Young Writers Society

The faint, calming sound of birds chirping nearby soothed my ears. The warmth of probable sunlight embracing my face gave me a wonderful feeling like I've been whisked off to a wonderland or something.

But the smell, something felt wrong as I took in a deep breath of air.

I expected the smell of fresh flowers and grass, but instead, the strong smell of antiseptics invaded my nose. My lungs started to burn as if someone was pouring lava into it. I exhaled the air through my mouth quickly, hoping the pain would go away.

My eyes opened to a white ceiling.

I stared at it blankly, wondering why my eyes didn't get blinded by the sun shining up in the sky. I tried to turn my neck, but it had gone stiff. Even the slightest movement caused tremendous pain.

My limbs felt the same, promising me that I won't be able to get up anytime soon. I lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling as the faint chirps and the warmth I felt earlier die down, leaving me in complete silence and solitude.

What happened to me? What am I doing here? Okay, first try to remember the basics, I told myself.

I tried to make a mind map, hoping to fill up the gaps in my memories later, but to my shock, I didn't have any memories of myself at all. Everything was just a big blur, just like my deteriorating vision.

I could feel beads of sweat pouring down my face, my lips quiver as I take in short breaths, trying hard not to hurt my lungs.

"Oh, you're awake! " A female voice broke into my thoughts.

I tried to turn my head towards the owner of the voice, but my neck gave a painful 'crack' refusing to obey my command.

"Whoa, you'd better stay still," The person replied with a giggle. "The nurse will be furious if you broke another bone."

Another? Why did she say another? How many have I broken already?

I opened my mouth to speak. But nothing came out because it was drier than a desert and I felt lumps stuck in my throat. The only thing which did come out was a painful cough. It burned my lungs, making my eyes go teary with pain.

"Easy there tiger," I felt a hand on my forehead, brushing away strands of hair that had fallen over my eyes.

A face, presumably that of a girl in her mid-teens entered into my field of vision. She had dazzling curly brown hair with orange highlights, giving it a fiery appearance. I couldn't focus my eyes on her face well because my vision was getting more and more blurry each second, but I could see that she was smiling.

Whether her smile was genuine or not, it gave me a feeling of reassurance.

Why does a simple smile seem so foreign and yet comforting? I stared at her, unable to utter a single word.

"When you are feeling better can you tell me your name?" She asked in a bubbly voice, her eyes still locked with mine.

Anger rushed through my veins. I was dying here and she seems so happy about it. What's her problem?

I opened my mouth to shout, only to flinch as every single muscle in my face throbbed with pain.

The strange twinge on my right arm made my whole body tingle.

I heard footsteps rushing in my way. With one more glance at the girl with fiery hair, I blacked out.

I was in a grassy meadow, flecked with thousands of wildflowers of various color. Tiny butterflies were fluttering about gracefully, occasionally landing on the white flowers that move rhythmically due to the breeze. My head was resting against the trunk of a tall Pine tree.

Have I been here before? Those flowers seem familiar. I tried to fill my empty mind with thoughts.

The refreshing, flowery smell and the pleasant breeze invited me to relax and enjoy the view, which I did without hesitation because I was getting tired with all the unanswered questions.

My lungs didn't hurt anymore, my vision was sharp and perfect. I sat there cross-legged, staring at the tall mountains in the distance, trying to reach up to the cloudless blue sky above. I was slowly forgetting what little memory I had left, but the strange little book with a bloody cover resting on my lap send a shiver up my spine.

Startled, I thrust it away from me. The fresh smears of blood on its leather cover smeared on the edges of my trembling fingers.

The pages of the book started to flip on its own, mixing the scent of fresh blood with the fresh air.

Everything around me began to stir, the calming view gets replaced with shadows of strange figures. They start to moan and scream as the book disappears into a puddle of fresh blood. The blood-curdling screams pierced through my ears.

I fall to my knees, burying my head between my hands, begging for them to stop. But the screams only became louder, and I cupped my ears with my hands and shouted as loud as I could, hoping it would all end.

Then everything went silent. I opened my eyes slowly to realize I was in the middle of a blazing fire. It was engulfing me, but I couldn't move a muscle or felt any pain. But the screams were still haunting my mind.

A shadowy figure little girl emerged out of the flames as if she was made out of smoke. She extended her hand, on her palm was a single white wildflower.

Without any clear thought why, I reached out one of my bloodstained hands, trying hard to see through the rising flames. Just as my trembling fingers touched the soft petals, I was stranded in complete darkness once again.

I was floating in complete nothingness while my mind tried to hold onto the memories I have left. A vaguely familiar voice whisked me out of the void I was stuck in. My eyes flutter open, meeting a blurry vision of a white ceiling.