Tell Me Why You Love Me

New Year

It was very dark.

"Adrien! No!"

Everything ached and burned.

"He's over here."

The tenebrous architecture hung over his eyes.

"I need an oxygen mask."

There was a faint flash of red and blue. Was it this tunnel? Was it the sun?

Had it finally fallen down? Why was it so bright, yet he could see absolutely nothing?

That was a lie. He did see something.

Adrien caught a glimpse of a field of daisies. There was nothing surrounding it. Just tall grass and the scent of the ocean with no water nearby. It was a strange place to be in, but he didn't mind it. The breeze was inviting. Cool and brisk. The sun shined down on the land like a beam of life. It was peaceful. His head no longer throbbed here. There was no longer blood streaming down his temple. No taste of copper on his tongue. It was a field of comfortable silence.

A woman stood in the center of it all. Her back was facing him. Her blond hair wisped along with the wind, feathering around her neck and down her back. She was dressed in all white.

There was a loud thump in Adrien's chest when she turned her head.

Her eyes, illuminating an emerald green in the sun, peered directly at Adrien. Her lids were hung low. Calm. Relaxed. Familiar. It was as if the answer to life was called onto her.

She held her own hands in front of her, smiling softly. She was accepting him. Adrien didn't know why he knew. He just did.

Mom.

Adrien tried to walk toward her, but it seemed like with every step he took, she got further and further away.

No. He wasn't ready.

His mom, so gentle and warm, looked away. She faced the horizon, taking small steps in the grass. Into the white daisies. Her body became more transparent with every step until she faded into the atmosphere. Never to be seen again.

And Adrien accepted it.

He blinked, and the field was gone. There were no more rays of light casting shadows in the grass. No more daisies or calm winds to keep him company.

Just vast emptiness.

Adrien took in a sudden breath, feeling the sharp pain rush through his lungs all so suddenly. It hit him faster than he expected. His muscles throbbed and ached with any movement he made, causing him to go stiff.

His chest froze. It was like he couldn't breathe. He opened his mouth, but something blocked him from uttering a single word. The warmth of the environment faded away as he became more aware of pricking stabs of pain that pulsed throughout his entire body. He wanted to hold onto himself, to wrap his arms around his torso, but it was like he couldn't move.

A beeping noise grew closer to him the harder he tried to move or talk. It sounded like it was right by his head but still foggy in the background. His arms suddenly picked up a comforting feeling. It was as if he was being held in a cloud or cushion.

His body came back to him. Other than the beeping of some machine, there was chatter near him. Perhaps next to him. Adrien couldn't tell. It seemed like he was still gaining some sense of consciousness. He was very aware of his breathing and how he felt his chest rise and compress with every inhale and exhale. It was almost therapeutic.

The taste in his mouth was nonexistent and dry. He was surprised to have the lack of metal lingering on his tongue, but he wasn't complaining. He felt clean.