Fragile Desires (18+)

Seventy-Six | Four Days

I was twelve years old when I discovered the dull ache of hospital walls and the constant hum of beeping machines.

It was a stark contrast to the life I knew—a life carefully curated to avoid bumps and bruises.

It felt like living inside a giant protective bubble.

Which I desperately wanted to pop.

And one day...

There was this intimidating hill.

Towering, tempting, and calling to me like a siren song.

My favorite pink bike sat there too, a symbol of something I rarely felt...

Freedom.

And before I knew it, I was riding down the hill—a whirlwind of my dark hair and adrenaline.

But the exhilaration was short-lived when my bike tilted off balance.

  And that's when it all came crashing down.

More specifically, when I came crashing down—tumbling across the graveled road, nearly sucking the air out of my lungs.

And even if my body ached and the hospital smelled so sterile and felt chillingly cold, I couldn't help but smile a little.

Maybe it was crazy, but breaking free from my safe world, even for a second...

Felt exciting.

It felt freeing.

And after that day, it seemed to be a feeling I inevitably kept chasing.

- Azzy

♛Chapter Seventy-Six: Four Days♛

Fog.

Thick, heavy fog.

That's what my mind felt like.

Like wading through mud, my thoughts entirely sluggish and slow.

A dull ache throbbed behind my eyes, a constant reminder of... something.

What was it?

A faint beeping sound cut through the haze, rhythmic and insistent.

It tugged at the edges of my awareness, pulling me towards the surface.

Slowly, with immense effort, I blinked open one eye.

Blurry white.

That's all I saw at first.

Then, shapes began to solidify.

The high ceiling gleamed with gold paint, the familiar forest green color lingering through the design above.

My body felt heavy, anchored to the bed beneath me.

Panic clawed at my throat, a formless dread rising in my chest.

Where was I?

Why couldn't I remember?