Don't Close Your Eyes

Chapter 1 - Awake

I'm trying to find the right way to tell you my life's crazy ass story. I guess I should start with my name. I'm Caydence Conners, 26 years old, and my life has always been pretty basic and insignificant. I was never a straight-A student in life, more like skimming through just enough to pass. I have a job I love at the funeral home a mile down the road. I know what your thinking, morbid much? But hey, I pay my bills and the families that come there let me know I helped them say goodbye. Mortuary cosmetology, I do hair and makeup for the funeral viewings, yes it totally is a thing and is nothing like just waking up and putting on your makeup it's a long process, but when you die your left a shell that looks nothing like yourself I just try to bring a peace to the family and make them as alive as I can, goodbyes are the most important thing. Anyway, that's my life, a small one bedroom home that's all mine, a black cat I call Lucy, and a job that feels like I have a small amount of purpose. My life has never been truly exciting and I've always been ok with that, at least it was until a week ago where my life has completely changed forever. It was last Monday, Feb 24, I woke up and got ready and made my way to work like most days. My music blaring, but my attention was still on the road. there's one traffic light between my house and work, ONE light. It was green, so I continued on, but before I could fully make it through the light fate had another plan. I remember looking over as I watched the red SUV go full force into my passenger door. It all happened so fast, the next thing I know I've woken up in a hospital room. I sat up feeling the bruising covering my body, felt like a bus had hit me, or in this case a SUV. I looked around only to be greeted immediately by my mother, a feeling of comfort came over me that quickly pushed other emotions out. Before I knew it, tears just poured from my eyes as she held me. " Oh thank you lord!" she said as she held me, then she quickly went to retrieve a doctor to let them know I was awake. The doctor walked in confidently, head held high, not new, you could tell he's been doing this a while, seemed slightly cocky. " How are you feeling today? you took quite a hit." he said as he kept glancing at me then back to his clip board. " I feel ok, bruised, I guess." I said as I grunted in pain to pull myself to an upright position. " that is definitely expected though. You are truly lucky to be alive." he replied. Lucky I snickered in my thoughts. This doesn't feel lucky at all. He proceeded with his physical to make sure everything looked good, which he said it did. " the.. the driver is um is he ok?" I said with a stutter. " Yes he has some bruising but is in better condition than you," he said with a look I really couldn't read. " Well do you know what happened? I asked quietly. " he had alcohol in his system and ran the light, but the police will go over all that with a report." he replied. Hmmm... a drunk driver, one stop light, 10 in the morning, yeah sounds super lucky. " well the good news is you should be released today, you seem to have a slight concussion which we will monitor and schedule a follow-up but everything else looks good. Nothing is broken and I can prescribe something for the pain, the bruising may be uncomfortable over the next few days and you should take it easy." he said with a confident in charge tone. " sounds great" I replied. I looked over to my mother who had been completely quiet the entire time just observing, like my own body guard ready to pounce if he makes one off comment or says something she doesn't agree with. As he walked out she turned to me and said in her motherly soft voice, " Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" I'm 26 years old I didn't need a babysitter and I knew the whole time she be concerned about her two cats, those were her other babies since my sister and I grew up and moved out. " You don't have to, I'm just sore it's not that big of a deal," I assured her. " Ok I'll stay just for tonight just in case", she replied. Her phone started vibrating loudly, and she answered it rather quickly. " Hey everything is ok. She just woke up, and the doctor said she's fine, just some bruising from the impact." Celeste was on the other line, she lives an hour and a half away and has her own life and family, but I knew it would worry her so I reached out my hand for the phone. " Hold on your sister wants to talk," she said then handed me the phone. " Hey" I said in a more dramatic whiney tone. " How are you? Do I need to come there? I can get Ian to watch the kids?" she said, panicked. " I'm fine and no need I'm just bruised, it's like I just had the workout of my life leg day, upper day, and AB day all in one day." I said jokingly. " Ok I Love You!" she replied. " I love you too and I'll message you later, I'm going to try to leave soon" I said but wasn't actually sure, just hopeful. As I got off the phone, my mom handed me a glass of water. Sometimes I feel she reads my mind, but her maternal instincts are strong. I drank it so fast it left my head hurting from the cold of it, not long after the nurse came in with the release paperwork. Thank goodness, I'm so ready to leave, I hate hospitals so much. Everything ached so badly trying to get dressed, something as simple as putting on clothes felt like the hardest job, I was now exhausted. They took me out in a wheel chair standard procedure to leave, which I was fine with less work for me. My mother had the car pulled to the front, and I slowly got in, I giggled to myself because all I could think about randomly was a sloth, my sisters latest obsession so anytime I see something move slowly, it's all I can think about. As we were leaving the parking lot I felt super anxious, almost nauseous. " Hey mom? where is your car?" I asked, noticing we were in my grandmother's car. " It's in your driveway, so you have transportation until we get the insurance figured out and get you something else, bet your glad I talked you into full coverage?" she joked. Ha like I didn't see that coming. I couldn't wait to lie down in my bed. It had only been a day but felt like ages longer. As we approached my house I dreaded having to walk in, it felt like I needed to prepare myself for a long workout. As we were getting into the house, she asked if I wanted any food but I was not hungry I really just wanted to go to bed. It was almost 7 pm but an early bed time is perfectly fine with me. " I think I'm just going to lie down for the night. " I said. " Ok sweet I'll be here if you need me." she replied. " Mom I promise I'll be fine, grandma may need her car if I need anything that badly I'll call" I tried to assure her I was fine and will be ok. " Ok baby girl I just want to know your taken care of." she replied. " If I need anything immediately, Lyndsey and Kelsey live in this neighborhood. I have them too, " I said. speaking of my friends I'm not sure they know what's going on. we all have our own lives and sometimes the introvert in me disappears days at a time so they are used to that, I grabbed my phone which had died and plugged it into the charger. finally I laid in the bed ready to sleep. " Alright I Love You, here are the pain pills and some water the doctor gave you for tonight, get some sleep and call me when you wake up" my mom said as she made sure I had everything I needed by my bed as she prepared to head home and to her own bed. She kissed my forehead and headed out. Well here I am alone and ready to pass out, it didn't take long after taking the pills and my head sinking into the pillow to fall asleep. I expected a full night's sleep and to wake up feeling rested, but that was anything but the reality of it. I woke up in a complete puddle, panicked and unsure, even scared feeling. I had a nightmare  of this young woman couldn't have been much older than me, waken from her sleep to find 2 guys in her livingroom all 3 shocked, as they thought no one was home, they panicked and pulled out a gun. I don't remember any actual talking in the dream, more like screaming and the gunshots, one in her chest followed by another one in the head. The life had already left her eyes a few moments after the chest shot so why shoot again. They ran out, not even finishing the job they started. It was at that moment when I woke up so scared and full of panic that I almost forgot how bruised my body was as I jolted up. I looked at the clocked and couldn't believe I had been asleep for over eighteen hours!