When Our Stories Entwine

Chapter Thirty Two - Maggie

Maggie-

I feel my consciousness slowly begin to wake but my eyes don't open.  Heavy weights pull down their lids and they remain shut tight.  Rather than attempting to pry them open, I lie still and listen to my surroundings.

The sound of my breathing is accompanied by a quiet clicking and it only takes me a moment to recognize the rhythmic beating as a clock. Despite finding myself temporarily blind, the soft ticking relaxes me, I've always loved the peaceful sound of a soft ticking clock. I time my shallow breaths with the steady beats and attempt to stay calm. I take a deep breath allowing air to fill every crevice of my lungs and hold it for a few seconds before exhaling.

The muffled sound of ticking continues as my ears begin to pick up another sound, a very hushed buzzing of electronics. The unusual noise catches my attention and I feel my brows furrow as I struggle to distinguish it. No matter how hard I try to place the sound, it remains unfamiliar.

What I'm assuming is sunlight begins to penetrate my eyelids and warmth blankets my skin. I instinctively squeeze my eyes tighter shut and attempt to move my arm to cover them, but my arms are like dead weights. I feel as if I've lost all of my muscle mass or maybe I've just been hit with a tranquilizer dart.

Panic surges through me as I realize I'm paralyzed, I was able to cope with my lazy eyelids but for every muscle to suddenly be out of order terrifies me. The calm sound of ticking begins amplifying as my heart starts to race. I can't move, speak or even open my eyes.

I concentrate my breathing in an attempt to calm myself. Panicking won't help me rediscover how to move and depending on what condition I find myself in, I'm not sure if my heart can take the stress.

Determined to obtain control over my body, I decide to start with one finger at a time. I focus my mind on my pointer finger, attempting the slightest wiggle. At first, the muscle won't budge but with enough concentration, I'm finally able to lift my finger about an inch before it falls again. The slightest movement is cause for celebration and although I feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, I know I've got a long way to go.

I can do this.

I concentrate for at least an hour on my fingers until I'm finally able to wiggle each digit individually. The clicking of the clock which was originally calming starts to drive me crazy, it's a reminder of every second that's passed without so much as opening my eyes. After a few hours I'm exhausted but still determined, so I attempt to move my arms but they're like dead weights.

The sun beats on my face the entire time, warming my skin until I begin to perspire.  It feels as if the sun is angry with me, threatening to blind me with its brightest light shining straight through my eyelids.

After a few minutes of desperately attempting to open my eyes, I'm finally able to pry them open. My sight is blurry but I focus on the large black and white clock hanging directly in front of me. I concentrate on the movement of the small hand until it appears in focus.

Twelve, One, Two, Three, Four.

The numbers are clearly visible yet the hands are small enough where I can't manage to tell the time. The torturous ticking continues, reminding me of every second passing. I move my eyes slowly around the walls to examine the room hoping to get a glimpse of where I am.

The bleach-white walls are filled with posters and charts and as I examine them I realize they're the usual signs doctors have plastered everywhere. It isn't until my gaze travels towards the machines next to my bed that I realize, I'm in a hospital. My eyes close once more and I take another deep breath, hoping I'll be able to keep my anxiety in check.