Ever, Sarah (2 page)

I don’t remember when I heard the voice again; I just know that it became more and more invasive. It seemingly knew me and although the warning continued to blink inside my head, even going so far as to begin screaming out loud ‘don’t answer’, ‘don’t let anyone know you can hear them!’

I twitched.

I think it was involuntary, but I wasn’t certain.

When I tried to move, I didn’t have any control.

Soft hands touched my face; fingertips were running along my cheekbone. Soothing me.

The hand still had a hold of my hand.

Time passed so slowly. I was certain I was not of this world. But before I could take comfort in that thought, there was a tugging feeling and I felt an annoying pain in my arm.

Why couldn’t they just leave me alone?

All I wanted was to be left alone in this white noise filled darkness. Blank thoughts were what I wanted. The simplicity of twirling and floating was becoming the norm and like a drug, it was all that I wanted.

I felt something hard, not organic, not part of my body, slide out of my arm and I felt momentary relief, but it was short lived. A new pinch and something sharp and cold pierced my skin.

I was getting frustrated; I was actually annoyed while floating.

Then a thick, constraining wrap weaved around my arm, pulling my skin tight and holding something to my inner elbow. I counted each circle the wrap made. Once, twice, three times; and before I knew it, I was reciting a silly chant while jumping up and down, my hair swishing around my face…a strange thought. One potato, two potato, three potato, four, spinning round and round, more and more. I was over and out. Up and down, over and around again. 

The pulsing rhythm throbbing in my core fed the arms, legs, fingers and toes with tingles that set my soul on fire. The rhythm began to increase, speeding up, running back down my arms, to the tips of my fingers. I was giddy with relief when the feeling of floating washed over me again. I was released back into the air with a puff of air, swirling and dipping once again.

I ran.

My heart was racing.

My chest hurt with exertion.

Fear.

Fear coated my skin, and each nerve in my body tingled a warning.

I slipped on the smooth surface and slid into something hard. The left side of my body stung. I turned to look behind me and saw a shadow. It was a shadow of a man and he was running towards me.

He reached for me and his fingers clasped around my long hair pulling me back with a jerk, my body slammed into his and I could smell his foul breath.

He began laughing again, and smiled strangely, evil, as he released my hair from his grip and pushed my body backwards.

I was falling. Rolling.

I moaned with each smash to my head.

Every slam to my shoulder, hip and thigh caused me to cry out in agony.

I felt my fingers snap, like little twigs, smashing against the unforgiving surface as I clutched my hands to my head in an attempt to cover my eyes, my mouth.

The second my ankle was caught, twisted and cracked, I cried out. My voice becoming infinitely smaller, I was sure no one heard. Except the man. His laughing echoed inside my mind and I cried as the white-hot pain washed over me, blinding me. A sticky wetness spurted out with each slam of my body, covering me in warm dampness that quickly turned cold, surrounding my unmoving broken body.

I wailed before I felt the darkness coat me in a syrupy thickness. So thick it pulled me down into the abyss, scattering the thoughts from my fragmented mind and tossing them into the wind. It was at that moment that I first began to notice I was flying.

The sounds of a soft voice, a woman speaking, low and hushed as she held my arm and rubbed my forehead.

“Shhhh. It’s okay now. You’re having a bad dream. No one is going to hurt you here.”

She held my hand until I stopped twitching, until I stopped lolling my head side to side, until I stopped moving.

What she didn’t know, and what I didn’t have the strength to tell her, is that someone already did.

Someone did hurt me.

I think someone tried to kill me.

I just don’t know who, or why.

Why would someone want to hurt me?

I was thankful for the darkness. The long tangling fingers reached up and pulled me down again. Pulled me into the murky blackness that kept my body floating in the small space. Kept me level and lulled me back into the void…no sound…no movement…just nothingness. I welcomed it.

I think it was death, but I wasn’t afraid. I was comforted by the soundlessness, rewarded by the quiet.

Chapter Two

              “Sarah?” The man’s deep voice was calm, outwardly reassuring, but I could also sense an underlying edge to it.

I kept my eyes closed. There was something about the voice that was… awkward.

“Sarah, I’m here.” The voice sounded very worried. I could feel his breath, hot and humid, on the side of my face. And as much as I tried to remain still, I couldn’t help my physical response…I flinched.

Sarah.

It was an odd feeling not knowing who you were or where you are; I was reassured and frightened at the same time.

I wanted to open my eyes.

I wanted to put a face to the voice.

“She’s getting stronger Mr. Hunter.”

Someone else was there with him. A woman.

“She has to.”

His voice was strong, it wasn’t a plea. It was more of a demand.

