A Twist of Fate ✔

Ch. 28

Everything felt heavy. Too heavy. There was a pounding in her head, consistent, as if following the rhythm of a beat. Laila could feel her chest move with every breath, aware of the tingling at her fingertips and toes.

Laila, stay with me.

She could hear him. She wished she could open her mouth and respond. He sounded so stricken, so afraid. She wanted to comfort him, tell him she was okay.

Don't leave me.

She tried to peel back her eyelids, but they felt like two heavy slabs of sandpaper, weighing her eyes into the back of her skull. The urge to see him was burning through her veins, shooting signals to her brain. Nothing seemed to be working, though. It was all spiraling, out of her control.

She needs a hospital!

NO! DON'T TOUCH HER!

Suddenly, she was being jostled. Shoved. She felt something cold and hard beneath her. Flashes of lights burned through her eyelids. They pierced directly into her mind.

Her head ached. It was getting harder to breathe again... she was losing focus. Voices were heard, pictures were seen. Far away. She tried to stay with them. To hold on. 

Laila felt trapped in a dimension, surrounded by darkness. It was closing in on her. She was trapped.

But she could see.

Laila...

She welcomed the light. Until it devoured everything else. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Sunlight seeped through the cracks of her closed eyes, tickling her awake. Laila stirred, her body aching and sore. She could hear someone whispering near her and forced her eyes open. One at a time.

It was bright. She winced, closing her eyes again.

"Laila?" She felt a hand cover hers in a reassuring grasp.

She tried again, slowly opening her eyes. Everything was blurry at first, but she could make out of a face leaning over her. Squinting, she took a moment to focus. She was back in her bedroom.

"Mom?" She croaked, her throat uncomfortably dry.

Her mother's face broke out into a relieved smile, her eyes already watering. "Laila! You're awake again. How are you feeling habeebty?"

"Thirsty."

Her mother quickly ran out of the room, returning seconds later with a cup of water and her father in tow.

"Laila!" He grabbed her other hand. "How are you?"

"Let her drink, Ahmad." Her mother scolded her husband, bringing the glass cup to Laila's lips. She helped her drink until she finished.

Her mother sat down, returning her hand on Laila's. Her parents were both silent, watching her. Laila avoided their gaze, feeling tears prickle her eyes. No one knew what to say. Her throat was still stinging, but it wasn't from thirst anymore.

"You remember now, don't you?" Her father asked, his voice soft.

Laila couldn't answer. She knew if she started to talk, she would break down crying. And she was tired of crying. Her mother sensed her struggle and reached out, pulling her up into a hug. Laila hung onto her mother, burying her face into her neck.

"I remember." She whispered, confirming their suspicions. Her voice was muffled. "I remember. So much."

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A/N: Alas! It happened. If you're enjoying my book so far, please support it with a vote. And don't be shy to drop a comment ❤