In the middle of a bustling city, where countless buildings were standing both high and low, a particular building stood out among them.
A towering three-story building with a width as big as a sports arena with its simple white-colored walls.
What made it stand out from others was the big logo that was embedded on the very top of the building.
The logo has a simple and sleek design. A glowing white cross surrounded by small blue circles. Despite the sky already being dark and the sun already out of sight, the building was still bustling with activities.
The logo of the building was lit up, making it easily spotted even from afar.
Inside the building, countless people dressed in scrubs and white gowns are roaming around the place, either visiting each room or doing other tasks.
Meanwhile, in one particular room.
Inside the room, one big bed and a few other pieces of furniture can be seen, like some sofas, tables, cabinets, and even a flat-screen TV embedded in the walls.
One would assume that the room was empty when they see the room, but on further inspection, a rather skinny, pale figure was lying on a rather spacious bed.
A few machines were placed beside the bed with wires connected to the figure lying on it.
The beep from the machines and the soft noise from the air conditioner are the only things that prevent the room from falling into complete silence. Only a particular spot in the room has lights on, giving the room a soft, sterile glow and casting faint shadows on the walls.
Anyone who enters the room feels rather uncomfortable with the stillness of the room. As if one wrong move is enough that can shatter the stillness of the room.
The figure lying in the bed has their eyes shut close with their mouth slightly agape, a rhythm of shallow breaths matching the beeping machines.
The thinning hair and sunken flesh stretch tightly against their bones.
One thing that seemed out of place in the room was a book laid on top of the figure's lap.
It was a hardcover book.
The figure's skinny hands were laid on top of it; a slight smile lingered on their pale, sunken face, as though the book held a memory or a story that brought them peace.
The figure was rather serene, as if they were dreaming something they yearn for. As if on cue, a deafening sound shatters the stillness of the room.
It came from one of the machines. To be specific, the heart monitor.
The once steady beeping turned into a long, continuous tone, piercing the air with its shrill alarm. The serene atmosphere was shattered instantly, replaced by an urgent, suffocating tension.
The book slid off the figure's lap and hit the floor with a soft thud, its sound swallowed by the wailing monitor.
.....
A groan came out of the girl's mouth as she could feel a slight tension coming from her back. Her face crunched into a frown as she tried to feel the surface where she was lying.
Compared to the soft feeling of the mattress that she used to feel, it was now replaced by a hard surface—one that would feel some tensions forming on their backs when lying on it.
Question marks started clouding the girl's mind, but that was not the only thing that seemed to change.
The place was in complete silence.
Where's the beeping sound? The alcohol scent is also gone. Wait, wait, wait!!
The girl's eyelids slowly fluttered open. Her eyes immediately dilated as soon as she laid her eyes on an unfamiliar ceiling.
The familiar, boring white ceiling that she used to see whenever she woke up was now replaced by a rather worn-out wooden ceiling. There are holes in random spots, and some were on the verge of falling off the ceiling.
Due to her mixed emotions, she immediately sat up and roamed her eyes from right to left, inspecting the place she was in.
Her confusion turned into fear as she confirmed she was not in her hospital room but in a rather worn-out room. The wallpapers attached to the walls are peeling, and the floors are damp, which seems to make the air rather musty.
It was not a room that someone would like to sleep in. There was even random garbage and old furniture placed on the side of the room, indicating that the room was used for storage.
Dust was everywhere, where even one breath was enough for someone to breathe in the dust in the air.
Cough
The girl coughed multiple times before covering her nose to prevent inhaling dust any further.
"What the hell?" She muttered in disbelief, roaming her eyes around the room.
She lowered her head and saw that she was lying on the dusty floor. She can feel the roughness and dampness of the floor.
An ick turns on in her system, and she immediately stands up on her feet, dusting off the dust from her worn-out dress.
The woman suddenly stopped moving when something dawned on her. Her eyes widen, her lips part in shock, and her eyebrows furrow in fear. Her heart pounds faster, her breath quickens, her muscles tighten, and cold sweat flows down her forehead.
Her eyes glance at her hands in her worn-out dress and flinch at the sight of her skinny hands. Her hands were different from before. It was not shallow and discolored anymore.
It may appear too pale, but not the kind of paleness that a sick person has.
What made the situation even more baffling and horrifying is the fact that she can now stand up and her body has the capabilities to move as she wants, which she can't even remember when was the last time she could do that.
She was glad she could do that now, but her happiness was overshadowed by her confusion and fear of the unknown reason behind why this happened.
Did I die?
She thought that she might have died, and this is the last dream she has before she dies.
The corners of her mouth lift slightly, but there's no warmth in her eyes—so distant or clouded, as though she was holding back her tears.
Her smile lingers too long, almost painfully, as if she is trying to convince herself that everything is for the better.
Even though she knew that it was better for her to rest from her lifelong suffering, in the back of her mind, she still had this part of her that wanted to enjoy life.
What if I was born with a healthy body? I could have enjoyed my life.
A poignant thought that always lingered in her mind.
Her smile came off of her mouth as a thought came into her mind. A small spark in her eyes was seen.
"I should enjoy this dream for the last time," she mutters to herself, but this time her voice has much more emotion to it.
The girl has much more confidence as she stands on her feet and roams her eyes in the room she was in.
Although the confusion she had from a moment ago was now placed in the back of her mind, a new confusion has emerged.
It was the question of why she was dreaming of something like this, where she was in a rather abandoned-like room. If this is her last dream, it could have been much more peaceful, like walking in the park or such.
Since she won't know the reason, all she can do is shrug it off.
She just shifted her attention to inspect the room. When her eyes caught sight of a worn-out door that seemed to lead outside of the room.
She placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted it counterclockwise but was unable to open the door.
"What the?"
She tried to twist it a few more times but was still unable to open it.
She made a frustrating noise and kicked the door out of frustration.
"Ouch—" the strain of kicking the door with her foot was painful.
Why is the pain so real?
She stepped back one foot from the door while wincing in pain.
"Damn."
"That was painful." She shrugged off the pain and went to the door again, but she banged at it this time.
She can't just stay still and do nothing. This is her last dream; she can't just stay in this abandoned room.
A loud bang echoed throughout the room, but no matter how much she banged at the door, no one responded.
She banged at it a few more times before stopping. She was now breathing heavily.
The frustration was evident in her face. She kicked at the door again and winced pathetically at her foolishness for not learning a lesson.
She steps back on one foot, trying to soothe the leg she just used.
"Damn it, damn it. Huhuhu, it hurts—"
She yelled when the door suddenly moved towards her, bringing her down to the floor.
She groaned, then she looked at the door.
It was now open.