“Dr. Hawkins performed an EEG on her yesterday. He was confident she would be waking soon when he saw how responsive her brain was, but don’t tell him I told you.” She let out a short laugh. “Her brain activity was at a much higher level than the last time we tested her. That is a good sign.”

“Has she said anything?” The voice was apprehensive. Its entire tone changed, and it sounded like it dropped down an octave.

“No, she’s not spoken a word. Just a few jerky movements, which is expected.”

“Oh.” Silence. “I just…I just hoped she was finally coming out.”

“She is beginning to respond to stimuli. It is usually the first sign.”

“Does the doctor think…do we know yet if she will be herself… I mean, if she will be like she was?”

“Too early for that determination at this point. But the results from the EEG are a good sign.”

“Hmmm.”

“The brain is a very mysterious organ. A traumatic injury, like the one Sarah sustained, can be very tricky. I wouldn’t be able to give you an accurate prognosis.”

“So you really don’t know…”

“She has healed as much as she is going to at this point, we just have to wait and see. Like I said, the brain heals differently than the rest of the body. Her bones and contusions have healed for the most part, but the brain…well, the brain takes its own time. There could be memory loss. How significant we won’t know until she wakes up.”

“You mean she may not remember anything?” Was that hope?

“That is the one of the mysteries of the brain, she may not recall anything from the accident, or she may remember everything. Be patient. Dr. Hawkins is one of the best in his field.”

“When will we know?”

“When Sarah is ready, she will let us know.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t worry Mr. Hunter, she is alive…that is the most important thing right now.”

“But I want
my
Sarah back.”

My Sarah?

“You will have Sarah back Mr. Hunter. Think of what almost happened to her. You have to be grateful for the chance to make new memories.”

“Sorry, you are right. She is alive. That is the most important thing.”

“She’s a very strong woman.”

I felt someone lift my arm and wrapped their hand around me. I breathed in deeply and shuddered. The grip around my arm loosened immediately.

“Don’t be afraid, as she starts coming out of the coma. Her body will be reacting oddly, be patient Mr. Hunter.”

“Thank you. Thank you nurse…Westley.”

“It’s
Doctor
Westley.” I heard shoes tap along the floor, “and have the nurses’ station page me if you need me.”

“We will…and thank you.”

I could sense something wasn’t right, even through the thick haze that protectively embraced me.

Who was this man?

Who was he to me?

Thankfully, my mind and body were exhausted, I turned and twirled, drifting back into the warm hollow where I found solace in the darkness; unsure if I would ever be ready to come out.

“Ahhhhhhhhh. Stoppppppppp.” I screamed over and over again. But the pain didn’t stop. The icy cold claws held me still. I tried to move, the unyielding grip rubbed against the skin of my ankles and my wrists. The loud clanging echoed inside my head over and over again, reverberating through the small space. Bouncing off the sides, the top, the bottom, seemingly right through me.

I was being buried alive and I couldn’t escape.

My fingers searched for something to hurl at the loud banging, but my arms ached as I pulled them to no avail.

My body trembled. It was as though someone had lifted me up and dropped me onto the cold hard surface, and then the noise was gone. Silence again.

The cold bands released my hands and feet and the surface beneath me moved slowly, like a drawer being opened.  As my body moved out of the tomb, the chill in the air assailed me, first my feet, then legs, all the way up to my shoulders. It was startling. But nothing prepared me for the burning intensity of the bright lights piercing through my eyelids. I squeezed them tightly, but the pain persisted.

There was distant murmuring.

I heard something.

Voices.

They got closer.

I could hear them speaking as they approached, until they were almost on top of me.

“Ahhhhhh.” I heard myself scream, the sound echoing off the walls of my mind.

“Sarah?” a soft voice called out.

“No.” I breathed.

“Sarah. Try to open your eyes for me.” She asked, her tone cajoling but stern.

I shook my head, and the pounding inside increased, the pain unmerciful. I felt the wetness of warm tears slide down the sides of my face.

A small hand touched mine and held it firmly.

“I need you to try to open your eyes Sarah.”

I mouthed ‘no’.

“Please Sarah, I know you’re in pain, but it will be gone shortly. I’ve given you medication to ease the pain in your head, but I need you to try to open your eyes for me. Please Sarah.”

I was momentarily angry with myself for succumbing as I slowly opened my eyes. The room had been darkened.

It was hard to focus.

A fuzzy image of a face hung over my own, surrounded by a brown haze, and as my eyes slowly adjusted, I could make out her features a little more. The brown haze was her hair. Her smile was warm. Relief was evident in her brown eyes.