Alicia's eyelids fluttered open weakly, and the world rushed in like a tidal wave. Blinding light pierced her vision, making her squint against its intensity. Her head throbbed as if a storm raged within her skull, and a heavy weight seemed to press down on her chest. The sterile, clinical smell of the hospital invaded her nostrils, mingling with the faint scent of antiseptic.
As her senses gradually awakened, a symphony of beeps, clicks, and mechanical murmurs filled the room. Each sound echoed like a distant memory, a ghostly reminder of the world she had been detached from. Alicia's fingers twitched as she attempted to shift her body, but an overwhelming weakness held her captive, rendering her limbs leaden and unresponsive.
Her mind struggled to shake off the haze that clouded her thoughts. Her memories were jumbled fragments, a puzzle she couldn't piece together. Panic began to rise like a storm within her chest, and her heart raced as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. She blinked, her gaze darting around the room. Machines with blinking lights and trailing wires loomed over her, an alien forest of technology that seemed both fascinating and frightening.
She attempted to sit up again, but her muscles protested weakly, her body feeling as if it were made of lead. Her head spun, and the effort left her breathless. Her confusion deepened as her eyes scanned the empty room. Where was she? Why was she alone? Her thoughts were a whirlwind of questions and a storm of uncertainty.
Bits of fragmented memory danced on the periphery of her consciousness. A bridge, water, a strange glow... Alicia's brows furrowed as she tried to grasp these fleeting images. She remembered standing on the precipice, an overwhelming despair threatening to consume her. And then a call came. And then the plunge into the frigid embrace of the ocean, the struggle to reach the surface, the moon's eerie glow, its hypnotic pull.
But the details remained elusive like grains of sand slipping through her fingers. She winced as a sharp pain lanced through her head as if trying to bring her back from her disjointed reverie. She groaned, her voice a fragile thread of sound.
A haunting sadness clung to her heart like a shroud, tugging at her emotions like a relentless undertow. It was a pain that defied explanation, an ache that seemed to emanate from the very depths of her being.
Tears welled in her eyes, and a sense of helplessness washed over her. Her emotions were a tempest, a whirlwind of despair that threatened to consume her. She wanted to cry out, to release the torrent of anguish that threatened to drown her, but the words remained trapped in her throat. This emotion made her even more confused. She felt like an alien in her body.
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Just then, the door creaked open, and a figure stepped into the room, bathed in the fluorescent light that spilt from the corridor. Alicia's gaze shifted, and finally seeing a familiar face made her break down in relief combined with all the other emotions she felt.
It was her manager, a young woman in her late thirties. She held a little bag in her hand, and the other hand held a phone to her ear. She was in the middle of a call. Mabel's voice trembled as she spoke into the device. As soon as her gaze met Alicia's, the phone slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor, forgotten.
Tears welled in Mabel's eyes, and she rushed forward, her voice a tremulous whisper. "Oh my gods, you're awake!" She enveloped Alicia in a fierce embrace, her body trembling with emotion. "We thought we lost you. I thought I lost you."
Alicia's lips trembled as her manager's arms enveloped her in a tight embrace. Her mind was a tumultuous sea of conflicting feelings—relief, confusion, fear, and a yearning to grasp the elusive memories that danced just beyond her reach. Her body shook with sobs she couldn't control, the dam of her emotions finally breaking free. Each tear that fell carried with it a wave of sorrow, a pain she couldn't quite articulate. It was as if her heart was being torn apart—a visceral ache that left her gasping for breath.
Her manager held her even tighter, her voice a soothing murmur against Alicia's ear. "It's okay, my dear. You're not alone. I'm here with you." The words were a lifeline, a reminder that amidst the turmoil of her emotions, there was still an anchor to reality.
Alicia clung to her manager, her fingers digging into the fabric of her clothing as if trying to anchor herself in the storm. The sobs racked her body, a release of pent-up feelings that had been building within her during the uncharted depths of her coma. She couldn't pinpoint the reasons behind her depression or the source of her tears, but in that moment, it didn't matter.
Mabel pulled back slightly, her watery eyes searching Alicia's face as if trying to read her thoughts. "We've been waiting for this moment for so long," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You've been in a coma for one... one year. Doctors couldn't explain why you didn't wake up sooner, but... you're here now." She cried.
Alicia's lips quivered, and she managed to find her voice, weak though it was. "O-One year? How... how is that possible?" Her voice held a trace of disbelief, a sense of time lost that she couldn't fathom.
Mabel nodded, her expression grave. "We don't understand what happened that night. But you... were found on the shore, unconscious and barely alive. It's a miracle you survived. I don't... I don't know what I would have done if something bad had happened. I was so... so scared." The woman cried loudly without reservation.
Mabel was the strongest woman she knew. She was Alicia's safe space. No matter what happened in her life, she knew she could always count on her to handle things. Up until Alicia was done with the whole thing and wanted to end it all. Seeing the woman like this now in a way she never had broke her heart, and she instantly regretted the decision she had made.
However, she still tried to absorb the information she had just learned. One year.
One year.
With a gentle touch, her manager wiped away the tears from Alicia's cheek and smiled amidst her tears. "Thank you for coming back." She smiled at her and began to laugh. "Why did I forget to call the doctor?"
Mabel was about to press the call button, but Alicia weakly said, "Someone is already coming."
Mabel was about to ask her if she had already pressed it, but then the door opened and a nurse entered, who looked surprised to find Alicia awake.
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