Chapter 1: Drowning
I'm drowning.
That's what my senses tell me at least. I'm instinctively holding my breath and I can feel how my movements are constantly working against a heavy force. My heart is racing, I open up my eyes but they are of no use. I'm so disoriented that I do not even know what's up and down. Am I swimming to the surface or to the bottom? My heart is beating even faster as I feel how my lungs are starting to hurt more and more. My reptile brain is sending out one single message to the whole body; swim. Pick a direction and SWIM.
My surroundings are getting darker for every stroke I make. The question is brought up again, am I swimming further down, or am I losing consciousness? Could be both.
I'm losing this battle and an unusual calmness is washing over me. Am I giving up? Have my mind made peace with what is about to come? Am I going to disappear just as fast as I got here?
But just as my mouth was about to open, I could feel how something was catching my whole body and pulling me away. My movement became even more restricted as I instinctively tried to fight against whatever is dragging me away. Not that it mattered, I have no air left to spare anyway.
My whole being is assaulted by a huge pressure as my body sluggishly breaks the surface of the water. My lungs are burning as fresh air enters them once again. I'm coughing heavily and I can feel how a warm liquid is unevenly escaping my mouth. I swallowed more water than I realized.
My body is still being lifted upwards, I believe. My eyes are so watery that I might as well be considered blind. I could hear voices shouting about. But I do not have the strength to actively listen to what they are actually saying. They could be speaking any language under the sun for all I know.
It didn't take long until I felt my body ungracefully settled down on a solid surface. My mind was still spinning and the ability to keep my eyes open started to sip away from me. The last sensation I recall is the feeling of someone lifting up my head before it all went blank.
"C'mon doc… It was just… I had an episode, alright?! But I'm fine now!" I pleaded. It always came back to pleading, to defend my mental stability.
"You scared a lot of people, Martin. We all thought that you hurt yourself severely this time." the man before me, clad in a white coat, said as he was typing on his computer.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, man. Think about what you're putting your family through. The last thing we want is you hurting yourself or others." A muscular yet short man was standing at the closed door with his arms crossed.
"Karl is right, Martin. I think we have to keep you here for the time being." The doctor sighed as he took off his glasses and looked over to me with a worried look.
The room grew quiet for a few moments before I broke the silence.
"No."
"... Pardon?" The doctor asked confused as he gave Karl a quick nod before he focused his attention back to me. Karl in the meantime quickly left the room.
"I said no!" For once I looked up and stared the doctor in the eyes. "I got a job now! I managed to get myself a driver's license and everything! A car! I-I've been living and taking care of myself for years! You can't take all that progress away from me!"
The doctor's eyes grew dark as he stood up and opened up his drawer.
"He's getting hysterical, we need to sedate him."
Before I could say anything, multiple hands out of nowhere grabbed my shoulders and arms as they pinned me down to the table. Karl was somehow already at the end of the table, holding my ankles in place with impossible strength.
I tried with all my might to thrash around, but the multiple hands and Karl kept me immobilized. even my screaming got silenced as another hand appeared and covered my mouth. The doctor was now right next to me as he, with a few taps on the syringe, loomed over me.
"And you did so well… What a pity." His voice was of genuine disappointment. And before I knew it, he jammed the syringe right into my neck.
I woke up screaming in cold sweat. I instinctively reached for my neck as if to feel out for any syringes still around. To my relief, I could not find any. Or any marks of a recent one either.
After a few moments when the adrenaline cooled off I finally noticed something.
This bed is not mine. Neither is the room for that matter. This room looked very… Clean. And I do not mean it in the sense of me not usually cleaning my apartment. I'm an orderly person after all. What I meant by 'clean' is that the walls and floor were professionally clean. And made of marble, which I found strange. decorative, but strange.
I was so focused on the aesthetics of this room that I barely noticed the woman walking into the room. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing as I looked over to her. What was at the front of the door was a nun. Or what looked like a nun at least. She is clad in a white dress with blue accessories. She was also wearing a veil that didn't cover anything but the back of her head. And what looked like a version of 'fleur de lys' that was drawn by memory at the front of her veil.
She quickly walked up to me with a sigh of relief.
"The Animo archon blesses us all! You're finally awake!" Her voice is what most would call 'mature' and pleasant to the ears. She stopped next to the bed and gently placed her hand on my forehead. I was too dumbstruck to say anything. I have neither seen a nun or been in a monastery for a long time. Not in Sweden at least.
"And your fever is gone too! I knew Barbados would answer our prayers! How are you feeling, young man?" she asked with a genuine smile. I just kept looking at her and slowly blinking a few times like an idiot.
"Who…is Barbados? And where exactly am I? Please tell me that this is a hospital at least."
The nun blinked a few times before she nodded as if she came to understand something.
