GALEMETRYO

Prologue

The sun warmed my skin, and the gentle waves whispered in the background, creating the perfect beach day with Liz and Marion. We were having a blast, laughing and chatting, when suddenly, the scene shifted. Lights on the ceiling replaced the blue sky, and confusion clouded my mind as I tried to figure out where I was.

My eyelids fluttered open, and the beach fantasy vanished. Instead, I found myself at a place that looked nothing like a beach. It was a room with white walls, beeping machines, and that sterile hospital smell. Panic set in as I realized I was in a hospital or clinic of some sort.

"Why am I here?" I mumbled; my voice shaky. I tried to remember what had happened, but my mind drew a blank. I recalled feeling dizzy, and then darkness.

"Ben, are you awake?" Liz's voice, full of concern, brought me back to the present. Marion's voice, equally worried, joined in, asking if I was okay.

I didn't respond right away; my memory was still a jumbled mess. I found myself lying in a hospital bed, completely disoriented. This wasn't how I had expected the day to go.

Finally, I mustered the strength to open my eyes fully. Liz and Marion were there, looking relieved yet anxious.

"Ben, are you awake now?" Liz asked, adding a teasing jab. "Stop acting like a princess and man up."

Marion chimed in, trying to lighten the mood. "Liz, give him a break."

I turned to Liz, my confusion evident. "Liz, what happened to me?" I asked, my voice trembling. "I can't remember anything after feeling dizzy."

Liz's playful tone shifted to seriousness. "We don't really know," she explained, "but you were talking with us, and then you fainted. Marion called for help, and now you're here."

But then Marion shared something that piqued my interest. "While you were sleeping," he began, pausing briefly. "I called for the nurse to help you. I was worried and kept checking on you."

Unable to resist teasing Marion, I quipped, "Aww, what a thoughtful gentleman, saving his princess."

Liz chuckled, but Marion looked bashful. "I just did what anyone should do," he mumbled. 

"Maybe we shouldn't have bothered saving you," he teased, breaking the silence that had fallen over us.

Liz interrupted him, sounding a tad irritated. "Marion, that's enough," she said firmly.

"Wait a minute. How long was I asleep?"

Marion hesitated, then sighed. "You slept through almost the entire night," he admitted.

I couldn't believe it. "Just one night?" I scoffed, feigning nonchalance. Ehhhhh? A freaking WHOLE NIGHT????

Liz, however, had a different reaction. "A whole night, my dear Ben?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening together with her scary tone. "Yes, a whole night," she confirmed with a grin, her tone teasing.

She playfully shoved me, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Come on," she said, feigning annoyance, "because of you, I didn't get a good night's sleep. You're responsible if a pimple pops up on my face."

Liz went on a playful rant about her lack of sleep, and I couldn't quite catch all her words, but it was clear she was in high spirits despite her complaints. It was unusual to see her so animated, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

With a wink, I tried to ease her frustration. "I promise to be on my best behavior," I said. "You look like a monster hag when you're mad. Ha-ha-ha!"

We shared a few more laughs, and everything seemed fine for a while. But as time passed, I began to sense something was off. There was an unspoken tension hanging in the air, and my carefree mood slowly gave way to a growing unease.