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.
no pain, Ava. Just wake up. Come back
No way.
peaceful here, in
to come back. This
of darkness. I feel pain,
won't die,
Alive.
Alive means death—
enough. Wake up. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
* * *
They feel like sandpaper scraping against my lids. Everything is blurry, shapes indistinct.
Ava.
I try to speak but my throat is parched, voice a
weight of her head resting on my hand. I turn my head slowly, painfully. She's there, silver fur shining, blue
awake. Relief
swallow dryly, my tongue heavy and thick.
now. She nuzzles into my arm. I want to protest but exhaustion drags me
name, but I'm already
* * *
scent of disinfectant. Starched sheets
The ceiling swims into focus—white tiles, fluorescent lights. A hospital. Selene is curled up beside
Her relief washes over
here. They're asking me questions, one talking over the other.
out?" I rasp, my
softly.
okay?" Lucas asks, way too close
are you feeling?" Lisa pipes up, from my
sit up, my muscles weak and uncooperative. Selene helps, bracing her body against mine, and both
an entire process that leaves
A needle pinches my hand, connected to an IV pole with a few bags hanging off it. One of
a hospital gown, blankets pooled around my waist. My hair is lank and greasy
Selene cautions as I waver,
century. I cast my mind back, trying to piece together how I ended up here. Training with
yawning black hole in my
"What happened to me?"
us, a feeling of comfort, and the urge to press my cheek into his hand, nuzzling
wolf
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 as
not. She's way
afraid, Selene soothes, sensing my
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