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.
remember the
be no pain, Ava. Just wake up. Come
1. me.
No way.
15:30
2:10
112 Ava: Waking
peaceful here, in this
come back. This is not
should be.
But I’m here, in this serenity of darkness. I feel pain, but it doesn’t kill me. It isn’t enough to kill
won’t die, Ava.
Alive.
Alive means death-
Stop feeling sorry for
***
They feel like sandpaper scraping against my lids. Everything
Ava.
warm honey in my mind,
speak but my throat is
nose presses into my palm. The slight weight of
15:00
3/10
Waking Up
slowly, painfully. She’s there, silver fur shining, blue
colors her tone.
swallow dryly, my tongue heavy and thick. “What
want to protest but exhaustion drags me under again.
but I’m already gone.
***
returns gradually. The steady beep of a heart
my skin. An IV
focus–white tiles, fluorescent lights. A hospital. Selene is curled up
back. Her relief
They’re asking me questions, one talking over the other. It’s painful to
16:30
W10
Waking Up
I out?” I rasp, my throat raw from
disuse.
softly. We were so
worried.
way too
you feeling?” Lisa pipes up, from my other
news hits me like a punch to the gut. I struggle to sit
and Lucas rest their hands on
process that leaves me exhausted.
upright, I take stock. My
needle pinches my hand, connected to an IV pole with a few bags hanging off it. One of the bags looks like milk, and that one’s connected to yet another IV line in the elbow of my other
gown, blankets pooled around my waist. My hair is
as I waver, dizzy.
15:30
5410
Waking
through a lot.
my mind back, trying to piece together how I ended up here. Training with Jericho and Lisa. Collapsing on the couch. Then… nothing. A yawning black
to
flows between us, a feeling of comfort, and
don’t know for sure. Vanessa thinks your wolf is trying to emerge. Do you feel
now, with all the strangeness surrounding my heritage, the idea fills me with trepidation. I flick a glance toward my
not. She’s way too big for that.
Selene soothes, sensing my
15:31
6/10
Waking Up
been natural. Is Vanessa
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!