The Sun Vanished

Hospitalization

I sat anxiously waiting for any type of news. "Liv, c'mon we gotta go, we can come back tomorrow" Chase tugs on my sleeve. No, I can't leave! I need to be here when they wake up. I don't want to miss it...I can't miss it. I look up at Chase and shake my head. "I have to be here when they wake up, 'cause what if they wake up in the middle of the night when I'm not here?" I look back at Paige and Jake. "Ok well, try to get some sleep? You could use it." Chase leaves the room alongside the others. I'm finally alone with them, just watching and waiting. I'm dozing off when white strobing light shines through the cracks of the blinds. don't...make...any...sound. I sat there not moving for a few minutes when it finally left. Phew, that was a close one, at least it didn't start strobing red. I start to doze off when an alarm starts blaring in the hospital. "ATTENTION ALL VISITORS, PATIENTS, AND HOSPITAL STAFF. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, THERE HAS BEEN A BREACH, EVERYONE MUST STAY IN A LOCKED ROOM UNTIL IT IS SAFE! MAY GOD BE WITH YOU ALL!" The alarm makes my ears ring. I sprint over to the door and frantically close and lock it. I hear someone bang on the door, pleading to be let in, but I don't let them in. ...I'm sorry. I step back watching for any indication that it's safe to open the door. Even though the hospital's lights didn't work, everything else still worked. In a blink of an eye, a blue light shines from under the door. Blue? that's certainly new...and somehow more terrifying than the red light. I looked at Jake and Paige to see if they were okay. They're still comatose, just laying there like nothing's going on. I chuckle to myself, walking back to the armchair in between Jake and Paige. I sit back down with a sigh. I grab both of their hands and softly rub the top of them. Please wake up guys, I can't lose you...not again. I stop holding their hands and grab a blanket from my bag. I cover myself in the blanket and doze off.

~~~~~~

I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the door. I stand up and before opening the door I look at the crack under it. No strobing light, sound. I open up the door and see it's one of the male nurses. "Hey, Ms.Hardy, so unfortunately we do not allow visiting today so you're going to have to leave your friends for today. You can come back all day tomorrow, m'kay?" He speaks in a polite tone. "Alright, it's probably for the best anyway." I grab my stuff and leave. Stepping out of the hospital, I wasn't very surprised that the sun was gone. It had been a few days since what happened back at Paige's house. I grab my phone and call Chase. "Hey, Liv." Chase greets me. "Hey," I step into my car. "What'cha you doin'?" I hear running water come through the phone. "Just leaving the hospital, they don't allow visiting today. What about you?" I start my car. "just doing the dishes, it's kinda a mess over here." I hear the sound of glasses clinking together. "Well, I gotta go. I'm heading to the store...wait no they're closed...indefinitely." I just now realize that life will never be the same again. "Okay, well see you in a bit." I hear Chase turn off the water. "yeah, see you in a bit." I hang up. How can I get flowers now? I can't go to the store because, where it's located, there's a riot happening there as well. Wait I know! My mother's garden. I speed off to my house knowing it wasn't too far away.

~~~~~~

I pull my car into the driveway and quickly step out. Not wanting to get the attention of my parents, I decided to hop the fence instead of going through the gate. I silently sprint over to the daisies and tulips. I grab out my pocket knife and start cutting the flowers. I got about six flowers when a flashlight got turned on and flashed at me. “Don’t turn around” I told myself. “Who’s out there?” the voice boomed across the lawn. I stayed still trying to wait them out. Suddenly a hand gripped my blonde hair so barbarically, it felt like they were going to rip my hair out at the roots. They then pulled me to the ground. I winced at the pain and the flashlight in my face. “Olivia?” the figure let go of me. I stood up and rubbed the back of my head. “Hi, dad…” I looked up at him. “Olivia, what are you doing out here, and where have you been that past week?” My dad dimmed the flashlight. “Picking flowers for a friend. I was also at Paige's house and the hospital.” I gripped the flower in my left hand. “Why the hospital?” He made a confused face. “Because two of my friends got shot with a gun and almost died!” I struggled with saying that. I know it’s been a few days since what happened at Paige’s house, but every time I think about it I have a mental breakdown. I’m scared that they're going to die. “Hey do you want to talk about it?” he gestured to the house. “Oh so suddenly you care? What about the past sixteen years? Why didn’t you care then? Oh, I know why, because you’re a selfish bastard that only wants to show off his little Prodigy. Well, guess what? You will never get that chance, not if I have anything to say about it.” I cut the rest of the flowers and started to walk off. “OLIVIA, GET BACK HERE!” my dad boomed his voice. “No, I don’t listen to you anymore!” I reached the fence.

I start to climb the fence but something grabs me by my hair and pulls me off. I get thrown to the ground and see it was my dad. “What the fuck-” my dad cuts me off my kicking me in the face which was followed by a chilling snap coming from my nose. “AAH! Shit shit shit shit! Why the fuck did you do that for?” I got onto my knees and softly tapped my nose..yeah..it’s broken alright. “Because all of your life you’ve been a selfish little brat that always gets her way!” He picked me up by the throat and pinned me against the side of the house. “Le-let….me….go…” I could barely breathe. I thrashed and kicked but he wasn’t budging. “You know I’ve always wanted to do this to you, get my revenge, per-say.” He pulled out a hidden gun from his shirt. I was struck with a burning fear to get away, but I couldn’t. “Please…let…me…go…” I desperately tried to get a good breath. “One pull of this trigger and I wouldn't have to worry about you anymore” he put the gun up to my abdomen. My vision started to go dark, so as a last feat to try and escape I try knee the gun out of his hand but I failed. “Don’t worry it won’t be long, one...two...three!” He pulled the trigger and a bullet was sent through my stomach. I open my mouth to scream but nothing came out. “There, see? Well, I have to get to bed, night sweetheart!” He leaned in and kissed me on my lips. Tears fell down my face as he did. I then felt the cold air flood into my lungs as he dropped me onto the ground. I breathed rapidly, if he had held me by my neck for thirty more seconds I would’ve passed out. I gripped my stomach where I had been shot, hoping to stop the rapid blood flow. I stood up and escaped to the street.

I opened my car door, my blood smearing the door handle. I started the ignition and raced off to the hospital. I could feel the blood spill out, my car was starting to look like a crime scene. I screeched into the parking lot and got out, my bloody hand smearing blood onto the window. I stumbled into the lobby and walked up to the front counter, leaving a crimson trail behind me. “I need medical assistance, I've been shot in the stomach.” I fought passing out. “O-okay ma’am!” the clerk dialed a number onto one of the phones. “I need help out in the lobby. I have a teenage girl bleeding from her abdomen and claiming to be shot.” The clerk sounds panicked. A few seconds later a group of doctors came into the lobby with a stretcher and helped me to it. I lay on the bed and got carried away. On the way, I heard on the overcome “Code Omega”. I looked to my right and saw the doctors in masks. But when I looked to my left I saw a tall palm tree. I then realized I wasn’t on a hospital bed anymore but I was instead laying on sand. I sat up quickly and saw I was on a beach somewhere tropical. I looked at my stomach and saw I wasn’t bleeding. Where am I? Why am I not in the hospital? I looked around and saw the ocean, it was a mesmerizing purpley-blue color that was sparkling with the moonlight. I wiped some sweat off my brow line, it was hot and humid…wherever I am. “Hey, Crackhead” a familiar voice calls out to me from behind. I turn around and see Jake and Paige