Mikey's head hurt. Mikey felt like his brain had been scooped out of his skull and replaced with tiny white cotton balls. He felt like someone was running their nails down a chalkboard, over and over again. Scratching and scratching.
There was a voice around him, but it sounded as if it was coming from underwater. The voice kind of reminded him of the Sims, or the parents from Charlie Brown. Mikey wondered if this was how voices sounded when he was a baby, too little to recognize language or tell words apart.
Some time passed, and the voice got closer, more distinguishable. Mikey felt like he was slowly resurfacing from the depths of the ocean. However, as time went on, Mikey's pain also got louder and louder. Suddenly, he felt a stabbing sensation, white and hot, flash against his eyes.
Mikey tried to scream, but all that came out was a weak, dispassionate sounding groan.
After Mikey made this sound, the voice got closer and seemingly more frantic. He thought he heard the voice calling his name.
"Mikey."
"Mikey."
Mikey realized that his eyes were closed and tried to wrench them open. It was a more difficult, more laborious task than he had anticipated, but, after a while, he was finally able to pull his eyelids open.
And he saw…a green and blue blur. Wait, no. The blur was becoming clearer, more focused. And suddenly, Leo's face came into view.
"Are you awake, Mikey?" Mikey recognized Leo's voice—it was close and soft and pleading.
Mikey wanted to say yes. Yes, I'm here. Leo had tear tracks on his face, and his blue eyes looked so scared. Mikey would say anything to make that look on Leo's face go away.
He tried to open his mouth again, but all that came out was another feeble groan.
Mikey felt Leo cup his hands around his face.
"Mikey, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay."
Leo's face turned blurry. Mikey's eyes snapped shut again, and he felt himself falling back into the abyss.