This story is loosely based on a dream I had when I was 15 or 16 years old.
The hospital mentioned is a real place. I was a patient there when I had the dream.
"You have everything?" my dad asks me as I climb into the passenger's seat.
"Yup," I answer.
"Alright," he starts the car. "Then let's go."
It's torrentially pouring rain on our way back to Larue Carter Hospital. Visibility is limited. My head is leaning against the passenger door window and I begin to daydream about Teen Titans. A car horn blares behind us and my dad complains how he can barely see the traffic lights in this weather.
We begin to make our turn. In the distance I see what I think are flashing lights. I first assume they are traffic lights gone out, but as we turn, I realize what they really are: police lights chasing another car. We are halfway through our turn and we are t-boned by the oncoming vehicle. My head goes through the passenger door window. I am in excruciating pain as glass slices my face and pierces my skin. I feel the rain on my face as I fall unconscious.
I awaken in a dimly lit hospital room. There is no IV drip, I am not hooked to anything. I look for the remote with the Nurse Call button, but I'm unable to find it. I throw my legs over the bed and climb out of it, only to collapse to the ground in a loud thud. Okay, still too weak to walk. I struggle to stand, but I cannot get a grip to pull myself up. Suddenly an alarm begins blaring and red lights start flashing. Was this because of me? I crawl towards a chair and struggle in vain to pull myself up. The alarm shuts off and all goes quiet again.
I lie there on the floor and rub my legs in attempts to get feeling back in them. When I can finally stand, I go to the window and peek out the closed curtains. The outside world is bright, colorful, and … one dimensional, as if someone has drawn it. What the heck? Perhaps this is a symptom of my injury? I return to the bed and stare at the ceiling.
"Check on the girl," a stern male voice says outside the door. "I planned on it," replied a soft-spoken female voice. I sit up in bed and watch as someone in a dark blue cloak walks in. "You're awake," she says as she lowers her hood.
My eyes grow wide. No... "Now I know I'm hallucinating," I mutter.
"If you're referring to your head injury," the girl says, "I can assure you, it's not bad enough to cause those."
"But you're..." my voice trails off and I silently mouth her name: Raven.
"You know of me?"
"From a cartoon..."
"Someone made a cartoon of me?"
"No. Well, yes. But..."
"But what?"
"You're not real."
"'Not real?'"
"The cartoon is based on a comic book." I hold my head in my hands. "You say this isn't from my head injury, but what else could it be? How else can this be explained?"
"I cannot say," she shakes her head.
I lie back down and sigh. "How'd you find me?"
"We were returning from a fight in the city and we found you unconscious outside the tower. Your clothes were wet, but not completely drenched. You didn't swim here. We were unable to figure out how you got here or why you were all wet."
"Aside from my head, did you find any other injuries?"
She shakes her head. "I did not. I mended the lacerations on your face and your head injury as best I could, but you need time to recuperate. Get some rest. I will bring you something to eat."
I sigh deeply and close my eyes in an attempt to get some sleep. My last thought before I fell asleep was What happened to me?
