/ phantom /
a figment of the imagination
"She was like a dark wave crashing upon the bright shores of his horizon."
Anne Wheeler. An outcast. A loner. A street orphan. A disregarded, disgraced child born out of wedlock. A broken girl waiting for a s...
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Anne could barely remember what happened after that.
Her mind was a hazed mess of jumbled thoughts, her vision a blurry pool of salt, her throat a raw, red patch of agony.
She recalled someone's hands grabbing her and pulling her away from the fiery building. She recalled dropping to her knees and squeezing the dirt beneath her fists, screaming and begging for Bec to walk out that door, unharmed. She recalled glimpsing the tear-streaked faces of Lettie, Charles, W.D, and Deng Yan amongst the fuzz clogging her brain.
Then, everything just faded away and Anne fell into a deep, black abyss.
~~~~
"Anne? Anne, can you hear me? Doctor, I think she's waking up."
With a sudden start, Anne's eyes flew open and her mouth dropped wide in shock. Struggling up into a sitting position, she glanced quickly around the room.
Oh my god. Oh my god. No. No.
She was in the hospital.
White bed-sheets. Thick, cotton curtains. A silver tray lined with rubber gloves and syringes. A clipboard holding sheets of paper with her information on it. A man wearing a stethoscope around his neck. A dark-skinned young man seated on a chair near her bed-side.
"W.D!" Anne exclaimed as she lurched forward and threw her arms around him.
"Oh gosh," he heaved a sigh of relief into her hair. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"W-what's going on?" she uttered haltingly. "Why am I here?"
W.D turned to look questioningly at the doctor standing nearby.
Taking the hint, the grey-haired man turned to Anne and began gently, "There was a fire...at the museum. You were trapped inside. You got out before it fell to the ground but you've inhaled a lot of smoke and are suffering from a very severe case. You'll be fine but you should lay back and rest now. Your lungs are still weak and your breathing is very ragged and raspy. I have some medicines on hand that will help but you'll have to stay in the ward for a few more days so I can keep an eye on you."
Anne nodded silently.
As the doctor turned away to check on another patient lying by Anne's right-hand side, she stared straight at W.D and queried, "D-did everyone get out?"
W.D hesitated.
"Please...W.D...I need you to talk to me. I need you to tell me right now! I-is Bec...?"
"He didn't get out in time, Anne," W.D whispered. "They pulled him out of the wreckage alive but he's been hurt real bad. No one thinks he's going to make it. I'm so sorry."
