FREE ME (A Shatter Me series after story for Kenji)

by Penny Scotts

She is lost; hiding inside the only safe place she knows, the only place she has stayed for most of her life. She is surviving. She is alive. But, is this what it really means? To hide forever? Anna is tired. She wants to end her eternal loneliness. The whole world is better off without her anyway. Her death is the only way out. Until, a certain Kenji comes along to save her.

4. Chapter 4 - WAKING UP

WAKING UP

I wake up staring directly at two identical faces who, together, breaks out into a relieved kind of smile. A wide, wide lovely smile. I like them instantly.

"You're finally awake," says the one nearest to me.

"You must be hungry," says the one next to her.

I honestly cannot tell them apart.

I brace my arms on the bed and push myself up.

"Oh!"

"Let us help you!"

"Here. There, now you're sitting."

"Are you alright? You don't feel like fainting?"

"You have nice hair."

"Sonya!"

"What? She does."

"You cannot just talk to someone like that and tell them they have nice hair."

"But people don't mind." She then looks at me, the one nearest me. "You don't mind, do you?"

"You're freaking her out."

"Oh stop it Sara. Does she look freaked out to you?"

I couldn't hide it anymore. I let out a chuckle. They stop talking altogether to stare at me. And then I laugh. Out loud.

Who am I? Who is this person who had the audacity to laugh? Where am I? Where have they taken me? Who is this laughing person inhabiting my body?

But, they're still staring at me. And so I stop laughing but a smile lingers on my face. "Hi," I dare say.

"Oh." They both break out into a warm friendly smile. "Hi."

I look around and it doesn't take a genius to know that I'm in a hospital room. I look at my clothes…and they're gone. I'm wearing a clean white hospital gown.

"Don't worry. We changed your clothes."

I look at them.

"I'm Sonya," says the nearest one, the one whose blonde hair is secured in a tight bun. "And this is my sister Sara," she says gesturing to the girl beside her whose equally blonde hair tied in a ponytail. "We're healers. We healed you. We made sure that you're not going to feel any pain once you wake up," Sonya continues. "Are you feeling hurt anywhere?"

I didn't answer them, but my face started crumpling. And then both their eyes widen.

"Are you okay?" Sara asks. "Where is it? Where do you hurt so we can heal it immediately?"

I feel it, the heat, the stinging, the water welling up behind my eyes. But I am not strong enough to fight them back now. I'm so relieved and happy that I just let them fall. The girls still look at me worriedly, and then I realize why.

I take their hands, two pairs of it, twenty fingers, white, so white and warm. So human. "Thank you," I say, softly but firmly. "Thank you. So much."

They both swallow. They both blink their eyes so fast. And then they smile, then their smile wobbles, and soon they're crying happy tears.

I cried harder, but they're not miserable tears anymore. Because whatever their reason for healing me, for saving me— whatever it is, even if they'll kill me later, today, or tomorrow, I'll accept it. I'll accept it wholeheartedly. And then I'm going to be forever grateful for this small show of kindess.