I was inside a nightmare.
Metal grinded against metal, sounding like a death knell. Thunder boomed in the pitch-black night. My right leg throbbed, making me clench my teeth. My hands are covered in blood. I shut my eyes tight, hoping it'd vanish.
But I was trapped inside myself—if that even makes sense.
A wretched sound of metal hitting flesh echoed inside my skull.
"Thwack!...Thwack!...Thwack!....THWACK!"
Run... I needed to run, but I couldn't move.
hhn… hhh… mhh-hh… haah… No more, please... please please please.
I prayed trembling, curling tighter, face buried in my knees, heart hammering against my throat.
Dark red blood seeped toward me like a snake scenting its prey. The fine dust on the hard concrete floor stirred in the strong wind from the thunderstorm outside, mocking my helplessness.
In the blink of an eye, a blinding lightning strike turned the smothering night into day.
BOOM!
Burning my closed eyes to red. Everything felt heavy.
Voices blurred from somewhere above me.
Everything was red. Lungs screaming, I gasped like a fish for breath.
Someone was gripping me hard as if I'd disappear if they let go. I tried to pry my eyes open, but they're glued shut.
"—hear me?" Someone shook me hard.
Huh?
"Rysa, —an — h—r me!?" yelled a voice.
Water... I need water...
My throat felt like sandpaper. My head was splitting open. Pain crushed me, heavy and suffocating.
I can't breathe—
*********************************
Beep... beep... beep...
Red.
Beep... beep... beep....
Pitch Black.
My eyelids cracked open at last. A plain white ceiling.
It was dark. An overwhelming smell of disinfectant clung to the air around me, and my nose felt itchy. From the corner of my eye, I saw a blue light blinking on my left side—Ah, that's where the beeping sound is coming from.
I shifted a little—Ow ow ow... damn, everythinghurts.
I felt a movement on my right, so I squinted and gently tilted my head. A guy was sleeping on a chair beside my bed.
In the darkness, his fluffy hair was all I could see of his face. I slightly nudged his arm, willing him to wake up, but nothing. Another nudge—still nothing.
He was snoring like a pig, dead to the world.
Where am I...? Who is this guy?
Breathing hurt, and keeping my eyes open was proving to be hard, so I drifted right back into the nightmares waiting for me.
Beep... beep... beep...
Red.
A burst of light blinded me momentarily. Then a pair of blue eyes stared into mine. Panic slammed into me, stealing my breath, and the beeping sound went crazy. A guy jolted back, yelling.
"D-D-DOCTOR!!! Doctor!... Nurse!! She's awake!"
It was the fluffy hair from last night.
"DOCTOR!!!" he shouted, scrambling for something beside my bed.
Ugh... why is he so loud... somebody shut him up.
In seconds, the room flooded with people. Three swarmed some machine beside me, one checked my pulse, and the other flashed light into my already blinded eyes.
"Rysa, can you hear me?" one of them asks.
Rysa? Rysa who?
I wanted to answer him, but my speech function was disabled.
I wanted to ask him, 'Why am I in a hospital? What is happening here? And most importantly, can somebody give me some WATER?'
But my lips felt like dead weight. I tried to form words, but only weird breaths came out of me.
"Doctor, how's her condition? Is she back to normal?" Fluffy hair asked.
Normal!?... Which part of this is normal to you?!
"Hmm... she has regained consciousness, but with a head injury, full recovery's going to take some time," the pulse guy says, pushing up his glasses.
"Considering other low-grade AVs, she's healing up much faster. There's no need for booster administration. Reviving from death will take a toll. Taking it easy is the best course of action for now."
I died!?
What kind of bullshit circus is this...? Wait— Is this a dream? A prank?
Fluffy looked like he'd break down any second now. Hastily wiping his eyes, he started brushing my hair in slow strokes, looking like I was the apple of his lonesome life.
"Rysa... welcome back, my love. I missed you so much..." Fluffy hair whispered, taking my hand and pressing it to his cheek.
Huh? Who the hell is Rysa?—Wait, my love? Who's he???
I looked at him, like really looked at him.
Late 20s or early 30s, maybe.
Fluffy, disheveled hair framed a nerdy, sharp face with thick eyebrows and big blue eyes. He might've passed as handsome if he'd put on some weight.
Even after rattling my already rattled brain, he still didn't ring a single bell.
With soft, watery eyes, he looked like a freshly heartbroken man. Turning to the doctor, he said, voice cracking a bit
"She must be tired, so let her sleep some more."
Hey, but I just woke up. My internal monologue was unheard.
The doctor nodded and signaled the nurse.
No. No no no no.... WAIT! I don't want to sleep again—water—
Beep.... beep.... beep....
Pitch black.