Perhaps life is a form of conscious dreaming. Perhaps it is a layered dream, where we experience false awakenings. Maybe true lucidity and enlightenment only come when we reflect on life after we wake up. Perhaps the visions never cease. The fact that we can dream and have moments of heightened awareness even during the unconscious periods of our lives gives us reason to believe that a deeper spiritual realm may await us after death.
Elena sensed his comforting presence, enveloped in warmth as their bodies lay entwined in bed. His protective arm wrapped around her, cradling her as she drifted in peaceful slumber, a content smile gracing her lips. Their love burned fiercely, transcending mere affection. In that moment, everything felt right, and she found solace deep within her very being, a rare tranquility settling over her troubled soul. As time slipped by, her eyelids fluttered open, only to be met with a sudden void beside her in bed.
"Kelan?" she whispered, clutching the sheets around her as she made her way to the door. As she approached, faint voices began to seep through from the other side.
"Kelan, your mother has received asylum approval for the islands of Surroah," Raymond announced, his words met with Keilander's growing unease.
"Surroah? They've granted us asylum to live there? Why now?" Keilander exclaimed, rising to his feet and pacing the cramped room in frustration. Raymond watched him with a furrowed brow, puzzled by his sudden despondency towards the long-awaited opportunity for asylum.
"Why the sudden change? Just yesterday, you were the one pushing me to reach out to your family, eager to leave this country," Raymond expressed, his confusion evident. Keilander let out a heavy sigh, running a hand over his face in utter despair.
"Ray, I just patched things up with Elena! I can't bear to let her down with another secret about where I'm headed," Keilander confessed, his sorrow palpable as he leaned against the wall, his inner conflict laid bare. Raymond extended a comforting hand to Keilander's shoulder, meeting his gaze with understanding.
"This is about your safety, Kelan! Your life is in grave danger now more than ever. We've been in hiding for five years, waiting for a country to offer asylum to your family. It's no longer safe to remain here. She will understand, Kelan. If she truly loves you, she will support your decision to leave," Raymond reassured, his eyes filled with empathy. As Elena overheard the conversation, her heart shattered once again. Tears welled up in her eyes, her chest aching with despair. It seemed that what she desired was always out of reach. The universe seemed intent on playing with her emotions. Now, she was faced with losing the person she truly loved.
Elena made her way back to the bed, her thoughts drifting far away from her present reality. This was her coping mechanism when her inner turmoil became too much to bear. As fifteen minutes ticked by, she was jolted from her reverie by a sudden presence in the room. She turned to see Keilander hesitantly entering, his face betraying his nerves as he anticipated the difficult conversation ahead.
"El?... Are you okay?" Keilander inquired softly as he approached the bed, taking a seat beside her. Elena gazed at him with a blank expression, devoid of any emotion.
"You have to go," she stated abruptly, catching him off guard. Keilander cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair nervously.
"How much did you hear?" he inquired. Elena looked away, a tear slipping from her right eye, betraying the depth of her emotions.
"El, please... don't cry. I can't bear to see you like this. I'm sorry," he said, his eyes filled with anguish as he gently lifted her chin to meet her gaze.
"Don't misunderstand me, Kelan! I'm not crying because you're leaving me behind. I'm crying because I know you'll be taking my heart with you," she confessed, her voice heavy with sorrow. Quickly gathering her scattered clothes, the sheets slipping from her figure, she hurriedly put on her panties. Keilander felt a lump form in his throat as he watched her dress.
"Elena, please... don't," he voiced out, reaching out to grasp her wrist and pulling her closer, resting his forehead against hers.
"I never said I was going to leave! My place is here with you, even if it costs me my life," he declared, his eyes furrowed with determination as he gazed into her wounded eyes, a sight he knew all too well..
"Kelan, I can't let you stay here for my sake! I don't want you to risk your life for me. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you because of me. I just can't," she said, pulling away from him and rushing out of his apartment. He followed, pleading with her not to leave, but his efforts were in vain.
Exhausted, Elena drove back to her house, completely unaware of the worried and frustrated man awaiting her return. Pulling into the driveway, she saw Reeve outside once again. She rolled her eyes at the thought of Carlton keeping Reeve outdoors as usual. Reeve's tail wagged and he barked excitedly upon seeing Elena, but when she crouched down to pet him, he caught a whiff of his owner's scent. This sent Reeve into a frenzy of excitement as he jumped and rubbed against her.
"Oh, I know you miss him," she murmured, continuing to caress Reeve's fluffy ears. Their tender moment was abruptly interrupted by the sound of the main door opening. Carlton stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze fixed on her with stern eyes.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was about you last night? No, you don't care about me at all, do you, Elena? Where the hell were you last night?" Carlton's voice rose with anger, causing Reeve to sense the tension in the air. Elena struggled to her feet, her movements slow and labored.
"Carl, I'm not in the mood for this right now," she said nonchalantly, attempting to walk past him towards the house. He violently grabbed her arm, halting her in her tracks.
"Carl, what's gotten into you?" she asked, her eyes widening as she gazed at his irritated expression.
"I haven't slept a wink, sick with worry, waiting for you! And all you can say is that you're not in the mood?" he scolded loudly, pulling her forcefully against him to meet her eyes. He noticed the lifeless look in her eyes and how the radiance in her face suddenly faded, leaving her pale.
"Carl, please... I don't feel good," she managed to say before losing consciousness, fainting instantly in his arms.
"Elena!! Elena!!! El!! No... wake up!" he urged, his eyes filled with panic as he lightly tapped her cheeks in an attempt to rouse her, but nothing seemed to work.
"Elena, I'm sorry... please, come back to me!" he pleaded, doing everything he could to help her, but there was only so much he could do. Quickly, he picked up her keys from the ground and placed her in the car, driving her to the hospital as fast as he could.
Unexpected events often lead to unbelievable outcomes in any situation. It serves as a reminder that she often manifested her worst fears by acting as though they were already a reality.
Elena found herself surrounded by darkness, with muffled sounds and a sense of weakness and pain. Desperate to escape the darkness, she slowly fluttered her eyes open. The bright white light blinded her as she struggled to adjust. Looking around, she realized she was in a strange room, its cold and pale atmosphere unsettling. The walls were painted white, while dark blue patterned tiles covered the floor. It suddenly dawned on her like a cold morning shower - she was in the hospital.
"Elena! I'm glad you're coming to your senses," a voice echoed in the room. She turned her gaze towards the sound to see a man dressed in white smiling warmly at her.
"What... what happened to me? Why am I here?" she asked fearfully, clutching the sheets tightly. The man, looking at her medical file, smiled reassuringly. "You were brought in by your fiancé, and he's waiting outside, don't worry," he said. Elena swallowed nervously as she listened to the doctor's words.
"Congratulations, Elena, you are 3.5 months pregnant!" he announced, leaving her completely stunned. Her eyes widened, the shock evident as her mouth fell open at the unexpected and life-altering news.
Some of you have really hit the nail on the head with this one. I'm impressed!
She's indeed pregnant now
😲👏👏