Chapter 112 Ava: Waking Up
Darkness.
Light.
So cold.
It burns.
My lungs ache.
Something's holding me down.
There are whispers. Prayers, I think.
Chaos reigns in this hazy world. Something beeps incessantly.
I'm sweating. My hands are too warm.
… up.
What's that?
… Ava, you…
Who's that?
… can you hear me?
I struggle to reach the voice that calls me, but something sucks me away again.
Frustration simmers, but I'm too tired to fight it.
Ava, you have to wake up.
There it is again.
I know you can hear me, because I can finally hear you.
Hear me? Hear me what? Am I talking?
Yes.
No, I don't think I'm talking. I'm too tired. My body is crushed beneath the earth. Fire ate every last bit of me. I drowned. The air was sucked away.
You're alive. You're asleep in the hospital. You're just fine. You just need to wake up.
No, no.
No, no, no.
Waking is pain.
I remember the pain.
pain, Ava. Just wake up. Come back
No way.
peaceful here, in this
have to come back. This is not where you should
serenity of darkness. I feel pain, but it doesn't kill me. It isn't enough to
die, Ava. You're
Alive.
Alive means death—
Stop feeling sorry
* * *
sandpaper scraping against my lids.
Ava.
I try to speak but my throat is parched,
of her head resting on my hand. I turn my head slowly, painfully. She's there, silver fur shining, blue
awake. Relief
heavy and thick. "What happened?" The words
nuzzles into my arm. I want
name, but I'm already
* * *
a heart monitor. The chemical scent of disinfectant. Starched sheets rough against my skin. An IV
open. The ceiling swims into focus—white tiles, fluorescent lights. A hospital. Selene is curled up beside
Her relief
me questions, one talking
long was I out?" I rasp, my throat
whines softly.
asks,
feeling?" Lisa pipes up, from
gut. I struggle to sit up, my muscles weak and uncooperative. Selene helps, bracing her body against mine, and
process that leaves
few bags hanging
in a hospital gown, blankets pooled around my waist. My hair
as I waver, dizzy. You've been
cast my mind back, trying to piece together how I ended up here. Training with
black hole in my
"What happened to me?"
face, his fingers hesitant and gentle against my skin. Warmth flows between us, a feeling of comfort, and the urge to press my cheek into
your wolf is trying to
my heritage, the idea fills me with trepidation. I flick a glance toward my wolf, disguised as a husky for a reason she has yet to explain, and her ears flick as she licks my face, settling into my lap
way too
afraid, Selene soothes, sensing my unease.
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