There she was — Lucy, the love of his life. For years, Danny had loved her, yet never found the courage to tell her. But today was the day. He had made up his mind. He would tell her what was in his heart, once and for all.
She was in the middle of the road, crossing to the other side, when Danny called out, "Lucy, wait!"
Lucy turned around, surprised. Danny ran up to her, his heart pounding. "I have something to tell you," he said, breathless.
Lucy smiled, her voice as cheerful as always. "Oh, Danny? What is it?"
This was it. All he had to do was say it. Just three little words.
But before he could speak, a massive truck — like a roaring beast — came out of nowhere.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
The screech of tires. A flash of metal. A scream.
Then — silence.
The last thing Danny saw before he fainted was a pool of blood… and lying in it, was Lucy.
When he opened his eyes again, he wasn't in the street. He was standing in a beautiful garden — serene, radiant, almost unreal.
And there she was. Lucy.
He ran to her, tears in his eyes, and finally confessed everything he had buried in his heart for years. Lucy's face lit up like the moon in a dark sky. She threw her arms around him and whispered that she felt the same.
For a while, they were happy — lost in that dreamlike garden.
Until one day, a shadow fell over the light. A monstrous figure appeared, dragging Lucy away as she screamed his name.
"Lucy!" Danny shouted — suddenly jolting awake as he sat upright in bed. That was a dream? But where was Lucy? And where was this place? His heart raced. Machines beeped around him. Tubes were attached to his arms, and metal rods fixed his leg in place. What was happening?
Panicked, he began tugging at the machines to free himself, when a nurse rushed into the room, frantically saying, "Lie down! Don't panic! You'll hurt yourself!"
Moments later, a woman burst into the room, tears streaming down her face. She ran to him, hugging him tightly.
"Oh, Danny! You're awake, thank God!"
Danny blinked at her. "Do I... know you?"
She froze, the joy draining from her eyes. "Danny, it's me. Your mother."
New tears started brimming in her eyes as she hurried out of the room to call the doctor.
After a while, a doctor came in. He examined Danny, his expression grave. "He's suffered severe trauma to the head," he said quietly. "It's caused memory loss."
Soon after, Danny was discharged and taken home by the woman who claimed to be his mother. The house felt familiar, but only faintly — like a memory half-remembered from a dream.
He couldn't recall anyone from his past. Not his friends. Not his family. Not even himself.
Except Lucy.
She was the only image that remained — bright, clear, and untouchable.
Danny's mom soon found a renowned psychiatrist for Danny and he began attending her clinic. His psychiatrist, Ms. Jones was kind, patient, and determined to help him recover. But months passed, and his condition barely improved.
One evening, his mother visited Ms. Jones to discuss what to do next.
"There's still one option," Ms. Jones said carefully. "Hypnosis. It might bring his memories back... but it's risky. If something goes wrong, it could make things worse."
His mother hesitated. "Even if it's dangerous... I want to try. Please. I just want my son back."
Ms. Jones nodded. "We'll try our best."
A week later, Danny returned to the clinic. This time, he met a middle-aged man, Mr Evans. He, calm, warm, reassuring and friendly, just like Ms. Jones. He asked Danny about Lucy.
Danny told him everything — the dream, the garden, the monster. "Do you know where Lucy is?" he asked softly.
The man smiled faintly. "You'll find out soon."
He held up a small metal ball on a string and began to swing it gently. "Focus on the ball, Danny. Now... remember that day. You saw Lucy on the road, didn't you?"
Suddenly, the scene formed before Danny's eyes — as vivid as life. Lucy, smiling. The road. The wind. Danny wanted to run to her and hug her, but she was far away, somewhere he could not reach, no matter how much he ran.
"Yes," Danny whispered.
"What happened next?"
Another flashback. But this time it was even more clear. He could see himself running up to Lucy.
"I… I ran up to her"
"And then?"
"I can't remember!"
"You can. Concentrate."
Then — the whole world came crashing down over Danny.
The roar of the truck. The crash. The blood. And Lucy-
She was gone.
Silent tears rolled down his eyes. "Is it true?"
"Yes" said Mr. Evans, his voice gentle and soft.
"It can't be!" Danny exclaimed, defeated.
He couldn't contain any longer. Silent sobs wracked his body as the truth tore through him. The only sound in the room was him sniffling. When the tears finally stopped, he sat still — hollow and quiet, devoid of any signs of movement, as if his life had been sucked out of him.
After a long pause, he slowly raised his head and looked at Mr. Evans. "Can't I see her? Just one more time?"
"You can always pay a visit to her grave." replied Mr. Evans, his voice small.
Danny nodded. "Thank you."
As he stood to leave, Mr. Evans stopped him. "Danny, wait. Do you know what year it is?"
"2017?" Danny said, his tone unsure.
Mr. Evans sighed. "It's 2019. You've been in a coma for two years."
Danny stood frozen. The world seemed to tilt beneath him.
"Yes, now go," he said, his voice gentle. "Your family's waiting for you."
Outside, Danny saw them all — faces he now recognized.
He walked up to his mother and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him tight, both of them trembling. Tears welled up in his eyes once more, which were now mirrored by his mother. They held each other tightly, saying nothing, their silence speaking louder than words.
Tears streamed down his cheeks as he whispered, "Mom... I want to go home."