

So they put me in the town hospital.

I breathed a sigh of relief, since that was closer to my place.

Based on my instincts, I started walking towards home.

The street lights were burning, the streets were empty. There was a chill in the air, reflecting my current situation.

I walked faster, holding onto the white sheets tight.

I had no clue whatsoever, what the time was. I also didn't know, if I'd be able to sneak in successfully.

The lengths I'll have to go through.

But I walked those steps, biting my lip from crying out in pain, since almost every inch of me was screaming in agony. And then there was the addition of burning soles of my naked feet. Of raw flesh scraping on hard ground. 

I should have searched for some clothes and shoes. And then how long has it been after my accident? Not even a week.

Then my apartment building came into view.

Focus.

My feet hardly made any noise, as I walked faster to my destination.

The silence was deafening, the night painted with a slight dark grey hue.

I looked around, noting there seemed to be no one who'd notice me. I walked inside the waiting elevator, my sore limbs crying in relief.

In mere seconds, I walked out; standing on my floor.

I walked to my door, and fished my spare key. I caught a lone tear falling down my cheek, my eyes tracing the key-ring.

I turned the key, then opened the door slowly, afraid to make any noise.

After shutting it close behind me, I removed the blanket from around me and bunched it on the table.

I walked in, and after inspecting, I realised that Scar was not sleeping in her room.

In fact, there was no sign of her.

I didn't have to care about noise. She was not there.

Letting myself take a breath of relief, I moved inside my room and switched on the lights.

I washed my face, put on some clothes, and tied up my hair into a bun.

A passing glimpse in the mirror told me I looked as crazy as I felt.

I took out a wad of cash, hoping they would be enough to last me in Iridium.

My phone was nowhere to be found, and I kept searching hoping to find it somewhere, which didn't bring any positive result.

Then I remembered about the old spare phone sitting in my closet, with a cracked screen.

Bracing myself and praying, I turn over every bit of clothing in my closet to find that phone.

And I did.

I almost felt like smiling.

Almost.

I hurriedly connected it to my charger, that hung beside my bed all the time.

The phone lit up.

Thank the Lord, it was working.

After fidgeting with it for a while, I switched on my laptop, that sat on my bedside table.

My fingers flying over the keyboard, I booked a flight.

My flight was in the morning.

It felt like everything was aiding me towards what I wanted.

I didn't know how, but my old phone surely had been charged well, when I'd decided to switch it off and throw it in my closet few weeks back, when my new phone had arrived.

And hence, I didn't have to wait long for it to charge up.

I put my wallet in my jeans pocket, and put my old phone in another.

I searched for my car keys, and seeing it, I grabbed it.

Then switching off the lights, I moved out.

****

It was noon.

I was standing in front of the airport terminals of Iridium, contemplating where to start.

I decided, I'd go to his parents' place.

That was somewhere I could start.

I took out my phone from my pocket, and felt the jingle of my car keys.

I don't know what made me do it, it could have been the sudden surge of anger at my helplessness, that I took my car keys and threw them away, not bothering to watch where they landed.

My car was stranded somewhere back in Zircon, and it could go up in flames for all I care.

I didn't need it anymore.

I hailed a cab, giving him the address to the Hudsons' place.

Minutes later, I was standing in front of their door, my hand raised up to knock.

I knocked.

And knocked again.

Silence.

The silence was a strong negative, and I was  really feeling helpless. But this was my only hope, I had nowhere else to go.

So I kept knocking.

Feverishly, slamming my fist again and again, against the heavy wooden door, hardly registering the fact that my fist was now red, and the skin around my knuckles was slowly tearing. It was less knocking and more slamming my knuckles against the door, but it wasn't making a difference since it was the same cold silence that greeted me.

A hand gripped my shoulder.

Whirling around, my eyes met those of an old woman, crinkles and wrinkles adorning her face. She could hardly stand straight, her whole weight was balanced on a walking stick.

"Uh, yes?"

Her hand wobbled, as she raised her right arm to point at the door behind me.

"Who are you looking for, dear?"

I blinked at her, then cleared my throat.

"Uh, the Hudsons. I, uh, it's urgent."

She smiled a sad smile.

"Oh. I am their neighbour, I live next door. You won't find them here, dear, they're gone."

"But I need to find them! Where did they go? Do you know anything?"

She smiled a little ruefully.

"Poor parents, they lost their boy in an accident. It's his funeral today, that poor boy."

My heart was beating louder now, drumming loud enough to drown all my senses.

I was so close, and this was what would get me to him.

"Umm, do you know where they are having his funeral?"

"I reckon, it's South Street, but I am not very sure, they said something... Girl, where are you going?"

I was already running behind a cab, flailing my arms like a mad woman.

"Wait!"

It stopped. At last!

I hurriedly got inside.

"Drive!"

The driver turned towards me.

"But where to, Ma'am?"

"South Street."

~*~

So. Thoughts? 

I'd like to hear them, maybe through comments?

And through those votes? 

Anyway, I'd love some feedback. 

Up there it's Sophie Turner, and we know who she plays.

Ray Cole.

As happy as she looks in that picture, I think it hardly reflects the character in this chapter. 

Bye Again, 

Orlena