Davey's Story - The 2023 Updated Version

Chapter 4: The Nightmare

I opened my eyes just enough to where they were barely slits and found them immediately assaulted by bright glaring light. Instantly my eyeballs felt like they were on fire. Desperately trying to save my eyes, I quickly re-closed them. As for my sore body I felt like I had been run over by a freight train. I could feel pain everywhere. To make matters even worse I had a pounding headache so bad, that I thought my recently burned eyeballs were going to explode behind my eyelids.

"Oh well, at least they won't be assaulted by light again" I thought to myself.

I could feel a slight smile play itself across my face though it was only briefly as a shooting pain rocketed through my brain and I shrieked out of agony.

I guess my shriek of pain announced to someone that I was back in the world of the living, as I heard him say my name. "Oh god Davey, please son, tell me you are okay!" I was pretty sure that it was my dad speaking, but with the fogginess and pounding pain in my head, plus the unwillingness to reopen my eyes, I could not be 100% certain, who it was.

"Come on Davey, look at me, I need you to tell me where you are hurting!" I heard the man say, with noticeable panic in his voice.

I tried to do what I was asked but just the action of trying to move my throbbing head, caused a jet of pain to shoot through my brain. The pain was so great I could feel myself slipping back into the unconscious world. I could hear the man speak to me but his voice sounded as if it were getting further and further away. The voice was almost to the point where I wouldn't be able to hear it much longer.

"Come on son, stay awake! You need to stay awake. The ambulance is on its way. I need you to be alert when they get here!" The man cried and it was then, that I was sure it was my father. With this new knowledge I desperately tried to do what Dad asked.

As I fought back the now engulfing darkness with every bit of will power, I could muster, I soon found myself winning. As the darkness slipped away, I found the only darkness was that which was caused from my closed eyes. Even though my eyes were being squeezed tightly shut, I could still see small beams of light make it through my eyelids. Even that small amount of light seemed to increase the throbbing in my head.

"Dad..." I tried to get out but just the act of speaking hurt.

"I am here Davey, try taking a few breaths and try again." Instructed my father.

Doing what He asked I took in a couple breaths and let them out. This also caused some minor pain in my chest area, but it was nowhere near the pain level that I was experiencing in my head.

Barely talking loud enough to even be called a whisper; I once again tried to talk. "Dad... can you please turn off the light, it is making my head pound."

"Okay, just a second Davey and I will get them," Dad responded.

A few seconds later I could tell the lights were now off as everything behind my eyelids became darker. Dad was quickly back at my side; I knew this as I felt his warm breath caress my face. Slowly I once again tried to open my eyes.

As I opened my eyes wider and wider, I realized the room we were in was not totally dark. I could see a box near the ceiling across the room with a soft light coming from it. Surprisingly this light did not bother my eyes too much. Trying to figure out where I was, I swished my eyes back and forth around the room. I soon discovered that was in vain and that it was a lot more difficult than it should be. For some reason everything seemed to be blurry I also noticed halos of light around my eyes. Confused and not knowing where I was, I couldn't help feeling a little lost.

"Well at least Dad is with me," I thought to myself still grimacing as I felt the pain all over my body.

"Dad..." I started to speak as a shiver ran through my body. "...Dad I'm cold."