Noah was jolted awake by his daughter's sweet yet noisy voice. "Dad, wake up! Mommy is tired!" He groaned, thinking it was just another prank from his daughter and wife. "Judy, stop it," he said, annoyance creeping into his voice. But as he looked around, he saw Lucy on the ground, her face shadowed and tear-streaked.
"Noah, I can't move!" she gasped. A chill crawled up his spine, and fear washed over him. He tried to calm his racing mind, telling himself it had to be a prank. But the tears on her pale skin were all too real.
"Lucy would never go this far for a joke!" he thought, jumping out of bed in a panic, barely noticing his surroundings. "What's wrong, dear?" he asked urgently.
"Lucy," she replied in a shaky voice, "I can't feel my legs."
He gently moved Lucy to the bed, trying to keep his voice calm but knowing it was false. "You'll be fine, sweetheart." Sitting beside her, he squeezed his fist to confirm he wasn't dreaming, and the pain told him, "I am awake! This is real!" He grabbed the phone next to the bed, dialing the emergency number. Usually, someone picked up within 5 to 10 seconds, but after 5 minutes, then 10, his anxiety grew. "No one is answering! Something's not right!" The call finally went to voicemail: "All our lines are busy at the moment. Please leave your address and emergency status."
"That's strange; how is it possible for emergency lines to be busy?" Without a second thought, he grabbed his car keys and coat, glancing at his daughter.
"Baby, your mommy will be fine. I'm taking her to the hospital—grab your coat!"
"Lucy, I'm getting you to the hospital," he said, but she didn't respond. His heart skipped a beat as dark thoughts swirled in his mind. "Lucy, can you hear me? Wake up!" He tried to feel her pulse and sighed in relief when he felt her heart still beating. "She's still alive!"
Yelling without caring who heard him, he shouted, "Judy, hurry up! Let's go!" He hugged Lucy tightly, attempting to carry her to the car, but she remained unresponsive. After making sure Judy was settled in, he drove like he was being chased by demons. Thoughts raced through his mind: Lucy has no illnesses; she's a healthy, beautiful young woman. How could this be happening? He remembered her reading beside him the night before, her melodic voice saying, "Good night, darling."
hen his phone rang. Seeing "Kali" flash on the screen, he answered quickly. "Kali, I can't talk now—Lucy isn't okay. I'm taking her to the hospital."
A deep yet oddly calming voice replied, "Bring her to my clinic. I'll take care of her. Oh, and Noah… be safe!" His mind raced, sensing the concern in Kali's tone, as if he knew something was off. "I'm coming and bringing Judy with me," he replied, then hung up.
As Noah looked down the road, he saw plumes of smoke rising into the sky. The city is burning; cars are racing by as if people are trying to escape something. Just then, he noticed a truck speeding down the opposite side, the driver appearing unconscious. In a horrific twist of fate, the driver's body rolled onto the wheel, veering the truck into Noah's path. Realizing there was no escape, he braced himself and lunged into the back seat, hugging his daughter and wife tightly, preparing for the impact.
The car spun three times, windows shattering around them, and time felt as if it had frozen. All he could think about was his family's safety, squeezing them between his arms like a protective shield. Finally, the car came to a stop on the side of the road, smoke and flames billowing from the engine.