Tragedy
Seventh chapter.
BRENDON’S POV
The air stung my skin. It felt cold. I felt as if I was in an empty chamber.
I tried to muster the strength to open my eyes. I couldn’t even figure out whether I just couldn’t open my eyes or if I really was inside a room that was void of light.
And then I realized I couldn’t move.
RYAN’S POV
I couldn’t stand it. It had been three hours since the moment I’d first laid in bed. My body hurt from turning and twisting then lying completely stiff and tensed on the bed.
I should’ve known there was no way I could get myself to sleep. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the place. Definitely the place. I was uncertain about the inn.
Or maybe not.
Because if it were the reason I couldn’t get myself to sleep then I would be heading towards the hospital’s parking lot so I could sleep in the car instead, and not towards the main entrance, like I was doing right now.
I almost collapsed when I started sprinting up the steps of the entrance. I could tell there wasn’t any strength left in me, much like the hope that seemed to have disappeared here inside me.
“Spence?” I called out. He was alone, sitting idly in the lobby, his hands playing with his phone. He turned slowly, a smile of relief vaguely expressed across his face.
“I knew you’d come back,” he chuckled, his voice cracking, but I could make out the sincerity among the words he spoke.
Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. What? I couldn’t leave you guys? I already did a long time ago.
My head unconsciously bowed down in shame and I bit my lip.
“You can go upstairs if you want, ICU. 3rd room you’ll pass by,” Spencer continued, “I’ll stay here… for Jon.”
Our eyes locked for a moment and I nodded. I almost swore I saw my reflection in his eyes reflected by tears which seemed to had never left his eyes for a long time.
It seemed as if I’d been walking for forever before I finally reached the end of the stairs. I knew at some point I was only walking in circles, my head gone blank, my mind completely lost.
“One, two…” I sighed, looking left and right, looking past the transparent glass walls of the first two rooms I passed by.
“Three,” I looked ahead of me. It was basically empty, except for a person lying on the bed in the middle of the room.
It looked exactly the same as the one that was in my nightmare. My insides started doing somersaults again; my heart skipped a beat when my hand finally touched the door.
I pushed silently, but the beeping sounds came deafeningly. And unconsciously and involuntarily, just like a reflex response, or as if my mouth had a mind of its own, I called out,
“Brendon. Wake. Up… Will you?”
BRENDON’S POV
For a moment I thought I heard something. I couldn’t make anything out. But there was something. The sound seemed like it was calling for me to wake up. Or was I making things out?
Gradually, sounds came in around me. Beeping, clicking sounds… footsteps.
But I could no longer hear the sound I heard a while ago. Maybe it was my senses filling in the emptiness of the situation.
I tried so hard to listen but it was taking up all of my energy, and for the nth time I felt myself free-falling into another state of nothingness again as I tried to make out some sense from both the sounds and the silence.
Where exactly was I?
The air stung my skin. It felt cold. I felt as if I was in an empty chamber.
I tried to muster the strength to open my eyes. I couldn’t even figure out whether I just couldn’t open my eyes or if I really was inside a room that was void of light.
And then I realized I couldn’t move.
RYAN’S POV
I couldn’t stand it. It had been three hours since the moment I’d first laid in bed. My body hurt from turning and twisting then lying completely stiff and tensed on the bed.
I should’ve known there was no way I could get myself to sleep. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the place. Definitely the place. I was uncertain about the inn.
Or maybe not.
Because if it were the reason I couldn’t get myself to sleep then I would be heading towards the hospital’s parking lot so I could sleep in the car instead, and not towards the main entrance, like I was doing right now.
I almost collapsed when I started sprinting up the steps of the entrance. I could tell there wasn’t any strength left in me, much like the hope that seemed to have disappeared here inside me.
“Spence?” I called out. He was alone, sitting idly in the lobby, his hands playing with his phone. He turned slowly, a smile of relief vaguely expressed across his face.
“I knew you’d come back,” he chuckled, his voice cracking, but I could make out the sincerity among the words he spoke.
Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. What? I couldn’t leave you guys? I already did a long time ago.
My head unconsciously bowed down in shame and I bit my lip.
“You can go upstairs if you want, ICU. 3rd room you’ll pass by,” Spencer continued, “I’ll stay here… for Jon.”
Our eyes locked for a moment and I nodded. I almost swore I saw my reflection in his eyes reflected by tears which seemed to had never left his eyes for a long time.
It seemed as if I’d been walking for forever before I finally reached the end of the stairs. I knew at some point I was only walking in circles, my head gone blank, my mind completely lost.
“One, two…” I sighed, looking left and right, looking past the transparent glass walls of the first two rooms I passed by.
“Three,” I looked ahead of me. It was basically empty, except for a person lying on the bed in the middle of the room.
It looked exactly the same as the one that was in my nightmare. My insides started doing somersaults again; my heart skipped a beat when my hand finally touched the door.
I pushed silently, but the beeping sounds came deafeningly. And unconsciously and involuntarily, just like a reflex response, or as if my mouth had a mind of its own, I called out,
“Brendon. Wake. Up… Will you?”
BRENDON’S POV
For a moment I thought I heard something. I couldn’t make anything out. But there was something. The sound seemed like it was calling for me to wake up. Or was I making things out?
Gradually, sounds came in around me. Beeping, clicking sounds… footsteps.
But I could no longer hear the sound I heard a while ago. Maybe it was my senses filling in the emptiness of the situation.
I tried so hard to listen but it was taking up all of my energy, and for the nth time I felt myself free-falling into another state of nothingness again as I tried to make out some sense from both the sounds and the silence.
Where exactly was I?