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
pain, Ava. Just wake up.
1. me.
No way.
15:30
2:10
Ava: Waking
here, in
you have to come back. This is
should be.
for me? But I’m here, in this serenity of darkness. I feel pain, but it
Ava. You’re alive.
Alive.
Alive means death-
enough. Wake up. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
***
They feel like sandpaper scraping against my lids. Everything
Ava.
voice is warm
but my throat is parched, voice
presses into my palm. The
15:00
3/10
Waking Up
head slowly, painfully. She’s there, silver fur shining, blue eyes bright with intelligence
colors her tone.
swallow dryly, my tongue heavy and thick. “What happened?” The words scrape
She nuzzles into my arm. I want to protest but exhaustion drags me
my name, but
***
gradually. The steady beep of a heart
against my skin. An IV pinches the back of
force them open. The ceiling swims into focus–white tiles, fluorescent lights. A hospital. Selene is curled up beside me, a comforting warmth.
back. Her relief washes over
and Lisa are here. They’re asking me questions, one talking over the other.
16:30
W10
Ava Waking
was I out?” I rasp, my throat raw
disuse.
softly. We were so
worried.
okay?” Lucas asks, way too close to
you feeling?” Lisa pipes up, from my other
the gut. I struggle to sit
against mine, and both Lisa and Lucas rest their hands on my back to lead me
process that
take stock. My limbs feel stiff,
a few bags hanging off it. One of the bags looks like milk, and that one’s connected to yet
waist. My
Selene cautions as I waver,
15:30
5410
Ava Waking Up
through a lot.
back, trying to piece together how I ended up here. Training with
to
for my 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 his hand, nuzzling close.
for sure. Vanessa thinks your wolf is
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 big for that.
Selene soothes, sensing my unease. This is
15:31
6/10
Waking
been natural. Is Vanessa right? Are you going to be
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CZjn9uT9A/Dms1jJlL0V/qHwLxWbJ9f/71bqFQG8t3iQSS7wdxx+GUYtxJmWpsJBdXYWo89R0Rcu2bdoJfRiLpne7ao6NMCfsL7LRnHnDBsKxkKIT+sxo40PdDx98jP/yk2iAeWbPTqgAO0Hvg77izOvm93dgOjWnewDPjaPZQqeEO/S653fCYGEpW54Hi9uiTi1JvwRs91pQyl1mvJy5PFKkXdId5+lFmN3E7bGosr/S0Gsl9lE2EbtaJypOhu7agj44bLMC/vwwDDGJGViedWbQL5lIcRM5IQjeeNZfaJvWZdnllPed/x1FhMPyv4VJp1zsf982UJE13reV1cSpYKcxl4IloscrtWEdGhVF1yoEfm0wn04/xQEkbYqJSE5/MWj6LUo2ESYzzWC/tA7EMhdLkJfumwf7lo16dj6IQb+BsF66dFzEkKAFVk/oIhb8DXP00RHc6EV0f6J/TmRrXQjFa+FSQkM5cehGFbf8w==
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