Reborn

Well, I have a normal story, except the fact that I was murdered, and my killer remained unknown for... And driven by who knows what, to kill innocent, little me. What could I have done to deserve my fate that day? No, it wasn't my wrongdoing, they played

 

My body jerked awake. I gasped and struggled for air in my burning body. It felt like a wave of fire burning through my muscles. As I opened I eyes, I saw nothing. I knew I opened them, that I could feel, but my vision was gone. I could feel a tremendous aching in my right arm and cramping pain in my jaw. I moved my shaky hand to feel around in the darkness and felt my body being crushed my something. My fingers danced across its surface for something familiar. I could hardly move my weak body. I squealed and whimpered as I felt around, trying to find anything or anyone. Hadn't I died? What is this? What is this on me? Why can't I see? I brought my hands to my face to feel my tender flesh covering my sore bones to make sure my body was still there.

“Ah!” I screeched, my voice cracking as I held out the long note. I closed my dry mouth and tasted an odd taste on my tung, a metallic taste. A sour taste of rust I thought. I screamed again and hit whatever was on top of me. My right arm lifted, but I dropped it quickly from the pain and yelped. I snapped it back down to my body and slowed my shaky breathing. I had no idea where I was. I couldn't see, and I was stuck. What happened? Where am I? Why does my body hurt? I felt a warm liquid stream down my hot cheeks. At least I could still cry, it was a start. I slowly held my left hand out and touched the heavy thing on me once again. It made a ruffling sound. Then, I noticed an awful smell. The smell was so strong I felt it burn my throat. I wrinkled my nose and frantically searched for a mental image of the scene around me.

I knew I had felt that object before. I struggled with my legs as I thought of what it was. The smell, the feeling of a ruffling bag. It was garbage. I gasped and pushed with all my might to get the bag of garbage off of me. I held my breath from the pain I had to endure in order to save myself. I pushed the bag off and gasped for air, keeping my body completely still to wait for the pain so slow. My whole body stung and throbbed. It felt like a thousand needles stabbing me all over. My mind panicked when my vision didn't return. Get out! My mind screamed at me.

I pulled myself up off the sticky ground I was on. A strange goo stuck to my skin. I didn't want to know what it was. I curled my legs up under me and felt around. A wall. My hand slid up the wall and found the top, it wasn't far. I reached up with my left hand and slowly pulled myself up—keeping my right arm limp at my side. I felt my long hair tickle my face as I staggered to my feet and kept my body against the wall. My hand reached down the other side of the metal wall and I slipped in something sticky. My legs fell and my chest scrapped along the wall I held onto with all my strength.

“Ah!” I sobbed. I wanted to die. I didn't even want to imagine what parts of my body I was missing skin. I only hoped I had all my body parts.

My head fell on top of the wall and my lower body pulled for me to meet with it on the ground of garbage. No! I am not falling back down! After a few minutes, I held my breath and stood up. I kept myself smacked against the wall and felt down the other side. I didn't know how long of a drop it was, which gave me shivers. I had no choice, I slowly pulled myself up the wall, using my legs to push off of it—keeping my hand on the other side to feel for the ground. I was at my end. I hung over the wall, half my body on both sides, but couldn't feel any sign of ground. I listened closely for anything that could help me. Nothing. I had to make a decision: stay in the garbage pile of who knows what, or fall down the other side of the wall hoping ground was near. I thought I had nothing to lose. So, I inched my way over the side and let myself fall.

My body hit the ground with a loud thud. Once again, I lost my breath. It ran away from the hit, and didn't want to come back to my sore body. I rolled onto my side and let myself cry. My body, barely a body anymore, screamed at me to relieve it of the pain and suffering. I wanted to die.

I dug my nails into my head to get rid of the soul-crushing pain. I wanted to rip my head open. That lasted a while. When I was ready to face the ground under me, I let my hand fall to feel the cold grass. Grass! I sniffled and opened my eyes--natural reaction. My body froze as I looked at the green grass against my face. I could see. My head lifted and my eyes scanned the area around me. I saw a lake not too far from me, and the gray sky above it. I watched it carefully as I felt my concentration slipping. I stretched my eyes open wide to keep myself conscious long enough to get to safety. I listened to my heaving and cracking of my breath through my throat. I lifted my head slowly a curled my legs under me to stand. I hung onto the grass as if it were going to hold me up as I pushed myself up to stand. I let it go and hung onto the wall behind me. When I looked at it, it revealed to me what I was really in.

