Temporary Home

Chapter 10

I was in darkness. I felt surrounded. It was like a deep, dark tunnel, with no light at the end, filled with thick molasses. I couldn’t tell if I was being talked to, or if I was being carried, or remember what happened. I remembered seeing Josh and having a gun pointed at me. After that, everything was blurry. I felt helpless. 

For a while, I had no idea how long, all I heard and saw was nothing. I felt maybe little things, but not much. However, I started to hear. 

“Can she... Can she h-hear us-s?” A voice that sounded very familiar asked. 

“We can’t be sure.” A very serious voice answered. “There’s a possibility. We believe talking may help, whether or not she can hear you.” 

“O-okay.” The familiar voice sounded shaken up.

“I’ll leave you be. Press the button if anything happens.” The serious voice said again and left. I heard the door click shut. 

“Annabeth. Y-you have to wake up. It’s been a while. It’s been a while since I heard your voice. It’s been a while since I saw your eyes. It’s been a while since I got tired of your sarcastic and thick-headed comments and decisions. It’s been a while. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I can’t do anything but sit here and hold your hand. I can’t do anything without you. Annabeth, I don’t know if you can hear me or not, maybe that’s why I have all of this confidence. I’m different than people perceive me to be. Believe me. Annabeth, I love you. I have since the day I first met you. And it kept getting worse and worse. Every word you said made my heart flutter. Every time you smiled, my breath hitched. I know, I know. I’m a guy, I shouldn’t tell you this, but I can’t help it. If I can’t tell you while your awake, I might as well as do it while you’re knocked out. I can’t help it. I sit here, day after day, and hope that all you do is get better. I sit here for as long as I can before the nurse kicks me out. I just sit here and hope that you’ll wake up. That this is all just a dream. Come on Annabeth. Please.” I had no idea who it is, but the familiar voice was really worried. The voice must have left because the door clicked shut or somebody else came into the room, wherever that is. However, I believe it was the latter because I heard the familiar voice conversing with others.

I tried. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt sewed shut. I sat there, or maybe I was laying down, I’m not sure. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t open my eyes. I couldn’t move. I was completely, one-hundred percent helpless. 

The familiar voice started a conversation that was a lot louder than the others, maybe it was closer to where I was.

“I just don’t understand. Our plan worked in all the other ways, except the most important way. Why? What did we do wrong?” 

Another voice that I recall knowing answered. “I don’t know, man. Maybe it’s all fate.”

“Fate?” The original familiar voice sounded incredulous. “You think after all she went through, this is fate? I know you heard her story. I know you care for her. And still, you think this is fate?”

“It’s just a possibility.”

“Let’s hope not.” The familiar voice was angry and the other one sounded calm, but scared. 

_.*._

I don’t know how long passed. Or if I was even responding to anything. Or who was coming to visit me. One voice, however, remained constant. Familiar Voice. I still don’t know who it is. I’m starting to feel that I’m dead. I feel like this is like my trip to heaven or hell or where ever I’m going.

He sat in the uncomfortable hospital room chairs. He looked down at their forced intertwined hands. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her cold hand, the only sign of her living was the slight rise and fall of her chest and, of course, the constant beeping of the heart monitor. Why? He thought over and over, a constant mantra.