L A L I S A

"Hey! Wait for me-"

"Watch out!"

"Lisa, please just a few more minutes-"

"Hold me tight."

"Promise me you will-"

A collection of faint words keep ringing in my ear to produce a certain resonance that makes me feel warmth. A familiar voice that sings to my heart, yet a voice I cannot recall.

I slowly open my eyes and feel flash of bright, blinding light directed at my face ㅡ everything hazy in my vision, as though I was walking through fog.

Slowly things started to get a clear picture, I found myself in a rather uncanny place ㅡ a hospital room. I tried to rise, but a sharp stinging pain in my elbow restricted my movement. Almost instinctively, a person helped me straighten up my posture.

It was my mom.

"Eomma?" I confirmed in a nearly inaudible tone.

"L-Lalisa? Its really you!" She said surprised before spreading her arms wide and engulfing me in her embrace.

"W-Why am I here mom? And wait- have you been crying lately?" She had been quietly weeping and her eyes were rheumy when I first took a glance at her sitting beside me.

"Y-you don't remember anything?"

"What was I supposed to remember, eomma?"

"Oh....nothing."

"You still haven't answered my question."

She pulled back from the hug and held both of my hands tightly in her feeble palms, kissing the back of my palm, one by one.

"You fell from the stairs Lisa-yah. You passed out and were unconscious, until now. The doctor feared you might have suffered a concussion because of which you were admitted here, in the hospital." She answered in a breaking voice, seemingly because she had cried a lot.

"I had been in coma ever since? Strange." I tried to recall the incidents that happened weeks ago, but that resulted in nothing but a slight headache.

"Don't take stress honey, everything will get better." She pursed her lips back into a thin line whilst giving a gentle press to my palm.

"I'll call the doc to check up on you, just wait for me, hmmm?" She got up and proceeded out, wiping her tears leaving me all alone.

A deep feeling from within said it was all a lie. No, I wasn't doubting my mother, I never would. With all these years of living with her since young, I was used to the shimmer of honesty and innocence that reflected in her eyes; she could never lie to me. It must have been a painful phase for her to go through, I assumed.

After the check up, I had my meal followed by some painkillers the doctor prescribed. Though I wasn't feeling sleepy, I chose to shut my eyes to avoid getting dizzy as I felt weak.

Some moments later, when the visiting time was over and mum had to go back, she kissed my forehead as she whispered to herself, "I'm sorry Lisa."

Two weeks passed, the doctors promised they'll let me go very soon, but that day was never supposed to come, I guess. They said there were procedures to follow and they had to keep me under observation since I just woke up from coma, but I couldn't agree more.

I find it so absurd on knowing that I had been hospitalized for a long time now, considering the fact that I hadn't suffered from major injuries such as arm dislocation or organ failures. But I had to admit, I was feeling better than before and I was starting to recover at a faster pace after receiving proper treatment by the hospital staff.

Eomma kissed me goodnight before leaving my room, closing the door behind her. It was already 11pm on the wall clock and here I am, a young girl trying to fall asleep.

I was curious, and probably afraid of the secrets the night held. Or well maybe because of the words that kept haunting me. I wasn't sure of what they meant, probably something I might've written in a while that I don't remember. Because apart from that, I rarely dream.

The feeling of being caged up in the hospital was getting me restless. All I could do was to stare at the four walls covered in off white shade, as dull as my life was nowadays. As an outdoor enthusiast and someone who loves adventure and discovery of new things, I was in need of a gateway.

I am completely aware that it isn't advisable for me to go out all alone by myself, since I hadn't been discharged yet. But my curiosity to explore the world outside got the best of me; I decided to go outside and have a walk in the premises.

I tried to get up from the bed by grabbing the bed support, my legs wobbled a little as I hadn't put them in proper use for a while now. A glimpse went to my wheelchair, parked next to the door and I shook my head.

No. Not today.

I wasn't going to depend on my wheelchair for tonight.

Once I was well balanced on my feet, I snuck out through the window, walking without making a single sound so that I don't fall into notice of someone.

My window faced the garden of the premises, I found myself lucky that now I didn't have to walk too long.

There was a deafening silence outside, pin drop silence. The only sounds came from the trees quivering due to the action of night breeze.

The night felt a little chilly as I was out only in my slippers and the thin cloth of the hospital pajamas weren't doing justice to my body either. In midst of looking for a place to rest, I found a spot so serene and aesthetically pleasing that it eventually became my favourite. A water fountain, surrounded by a narrow brown path and some trees and beautiful bushes around.

The moonlight sky that shone with bright stars that reflected in the water's surface gave it a dreamy appearance.

As I started walking closer inch by inch, I noticed silhouette of someone sitting by the fountain. Someone rather familiar to me.

"Jungkook?"