The wall behind me was the wall of a dumpster. Inside, piles of bags of garbage stacked onto each other. I almost vomited. My eyes scanned the area around me for any other sign of human life. Where there was a dumpster, there was people. The bright, green hills rolled around the lake. Going out to the lake, there was a dock with a boat. There definitely was people around. My hoped lifted, and my heart skipped unevenly. My eyes flickered down to a color on my arm that caught my eye. When I looked down, my eyes widened.

My whole right arm that was causing me the most pain, was covered in bright veins. My blue and green veins illuminated on my arm. It looked like my whole arm was bruised with these thick tubes. I gasped and looked down at it at my side. That's when I noticed the rest of my body. My pants were gone, leaving me in my underwear. My shirt was torn halfway off my body and I was covered in blood and dirt. Blood that oozed before was now dried halfway down my right side. I followed it up to the source and found a hole in my shoulder. Oh my, God! I could almost see into my body from how deep the hole was. My hand shook violently as I reached up to touch it. My face looked up to the sky and I sobbed.

“Why didn't you just kill me?” I wailed up to the sky. I got no answer. I lifted my right arm up, but a lightening bolt of pain shot up my arm to my neck and head. I yelped and let it fall back to my side. Crap! I looked up and around me frantically to find someone. My body jerked when I saw a building behind the dumpster. I quickly picked up my feet and walked around the dumpster and support myself against the brick wall. I followed it to the corner of the building and peeked around the corner.

All of a sudden, a downpour of rain came down on me. As if to wash away my pain, God sent me rain. My mouth opened wide to taste the cool water. Its sweet taste filled my body and left my chest screaming for more. I pushed my hair out of my face and followed down the side of the building. Then, I saw another building about fifty yards away. It was a large house in the middle of the huge field. I had no idea where I was, but I knew I had to get help quickly before I fainted, or worse. I pulled myself along the side of the brick building until I reached the front. My legs staggered to the front door and I saw it had a huge lock on it. My hopes fell. I looked up at the broken windows of the building and realized it was deserted.

“Help!” I screamed, tears running down my sore cheeks. I turned around and looked at the house across the field. “Help!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I saw nobody. I held my right arm against my side and limped towards the brick house. The rain poured on me and stuck my hair to the sides of my head. Water dripped down my legs and off of my nose onto the ground. I had no idea what was wrong with my body,and didn't want to think about what could have caused it. I didn't even know what happened before I woke up. I only remember leaving Ellen's house before. Ellen!

“Help!” I screamed. My body heaved for air and my throat cracked and stung with every inhale. I couldn't stop. I had to get to the house, hopefully someone lived there. No, someone had to live there. Please, Lord.

I walked across the grass in front of the house. I was almost there. Then, I saw a tall, bearded man open the door and look at me in horror. My body stopped. I felt my head heavy and legs give out. I fell to the ground.

I listened to the heartbeat that sounded in my ears. Was it mine? My eyes slowly blinked and looked around at the rain falling on me. The heartbeat slowed. Was it mine? My numb body wouldn't move, my numb mind wouldn't think. You are safe, I heard in my head under the heartbeat. Who is it? I opened my eyes slowly and saw a dark figure smeared in my sight from the water in my eyes and on my face.

“Call the ambulance!” I heard a deep voice yell over me. What? The thumping heartbeat slowed with its final beats of my last song. It was ending. Ba—lump... Ba—lump... Ba—lump... Ba—

My soul jerked back into my body and I opened my eyes slowly. I saw a white light, a very bright, white light. My eyebrows furrowed over my eyes to shield me from the blinding light. I waited a few seconds, then opened them into slits and looked around. I was in a room. The walls in the room where white and a very light tan. I looked down at my legs and saw me covered with a white blanket. My eyes shot open and I looked around. I looked around the room. It was a hospital room. Am I dreaming? I lifted my hand out from under the blankets and saw tubes coming out of my arm everywhere. I was in a hospital. I grabbed the little remote next to me and pushed the button. A nurse came running in with a machine and looked at me with wide eyes.

