GOLF WAR

Chapter 8

"Mommy, mommy! Look what I found!"

My ears are ringing and the high pitch voice of a young girl, maybe a toddler, awakens me from what felt like a good, deep sleep.

"Mommy! It's an auntie! She is sleeping!"

I try to open my open my eyes, thinking they are open as wide as they can go, but they're not.

I remember now. I can't see anything because my face is swollen.

"Oh, my goodness, are you okay?" the mother of the little girl tries to wake me up and taps me on my shoulder repeatedly.

I remember everything.

I was almost murdered.

I try to tell them to get help, to call the police. But no words come out of my mouth. Only a stinging sensation throughout my back, causing me to feel like I was punched in the stomach, and the pain takes my breath away.

"Hold on, I'm calling an ambulance!"

No, not an ambulance, I'm fine. Call the damn police. I think this out loud in my brain, because I still can't get any word out. I try to sit up, but I'm unable to move.

I only realize now; I can't feel my legs.

The mother and toddler stay by my side, comforting me and making sure I breathe and stay awake.

"What happened to you?"

I wish I could answer her. I wish I could tell her everything from the beginning, about Lucas' attempted murder, about Layla's mischievous plan, about me thinking I need love. It feels like I can see everything around me, and my brain is very active, but I'm trapped. I cannot speak, cannot move, all I have is my mind, and unlucky for me, it's a very dark place at the moment. How I'm feeling right now, I wish I had died at impact. The cliff is very high up and I have no idea how I'm still breathing, barely, but at least. The question I keep asking myself inside my head is, "Why did you survive? Why are you living a miracle right now?"

An hour goes by and finally a convoy of ambulances, the NSRI – National Sea Rescue Institute – and my mother appears, all surrounding my motionless body. Each one of them trying to do their job, even my mother, doing her motherly job of trying to comfort me whilst crying. I feel sorry for her, no mother should see this image of their child.

A series of questions are asked from the emergency units, "Hello, my name is Richard, I need you to try to wiggle your toes."

Nothing.

"Can you tell me what your name is?"

Nothing.

"All right, everyone, stand back, we need to brace her neck and get her on the stretcher."

They put this thing around my neck and I feel stiff.

They transfer me onto a stretcher, lifts it up and push me into the back of the ambulance.

My mother is by my side, holding my hand, "Everything is going to be alight. I'm right here for you. What were you doing there?"

I surprise myself as I squeeze her hand, not knowing I could move them.

Hope arises in her eyes and she smiles, "That's my strong girl."

I must've fallen asleep in the ambulance, because I cannot recall any other words from my mother.

My eyes just opened and I'm in the hospital bed.

The hospital smells like medicine and a lot of sanitizers. The room is very dull, with only yellow flowers in the corner to decorate it.