Chapter 4: The dream
I was running.
Why? I didn't know.
Was someone chasing me? I didn't know.
Was I chasing someone? I didn't know.
I only knew that I had to keep moving.
The stones and branches on the ground cut through my bare feet, but the adrenaline in my body kept me in movement. My chest was heaving fast while my heart tried to oxygenate the hungry organs but failed badly. Every muscle screamed for me to stop, to give up, to take the easy way out, but my mind was determined to do otherwise.
I passed tree after tree and when I was inattentive, their twigs would give me a cut. I lost count of how many times I felt a sharp edge pass through my skin. Not that I really cared right now. Right now, my only concern was to run.
So I kept running.
Until I fell.
I fell because I had ran out of a cliff. My entire focus had been on running that I had failed to notice the change in my surroundings. Strangely, I felt a sense of calm. Even though I fell hard and fast towards my demise, I felt peace. I closed my eyes and couldn't help but smile sadly.
Finally, he was free.
--<>--
I awoke abruptly shaken to the core. Wet tears stained my cheeks and I felt a sadness so strong unlike anything I had experienced before. My heart hurted with a crazy intensity and it was hard to breath normaly. If I didn't know better, I would have claimed that I was heartbroken. But how could that be when I had never given my heart to anyone, especially not to a man. Heck, no man had ever approached me for anything more than to ask for directions or because of an assignment. I would forever be Ms. Forever-alone.
I took deep breaths and tried to calm myself. The pain in my chest slowly faded away. I opened my eyes and let them wander. Currently I was lying under white bed sheets, in a white room with white curtains and white floor. The medicial devices and the sanitated smell made me conclude that I was in a hospital.
How in the world did I get here?
As soon as I thought of this question, a female nurse entered the room. I twisted my head towards her, but soon regrettted that since I felt a sharp pain radiate from my neck.
"Hi, how are you feeling?" She asked with the classic smile of a health care provider.
"I am hurting, so not too good." My voice was hoarse.
"That's understandable considering what you have been through. The wounds are quite deep and you have lost plenty of blood." The nurse did a quick check of the medical equipments before approaching the table next to the bed.
Damn, what happened?
"Are you thirsty?"
I nodded, but whinced when I stretched the left side of my neck. She took of the cap on a bottle of water and put in a straw. The bed was uplifted before the nurse handed me the drink. It was such a relief to my dry throat. Before I had the chance to clear my confusion about the situation, the nurse began to leave the room. Apparentaly, she was bringing my doctor. A man soon entered the room together with the nurse. I set the bottle down on the bedside table.
"Hello, miss..."
"Melinda. My name is Melinda Clover." I attempted a smile, but it probably looked like anything but that.
"Miss Clover, I am your appointed doctor Andersson. Nurse Jane told me that you are in pain, is that correct?" His tone was professional and began to do some standard checks on me with the nurse assisting.
"Yes, my neck is killing me."
"Do you feel pain anywhere else?"
"No."
"That's weird." Dr. Andersson said after a while.
"If you are to grade your pain between one and ten, where one means no pain at all and ten means the worst imaginable pain, what would it be?"
"I am unsure... maybe six." I put my hand over the dressing on my neck and tardily moved my head in different angles to check the least painful position.
"I see. Do you feel anything else except for the pain?"
"Maybe a little tired."
"That's perfectly normal. Would you like some painkillers?"
"Yes, please."
"Ok, Jane will get them for you in a minute." The nurse nodded and left.
"So, what happened?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Three days ago, you were found together with two other victims in an alley. All of you showed signs of laceration and gashes on your bodies, which resulted in severe blood loss. You were lucky that you all survived, because you lost litres of blood. Do you recall anything of the incident?"
"No, I... I don't think so." I wanted to shake my head, but the pain made reconsidering that.
"What is the last thing you remember then?"
"I think... I brought my friend ice cream at Mrs Red's cafè after school. Later I got a call from a night club and we got there to fetch my brother... I don't remember anything else."
"Don't worry. It is normal to forget when you have experienced something traumatic. Give it some time and your memories might return." He said with a smile.
"Where is Sasha? Is she ok? She is the shorter one of the other victims, I would bet." My wheels finally started to spin and I realised that my mind had been so fogged that I had completely forgotten about her. Now, I needed to know that she was alright. She was my best friend and I couldn't function well without her. I had to make sure that she was safe and sound.
"Yes, Ms Hightower is resting in the room beside this one. She woke up a few hours ago and is doing just fine." The doctor assured me.
"Really? That's great. Can I meet her?" I was relieved, but I still had to see the truth for myself to truly calm down.
"Later when you have rested some more. Your body now is still too weak."
"But-" I started to protest but Dr. Andersson stopped me.
"No buts, Ms Clover. Right now you both need to gather more strength. We do not want you to collapse on the floor, do we?" His tone was firm like a big mountain.
"...Fine." I sourly spit out. What could a patient do against a doctor?
"There are officers outside that would like to speak to you, Ms Clover. Do you think you could handle them?" Jane said, after returning with some tablets and helping me swallowing them.
I stared at the man in white and smirked. "Nope, because apparently my body is too weak to handle visits."
After the staff left my room, I tried to get out of the bed and sneak out. The mission soon failed, since my legs gave in and I had to use my arms to prevent myself from kissing the ground. The noice I made during my fall alerted a nurse to rush in and help me onto my bed again. Damn it, the doctor was right!
So for the remaining of the day I laid in the bed and watched some stupid comedy show on TV. My phone was not with me, which was depressing. It must have gotten lost during the incident. During one of Jane's check-ups on me, she was kind enough to borrow me her mobile so I could call my teachers. I explained to them the reason of my absence and luckily they were all very understanding. I also called my idiot of a brother. Not that he even noticed that I was gone. Whenever he got drunk, which was all the time, he forgot about everything else, such as his only relative left on this piece of earth. He was such an irresponsible jerk.
Aargh! I will kill him the next I see him, I thought before I fell asleep.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
v40107
v40107 Seems like the girls survived. What a relief :)
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