“You are awake!” she yelled and held her hands against her chest. I looked at her with wide eyes. “Honey, I am just going to take your vitals and give you something to help with your pain. Boy, I'm so glad you are awake. We called the doctor, he will be here any minute.” the lady said. Her blonde, curling hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her thin lips slid back in a big smile at me. She pulled out something and looked down at my arms. I looked at my right one where my veins were still bright and bulging. I watched her carefully, hoping she wouldn't touch it.

“I'm sorry, I better do it on the other arm.” she whispered and walked around my bed.

“Why does my arm look like that?” I said, but my voice I didn't recognize. It was raspy and weak and showed no sign of my old one.

“Well, honey, we don't know. You must ask the doctor, she will give you all your answers.” she said and squeezed a ball in her hand. The wrap on my arm blew up and squeezed it. I held my breath. Even the slightest pressure on me caused me such pain, I spat at my weakness.

“I must take your temperature,” she said and pulled out a thermometer. I opened my mouth for her and felt the cold stick under my tung. Then, my door opened and I saw another woman walk in. She was American, and had black hair and glasses. She smiled at me, her clipboard under her arm.

“Anna, can you speak?” she asked.

“Yes,” I managed to choke out. She nodded and the nurse pulled out my thermometer.

“Anna, I am Dr. McGuire. How do you feel?” she asked. I blinked slowly.

“Bad, very bad.” I whispered. She nodded and cleared her throat. “Why is my arm like this?” I asked her. Hey, the nurse told me to. Dr. McGuire looked down at my arm, then walked over to the side of my bed. Her dark eyes stared at me.

“We don't know, yet. Do you have any idea what happened to you?” I thought back in my memory, but remember nothing. The last thing I remembered was waking up in a dumpster.

“No, I only remember waking up in a dumpster behind some building... and rain.” I said. They both looked at each other, then at me.

“What?” I asked softly, looking at them both. Dr. McGuire kneeled down next to my bed and held my hand.

“Anna, we don't know how you are alive. You were giving something two days ago that kills people within seconds. We have no idea how you survived.” she said. My eyes widened and I felt them moisten.

“How did I get it?” I asked. Then, someone knocked on my door.

“Yes?” she asked. The door cracked open and a police officer walked in. He was an older guy with a gray mustache and a big belly. He looked down at me and removed his hat.

“I'm sorry--”

“No, no, it's fine. I think you will be the one to explain everything anyway.” Dr. McGuire said and stepped back. I looked at the three people standing around me.

“Anna, I am just going to cut to the chase. My name is Mr. Cox and I believe you are stable enough to hear this. You were taken as a hostage during a robbery at the CargoMart. The man gave you something called a B.L.V. to kill you--”

“But your body somehow stopped the spread of it and concentrated it on your right shoulder and arm. Something that kills humans within seconds, your body controlled it.” Dr. McGuire interrupted. The policeman eyed her and cleared his throat. She lowered her head and watched me.

“As I was saying, you somehow survived. We can't explain how your body was able to stop it, but it did. And for the robbers, they escaped. Can you remember what they looked like?” he asked. I squinted and ran through my memory. I thought for a few minutes with no luck, but suddenly, the man's face popped into my head. My eyes shot open and I held my mouth.

“Yes,” my voice cracked and I held my eyes shut. “He had black hair and a full beard.”

“Do you remember anything about the other two men?” What two men?

“No,” I whispered. “I want to see my parents.”

“They are here. But first, Anna. We have more talking to do. I promise you can see them when we are done,” Dr. McGuire said and looked at me sympathetically. I looked back at Mr. Cox.

“First, do you need anything? Does your arm hurt? Can you move it for me?”

“Wait, Doctor, one last thing.” Mr. Cox said. He put his hat back on and looked down at me. His eyes were serious.

