Labyrinth | ✓

z e r o t h ♂

Blood.

Blood red color and cloudy images were the only things I could perceive. My head pounded and throbbed in excruciating pain, as if a blunt object constantly bludgeoned my skull. One of my eyes had it worse, though; it burned in a much profound agony that I never experienced before.

Nevertheless, the loud screams of terror tore my eardrums apart, which was followed by someone shouting my name repeatedly. I did nothing, because I couldn't even move an inch. The only thing I could do is let myself succumb to the darkness, but I tried not to cave in. Needless to say, my consciousness was flickering in and out like a dying lightbulb.

Deafening sirens were the next noises I heard, and there were even more yells than before. Subsequently, I felt my numb body being lifted up and positioned on something soft and comfy. There were also creaking noises of what seemed to be wheels rolling through the rough ground, but I was too weak to care about that.

"Send him to the emergency room, he must be treated immediately!!!"

"Get the oxygen mask!!!"

"He's losing too much blood!!!"

"Please step aside!!!"

Hearing the ordeal, I fluttered my other eye open, watching as glimmering lights and blurred outlines spun around me like stars. Black and white spots were also filling every single corner of my sight. However, even opening my eye required a lot of effort, and the pain got even worse, so I decided to shut it.

The rocking movements that shook me abruptly stopped, and the figures disappeared into the peripheral of my vision. Suddenly, a brilliant light shone against my face. It was so powerful that I could tell with my eyes fully closed. A dark figure then appeared, towering over me and seemingly growing larger. There were some mumblings, but all the words they said were incomprehensible.

After a long battle, I was eventually overthrown by the searing pain and shock that had spread through me. I accepted defeat though, since I would finally be freed from my suffering. I desperately wanted the pain to be gone so that I could sleep in peace. I couldn't take it any longer, everything just felt like being ripped to pieces.

I never thought of wanting to die so badly, but I couldn't hold it anymore, so I gave up. As I fell into the abyss, the last thing I saw was an object nearing me...

***

My heart was thumping rapidly against my chest as my eye flew wide open, finally escaping from whatever it was. I found myself gasping for breaths, panting through my mouth profusely like an exhausted dog. I was completely drenched with sweat, that a small puddle started forming beneath my body. My fingers were gripping tightly on the blanket, with my nails digging against my skin.

I shot up from my position and frantically looked around. I found no suspicious figures, just a pitch black room with curtains preventing the light outside from flowing in.

To be sure, I stared fastidiously around me. I managed to see silhouettes of my desk, chair, cabinet and closet, further proving that I was still in my room. I turned over to my digital clock on the nightstand beside my bed, which read 04:52 AM.

It was just a dream, calm the fuck down... I berated myself, but it was too realistic. A pang of pain shot out of my left eye, the one that was severely affected from the freak accident years ago. I shook my head to clear the daunting memory off my mind, before hopping out of the bed.

I momentarily staggered as I tried to regain my balance, and then strode for the door. After being jolted awake, my throat was drying out beyond belief, begging me for hydration to satisfy it. Right now, all I thought was going to the kitchen downstairs to grab a glass of water.

The entire house was dead silent, shrouded in the darkness. Nevertheless, I could still hear my father snoring once I got down to the kitchen.

I carefully took a large glass from the rack, filled it with water from the sink, and quickly gulped every drop of it. I let out a sigh of relief as the burning sensation in my throat started to diminish. Slamming the empty glass on the table, I took a deep breath from my nose and then let it out loudly through my lips.

As I was drinking, I couldn't help but to think about the nightmare I had just experienced earlier. I recoiled at the memory, but surprisingly, I found myself being able to calm down without any assistance. Those flashbacks will always send me to the brink of tears, but now... I couldn't feel a single thing.

I walked to the mirror above the sink, looking at my own reflection. I lifted up my bangs, revealing a red jagged wound on the remains of what was supposedly my left eye. The doctors had performed a surgery where they removed my damaged eyeball and then stitched it shut. As a result, I couldn't open it anymore.

As I gazed upon the injury, unwanted memories of the past unexpectedly flashed across my mind.

A pair of scissors.

Blood splattering everywhere.

Scream.

I snapped myself away from the mirror, bringing my hair down and cutting off all related images of that accident. As a result, I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists.

Why does it keep on coming back and replaying all over...?

Why is it haunting me for years...?

Why can't I just forget it...?

I have no intentions to remember the details, but for some reason, it became a part of my present life. If only I have the ability to remove undesirable memories, everything would be much easier and simpler.

I wouldn't waste most of my time going to countless therapy sessions and all of that bullshit. Most importantly, I wouldn't be a burden to everyone else, especially Rena and Seb. Also... Lynn wouldn't have to die...

As my blood began to boil, humongous waves of guilt took over me. I tried bottling them in, but they accumulated so badly that I have no choice but to release them.

I balled my hand into a fist and delivered a punch against the wall beside the mirror. Pain surged from my knuckles, going through my arms and shaking my entire body. Regardless of the energy I had used, the blow failed to produce any cracks, let alone creating a dent. I didn't care much about it, since I was used to this.

Lynn...

At this point, I should be moving forward and start a new life. Rena frequently advised me so, just like that time on the Ferris wheel, but I still couldn't get over it. Whenever I was in a reverie or something similar, those unforgettable scenes would appear out of nowhere and strike me right on my weakest points.

I don't know why but I'm just...

I squinted my eye shut, gripping my jaw even tighter.

...I'm fucking stupid...