Dawn

Chapter 01 - Genesis

Genesis

[noun]

the birth of something new

She must be dead.

It wasn’t worth considering any other option.

She must be dead.

She felt like it.

Her bones felt like lead, her muscles stiff and frozen. Her arm felt like it had been set on fire. She was in pain in places she never thought existed. Yes, she decided dramatically.

Imlie, formerly of Pagdandiya, now of the underworld, was dead.

Sigh.

Wait, she reasoned.

Somewhere in the deep pit of darkness that she was in, she realized she must be still connected to the land of the living. Her pain was an indication that her life was ongoing. How well or how long…that was still questionable.

Ok, step 1, breathe.

Keep breathing, she coached herself. She was alive. That was a good thing.

Thank you, Sita Maiyya.

The fog in her mind started clearing as she picked up new noises. Someone was nearby, talking, shuffling around. She felt herself being covered with something warm, and light.

A blanket? she questioned.

Step 2, wake up. She tried to open her eyes but it felt like they had been glued shut for years. Her head felt like an anvil had been dropped on it. Repeatedly.

Step 3, try again. She reached deep for strength and cracked her eyes the tiniest bit open only to immediately shut them in pain, blinded by the light. She groaned miserably.

Immediately, she felt inquiring hands on her shoulders and her face. A deep rumbling voice repeatedly mumured her name.

She took a steadying breath and slowly lifted her eyelids. It took time for her eyes to adjust to the onslaught of brightness around her. As the sharpness behind her eyes receded, she became aware of someone looming over her, the light behind them creating a halo around their silhouette.

An angel?

She shook her head slightly, as though to orient herself. As her vision cleared, she tried to focus on the face above her only to meet a pair of concerned brown eyes.

A man, she thought mildly. Not an angel.

She blinked. A really good-looking man, she corrected, now staring at him.

“Are you ok, Imlie? Can you hear me?” he asked.

She groaned again in response. She couldn’t form words, her lips were dry and her throat was parched. She was left alone for a minute when she heard him rush towards the door to hail a nurse. She tried to roll over and lean on her side, attempting to prop herself up to a sitting position. She had overestimated her strength and started to fall over when sturdy arms grabbed her and sat her firmly against the pillows.

“Couldn’t you wait a minute? You just woke up, so take it easy dammit,” he barked.

So much for bedside manners, Imlie mused.

She tried to moisten her lips to speak again, her hand gently feeling her throat as though to soothe it.

“Here, have some water,” he said, bringing a cup to her lips. She grasped it like a lifeline, gulping down the water in large mouthfuls.