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.
1. me.
No way.
15:30
2:10
Ava: Waking Up
peaceful here, in this hazy place.
back. This is not where you
should be.
this serenity of darkness. I feel pain, but
Ava. You’re
Alive.
Alive means death-
sorry for yourself.
***
sandpaper scraping against my lids. Everything
Ava.
is warm
to speak but my throat is parched,
into my palm. The
15:00
3/10
Waking Up
head slowly, painfully. She’s
Relief colors her tone.
heavy and thick. “What happened?”
now. She nuzzles into my arm. I want to protest but exhaustion
my name, but
***
The steady beep of a heart monitor. The chemical scent
skin. An IV pinches
ceiling swims into focus–white tiles, fluorescent lights. A hospital. Selene is
Her relief
here. They’re asking me questions, one
16:30
W10
Ava Waking Up
I out?” I
disuse.
softly.
worried.
way too close
you feeling?” Lisa pipes up,
weeks. The news hits me like a punch to the gut.
mine, and both Lisa and Lucas rest their hands on my back to lead
entire process that leaves me
I take stock.
One of the bags looks
my waist. My hair is lank and greasy against
I waver,
15:30
5410
Waking
through a lot.
I cast 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
against my skin. Warmth flows between us, a feeling of comfort, and the urge to press my cheek into his hand, nuzzling
sure. Vanessa thinks your wolf is trying
my heritage, the idea fills me with trepidation. I flick a glance toward my wolf, disguised as a husky
way too big for
soothes, sensing my unease. This is natural for
15:31
6/10
Ava Waking Up
my tongue. Nothing about my life has been natural. Is Vanessa
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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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