Chapter 1: Awakening
Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.
- Edgar Allan Poe
02.08.2010
Operator: 911 what is your emergency?
Caller: There's been a car accident, come quickly!
Operator: Calm down… please tell me, slowly… how many are injured.
Caller: Just one.
Operator: Is the subject conscious?
Caller: No, he's unconscious.
Operator: Is he still breathing?
Patient Name: Mikhail Romanenko
DOB: 25.12.1991
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Height: 6.3
Weight: 152 Ibs
Blood Type: AB
Sustained injuries:
...
...
...
State of condition:
In a coma
Anonymous Voice: Activate him!
Mikhail's Audio Journal 15.08.2010
What is an afterlife? Is there a heaven and hell? What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of death? Those are questions we would all at some point ask ourselves, despite what our beliefs are.
What is hell may I ask myself? Hell is anyone's perception or experience. Ideally a transmundane prison we cannot escape, where all hope is abandoned. Where we are constantly tortured or fated to meet a grisly unexpected outcome, repeating itself in an endless loop.
One time when my eyes closed, and reopened them again, I was convinced that I truly was in hell. The question I did ask myself and still do, am I dead or am I still alive, just living in a nightmare I can never wake up from?
In the abyss where everything was black and everything was silent, the sound of glass shattering and crashing to the floor and the thundering gunfire would break that silence. Then a bright shining white light blazed and saturated the entire area. Eventually the light started to change to a variety of colors, which subsequently formed into shapes, which bared its own color. Those shapes begun to form and become more identifiable to the human eye.
That human eye fixated on one image, which perceived and adapted to its surroundings, and determined where it was and why it was here.
Then there was heavy breathing and the glimpse of something moving according to the breathing pattern. The eyes could move side to side, then there was sudden movement, which could be done on command.
I was able to move my head freely and view the room, which to my recollection looked like a hospital room. I don't remember how I got there, but I knew I was lying in a hospital bed with no one but me. The lights were still on, and the door on the other side was open, with lights in the corridor. How I got myself in hospital I could not remember at first, but I knew that I woke up from a coma. This was proven obvious when I realized that my other senses were coming back to me. First I regained my sense of hearing, then my sight and then my sense of smell, as I could smell what I assumed to be chlorxylenol; or some other variation of chemicals, which I didn't know by name. I observed my surroundings, seeing that on each side hung a curtain, a bedside table and a life support machine. Unable to turn my head to half degree and use all the joints in my body, I was able to move my arms, I held my hands in front of my face. Unable to sit up, I remained in bed and waited for a nurse or a doctor to come to my aid.
I woke up to the sound of screaming and gunfire echoing in the hallway. In a fit of panic, I tried to sit up, but couldn't; I could only shake my body side by side. I couldn't feel my legs, so I knew I was stuck in bed with my arms being my only means of defense.
Then I heard the sound of footsteps echo in the hallway, but there was something strange about the rhythm of those footsteps. It didn't sound like the person was walking normally, it was if that person was limping. The footsteps got louder and louder, and I knew it was coming to my door. I lifted myself off my back, and got ready to call out to whoever would appear at the door.
A figure walked in sight, and it appeared to be a nurse in uniform, I was relieved to see someone who I could call out to for assistance.
„Hey nurse, can you help me?" I called out.
The nurse in response turned around, but the way she did it wasn't normal. She twisted her body towards me. Her breathing was abnormal, it was hoarse as if she was gasping for air. She advanced towards me, and I got the funny feeling she was drunk.
I was tempted to try and communicate with her, but that impulse was hindered when I got a view of her face, as she came out of the shadows and stepped into the light. She looked dead, her skin was white as chalk, she had patches of rotten flesh and part of her lip was bitten off. Her eyes had no pupils and were yellow and misty. She opened her mouth and revealed her rotten teeth with thick saliva dribbling out, and out of her gaping mouth emitted a gurgling roar.
This struck fear into the pit of my stomach, because I knew I was in danger. Her breathe was rancid, it was enough to make me throw up, but the adrenaline prevented me from doing so. She threw herself on me, and attempted to bite my neck, but I used my only means of defense; my arms. I looked away and could hear her trying to chomp at my ear.
After many failed attempts to bite me, I used all the strength in my arms to push her away. She staggered back and fell against the curtain, breaking the curtain off the railing as she fell down on the floor.
Knowing that the reanimated (ridiculous I know) looking nurse was temporarily incapacitated, I knew I would have to act quickly if I wanted to survive this. I looked both sides for weapons, or anything I could use to defend myself with. The bedside table to my left had a metallic vase, which I could use to bludgeon the monstrosity, but the only problem was it was out of reach. The only other item that was in reach on table was a photograph.
As I lay my hand flat on the photo, the nurse emerged from the floor and grabbed me, dragging me down to the floor. I hit the hard floor, feeling the impact and the pain in my arm (that I used to break my fall), but there was no time for pain; I was fighting for my life against the nurse whose duty was to kill me. I successfully punched the nurse a couple of times in the face, but she was unresponsive to pain, and I knew that all I could do was stop her from biting me. Eventually I would get tired and the nurse would overpower and kill me, unless I could think of a solution to incapacitate her permanently. Looking down, I caught a glimpse of a red pen that was clipped to her front pocket. I grabbed the pen and with determination for survival, I rammed the pen into her temple. The nurse's mouth gaped open and her eyes rolled up, and I pushed her away.
Relieved that I had survived the encounter and I was safe for now, I was able to sit myself up and lean my back against the bedside table.
„Damn I need a cigarette," I cursed in my mother tongue. I looked to the incapacitated nurse lying on her back, pondered whether she was a smoker, and had any cigarettes on her. I leaned towards her and searched her pocket for cigarettes, and the only thing I found in her pockets was a pack of gum. Again I cursed in my mother tongue and sat against the bedside table. My mouth was dry and needed water, but I was craving for a cigarette.
Looking at my feet, I could see that I could wiggle my toes and move my feet, but I was unable to bend my knees.
Deciding to relax and recover my strength, I looked to my side and found the photo on the floor, which was lying face down. On the back of the photo bared scribbled and untidy handwriting, „Save her." I turned the photo round and saw a reminiscent of my past life, it was an acquaintance, a beautiful young girl. I felt a heart beat in my chest again and I whispered her name as I recall, „Alicia."
To be continued…