"It's only natural that you're disorientated. You've been in a sleep-like coma for about three weeks now! My name is Gotelinde, and you're in the Favonius cathedral in Mondstadt. We took you into our care ever since you were rescued from almost drowning outside of our harbor."
Once again I found myself slowly blinking at the nun before my mouth opened up to spew out more idiocracy
"Where the hell is 'Mondstadt'?! Am I in fucking Germany?!"
The nun covered her mouth in shock before correcting me.
"Language, young man! Barbados can hear you, you know!"
I quickly realized my mistake and nervously apologized.
"S-sorry! I forgot I was in a cathedral!" I still had no idea what a 'Barbados' is, but I haven't kept up with all this new age shit that has been going on lately. Well, as long as they are friendly they can worship anything for all I care.
"You are forgiven, my child. You have gone through a lot. Please wait here as I gather your belongings. The knights of Favonius would like to have a few words with you when you feel ready for it. Do not worry, they just want to know who you are and if you need any help."
Her smile was as genuine as ever. I could only mumble out a 'thank you' as she left the room.
my mind began to race. Mondstadt? Favonius? Barbados? What the hell is going on? She didn't answer my question either. Am I in Germany? She didn't sound like a german. But the marble walls and floor made more sense now. I didn't know that Germany had any active monasteries. But that wouldn't surprise me, with freedom of religion and all that.
I was about to leave the bed when I noticed something. Something that I should've noticed from the very beginning. These weren't my pants…Not that it mattered, but the thought of someone changing my clothes as I'm unconscious gave me an uneasy feeling. Especially if it was a nun that did it.
It didn't take long until the nun came back with what looked like my clothes. They have been cleaned and neatly folded and placed at the end of the bed.
"These are the clothes that you were wearing when you were taken into our care. If there's anything missing you can file a report to the knights of Favonius."
I reached over to the clothes and looked through them one by one. socks, black pants, a T-shirt with a vertical black and white american flag on it, a gray hoodie and a pair of jeans. And of course, there was nothing in any of the pockets. No phone, no wallet, no nothing…
Gotelinde probably saw the disappointment and frustration as she cleared her throat.
"Losing one's belongings is a sad thing, indeed. But I think that the fact that you are alive is a blessing enough. Mora can always be replaced, but a life is worth more than all the earthly treasures combined."
Those were comforting words indeed. Even though I'm sure that I just had a stroke because I have no idea what mora is, it brought me some comfort. All I need is a computer and I can message family and friends on my whereabouts anyway.
"Thank you, 'Gotelinde' was it?" I asked as I made myself ready to stand up, but Gotelinde quickly intervened.
"Slow down there, young man. I'm more than happy to see you awake and well, but keep in mind that you have been bedridden for about three weeks. You have lost a lot of weight and I do not think your body is ready for any straining activities just yet."
That's right. She did mention that earlier. I still had trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I have been here for three weeks. Now that I think about it, no wonder my family hasn't been informed about my whereabouts. My ID and phone must be resting on the bottom of… whatever body of water it resides in.
"That's kind of you to worry about me, but I feel fine." I said nonchalantly as I leapt out of the bed… Only to have my legs fail me and I became well acquainted with the marble floor. The nun gave out an audible sigh as I quickly used the nightstand to help me balance myself up to my feet. "See? As strong and sturdy as the day I got them!" I said with a sheep smile as I gave my right leg a tap. Which almost made it buckle down again.
"Barbados bless your heart." Gotelinde exhaled as she began to leave the room.
"If you must insist, then you might as well get yourself dressed. I have informed my sisters about your awakening, so I might as well tell them about your 'speedy recovery' as well."
That's right. Here I am standing with nothing but pants on. I looked down on my body and a cold sensation crawled up my spine. I have indeed lost weight. Not just fat, but muscles as well. I must have lost at least 25 kg. If there was anything to talk about when it comes to my body, it is my strong legs. But now they look sickly. I fear that my clothes won't even fit now.
But there is only one way to find out. With shaking legs I slowly walked over to the end of the bed and sat down next to the clothes. And my fear was confirmed. My clothes are a little bit too big for me. Thank god for the belt, otherwise I wouldn't be able to keep my jeans up.
I mean, I have been hitting the gym fairly recently with the goal to lose some weight, but this is more than I bargained for.
But at least my hoodie feels cozier now than ever. No wonder why my girlfriend likes to steal them from me.
Can't wait to get my ass kicked by her for not answering her for over 3 weeks, now she has a fighting chance for once.
Before I could finish my little chuckle-fest by my own bad jokes, my attention got directed to the door once again. Instead of a nun, I was greeted by a young woman with long brown hair, sporting a red bunny bow tie, red jacket with brown accessories, gloves and white/red long socks.
"Outrider Amber, At your service strange yet respectable traveler!"