Once Beyond Time [Ongoing]

Chapter 3: First Page

Darkness, Complete darkness.

Oh, there is light. It is too dim. Too far away.

Mom... Dad....

"She will be conscious in a few hours." Kei heard a woman's voice and a needle pricked her arm.

It is fine. I am just injured.

That little faded light turned into complete darkness again for a while.

⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚

Kei's eyes opened for a while. She stared at the ceiling processing the reality of what had happened in the last few hours, Everything after the accident was a blur except, the man... she remembered she was trying to save someone. From the corner of her eye, she saw someone arranging something that looked like medicines on the side table.

She tried to sit up and reach out to that person. All the pain rushed back in again causing her to shut her eyes and wince. "You are awake. Wait ...y-you are in pain. I'll call the nurse." He said abruptly and left the room. It was the same guy from bookshop the other day, she recognized. 

What is he doing here why is he here?

She was thinking as everything started to blend into darkness once again and she lost consciousness.

⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚

Kei looked around. It was the same hospital room but this time her sister came rushing from her right. "You are finally awake. Thank God...Mom look!" then she saw her mother's concerned face from her left holding her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I thought I'd lose you too." Talia's voice broke. Her bloodshot eyes were enough of a sign that she had been crying.

"Mom, it is just a small head injury..... I guess, I will be fine." she paused trying to recall if it was small because the intensity of pain was telling another story.

"Small or not, you got hurt Kei. Don't act so naïve." Talia's face was stern.

"Alright, Mom." Kei winced, not sure whether with pain from injury or her mother's words.

"But....what happened?" Kei asks a bit confused. "You don't remember?" Mina replied with the same confusion. "You basically bumped into a tree...."

"A tree?" Kei asked in shock. "Umm yeah, what else? You wanted to jump off the cliff with our car like an action movie protagonist and land right in between clouds of heaven because you clearly are NOT an action movie protagonist... or what? " Mina folded her arms over her chest.

"Mina..." Talia glared at Mina with her rebuking eyes to shut up for now.

"What about the car?"

"Kei darling you don't have to worry about these things, we are happy you are fine." Talia's gentle hands stroked her hair. Mina couldn't stay silent for more than a few seconds. It was probably because she saw the confusion on her sister's face that their mother ignored.

"There was just a dent in the front. Probably broken glass or something...it's being repaired. don't worry. Someone was driving toward town and saw you unconscious and called an ambulance and us too."

"Was he here?" Kei asked trying to sit up.

"Who?" Mina and Talia exchanged a confusing glance.

"The person who called an ambulance and you."

"She was Ayla...remember our old neighbor...she moved to the city years ago but sometimes visits her home and old friends here in town." Talia explained.