“I will be back later to ask you more questions. Get rest,” he said and I watched him leave.

“My arm hurts,” I whispered to the doctor. He looked over at the nurse who fixed the machine I was hooked up to.

“We can't give you any morphine through your right arm, we don't know how it will react with your contaminated veins if we give it to you directly. At least in your other arm it will have time to mix with your blood before your blood passes through your other arm. We want to do as little as possible with that arm and shoulder. We have no idea how your body will react to things, so we must ease you into things.” she said. I looked down at my arm.

“Can you move it?” she asked. I looked up at her. I dreaded that question.

“I don't know, it hurts.” I said.

“Alright, we will do that later.”

“I want to see my parents.” I groaned. I looked at the door and wondered where they were on the other side. It opened, but I didn't see my parents. I saw at least seven more doctors walk in. They all stared at me.

“Anna, these are the other doctors. They are only here to observe you.” Dr. McGuire assured me. I sighed and squinted at them. I didn't want to see any more doctors, I wanted my family.

“Anna, how do you feel?” one doctor asked.

“Sore.” I said in monotone. They all scribbled on their clipboards.

“Can you move you fingers for me?” the same doctor asked. The rest drew their attention down at my hands and waited. I curled my left hand's fingers effortlessly, my other hand, I paused for a moment. I looked down at them and wiggled them. I felt the pain rush up my arm and stab me in my neck. My mouth opened wide and locked. I gasped and the doctors rushed up next to me.

“Are you alright? We better stop, we'll be back later, Anna. Give her two more mills, doctor.” the doctor said to Dr. McGuire. I watched them leave.

“I want to see my parents.” I said, annoyed.

“Alright, I will get them, Anna.” she said and left with the nurse who said nothing the whole time. I watched them leave and looked down at my body.

“Look at you, Anna. You might as well be dead.” I whispered and sighed. I picked at my paper gown covering my bruised body until I heard someone open my door. At that time, I didn't care what happened to me. I was living in the present. And I hated the doctors. I never trusted doctors. Then, I thought of Chris. I wondered if he was mad at me, or if he knew what happened to me.

“Anna, my darling!” Mom screamed and ran up to me. She threw her arms around me and hugged me as the rest of my family followed.

“Ow!” I yelped and she jumped off of me faster than she ran up. Her eyes were filled with tears, so were Alice's. I looked at each of their beautiful faces and sniffled.

“I'm sorry, honey. How are you feeling?”

“You are the fourth person who asked me that. I'm sore.” I answered.

“Thank God you are alright!” Dad said.

“Yeah,” Alice said and sniffled. Ben looked at me, horrified. Do I look that bad? I blinked lazily and felt my energy drain.

“Mom, I don't want to stay here. I want to leave. Please, can I go home?” I begged her. She looked down at me with sad eyes.

“I'm afraid you can't just yet, Anna.”

“Please, Mom! Tell them to let me go, the doctors annoy me. I just want to go home.” my voice cracked. Mom cried on Dad and Dad sighed.

“You will soon, honey.” he said.

“Anna?” Alice asked from next to my bed. I looked at her.

“I'm so glad you are alright. We've been looking for you for days,” she said and fell over my legs. I winced, but ignored the pain.

“Look at your arm...” Ben said. Alice hit him and told him to be quiet.

“Where's Ellen?” I asked my parents.

“She's home. See couldn't come, it's to far away. You are in Callson's Hospital, three hours form home.” Dad said. My eyes widened. That far?

“How is she? I miss her.” I said.

“She's fine. She is really worried about you. She will probably call you soon.” I looked out the window at the rain.

“How long can you stay?”

“We must leave tonight. We'll be back in a few days. You can call us anytime, Anna. Anytime you want to talk or you need us,” Mom whispered and kiss my head. I nodded and closed my eyes.

“Go to sleep, honey. You need your rest.” Dad was right. I could hardly keep my eyes open. I had no energy to even pull the blanket over my chest. I don't understand why I am alive, Lord. I wish you would tell me. Why keep me alive looking like who I do now? Why make me fight for life when I am barely gonna' get one? I might as well be dead.