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.
1. up.
What’s that?
… Ava, you…
Who’s that?
can you hear me?
I struggle to reach the voice that calls me,
but
15:30
1:10
112 Ava: Waking Up
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.
the
be no pain, Ava. Just wake up. Come
1. me.
No way.
15:30
2:10
112 Ava: Waking Up
in
back. This is not where
should be.
serenity of darkness. I feel pain, but it doesn’t kill me. It isn’t enough
Ava. You’re alive.
Alive.
Alive means death-
feeling sorry
***
against my lids. Everything is blurry, shapes indistinct. White.
Ava.
warm honey
speak but my throat is
into my palm. The slight
15:00
3/10
Waking
painfully. She’s there, silver fur shining, blue eyes bright with intelligence and worry.
awake. Relief colors her tone.
my tongue heavy and thick. “What
my arm. I want to protest but exhaustion drags me
my name, but I’m
***
a heart monitor. The chemical
my skin. An IV pinches the back
ceiling swims into focus–white tiles, fluorescent lights. A hospital. Selene is curled
back. Her relief washes over
questions, one talking over the other. It’s painful to
16:30
W10
Ava Waking
I out?” I rasp, my throat
disuse.
softly. We were
worried.
Lucas asks, way too
Lisa pipes up,
a punch to the gut. I
both Lisa and Lucas rest their hands on
an entire process that leaves me exhausted.
stock. My
with a few bags hanging off it. One of the bags looks like milk, and that one’s connected to yet
in a hospital gown, blankets pooled around my waist. My hair is lank and greasy
as I waver, dizzy. You’ve
15:30
5410
Ava Waking
through a lot.
back, trying to piece together how I ended up here. Training with Jericho and Lisa. Collapsing on
happened to
Warmth flows between us, a feeling of comfort, and
is trying to emerge. Do you
shift, to run beneath the moon. To be whole. But now, with all the strangeness surrounding 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
She’s way too big for that.
sensing my unease. This is natural for you
15:31
6/10
Waking Up
my tongue. Nothing about my life has been natural. Is Vanessa right? Are you going to
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!