Chapter 48

• CHLOE SMITH
• As I gradually emerged from the depths of unconsciousness, my mind felt foggy, as if shrouded in a thick mist. Sounds were muffled at first, distant echoes blending into the background symphony of beeping monitors and shuffling footsteps. Slowly, awareness seeped back into my senses, like rays of sunlight piercing through heavy clouds on a stormy day. My eyelids fluttered, struggling against the weight of sleep that still clung to me like a heavy cloak. With each blink, the world sharpened, shapes and colors resolving themselves into clarity. The steady rhythm of my heartbeat echoed in my ears, a reassuring cadence amidst the chaos of my fragmented memories. A jolt of panic shot through me as I realized where I was, the sterile scent of the hospital assaulting my senses. With trembling fingers, I reached out, grasping for any semblance of reality, desperate for a connection to the world beyond the confines of my unconscious mind. And then, like a dam breaking, consciousness flooded back in a rush of sensation, my body tingling with the electric pulse of awakening. I gasped, a sharp intake of air filling my lungs as I finally broke free from the chains of oblivion, my heart pounding in my chest like a trapped bird yearning for freedom.
• I looked around and saw my mum beside me sleeping on my hand. I gently touched the strand of her hair, but she didn't stir. It was a comforting gesture, albeit one that went unnoticed in her deep slumber.