1.1
I sprung up gasping for air, sweat slowly rolling down my pale face. I didn't know what happened, but a sense of fear drilled deep into my heart. It pounded ferociously against my chest; the machine's beeps mimicking each beat. The nurse looked up from her crossword and sighed. Standing, she pressed her hand upon my forehead and whispered two words into my ear: "Calm down."
After what seemed hours heaving out the excitement that grew in my gut, I sipped quietly from the glass of water she handed me. The wires attached to my flesh pulsed slightly as I shifted in the bed, every blinking light watching each movement.
I never meant to be in the hospital. I never wanted to be sent to this wretched place. But it was after the mysterious death of my parents that my wild behavior emerged, landing me in this mess of machines and needles. Now I'm stuck in this metallic box, surrounded by nightmarish dreams. I am isolated from the world.
And I want to be free.