Inside the Shadow

Chapter four: Making me feel like prey -POV: Mairi

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"Steroid injections are..." I heard voices coming and going as I slowly tried to wake myself. As I began to slightly open my eyes, I was blinded by several overhanging lights. I shut my eyes once more, giving them a break from the light's intensity. "Mairi?" came another unfamiliar voice close by. I slightly peeked over and saw several men and women, some in blue scrubs and even fewer in white coats. I tried to lift my arm and felt shooting pains. I glanced down and noticed an IV in my right arm. I laid my arm back down, knowing the more I would move, the worse the pain would become. "Huh?" I asked, still quite groggy and unsure of exactly what was currently playing out in front of me. As my eyes finally adjusted to the brightness of the room, I realized the man talking was holding up an extremely large needle, ready to insert it into my skin. "What is that?" I asked, startled by how long the needle was. "It will help with the pain you are feeling. You have been diagnosed with extreme sciatica due to a herniated lumbar disk." The doctor responded, squirting some of the liquid out of the tip. "Are you ready?" He asked, preparing me for the shot. "Do it." I muttered, still quite out of it. And with one intense pain in my shoulder joints came some relief from the aching coming from my back. "How was that?" The male nurse assisting him asked me while helping to prepare a new needle. "It hurt, but not like my back does." I uttered through panicked breathing. "Alright Mairi, we have to give you one more." The doctor stated, raising the fresh needle. I closed my eyes and turned away, allowing myself to keep from having a full-blown panic attack. With one more intensely deep breath, I felt the last shot released into my hip. "Ow.." I stammered trying to avoid the fact that my back was the true source of my pain overall.  
    
      I relaxed once more now that the doctor had walked away, congregating with some nurses and other doctors presently in the room. As I tried to calm my breathing, I could feel the IV in my arm slowly releasing medication, relieving my pain slightly. As I glanced down, I noticed a large amount of gauze, wrapped completely around my torso to secure my back injury and to prevent it from bleeding everywhere. "Excuse me," I stated hoping to get the attention of one of the doctors in the room. "Yes, Mairi?" Questioned the same man who had just walked away. I glanced at him and read his ID. 'Doctor Joltly. Strange last name.' I thought. "What is Sciatica?" I questioned, wanting a detailed explanation of my condition. I couldn't quite remember how I had gotten injured so intensely. "Well, Sciatica is damage to one's Sciatic nerve, your condition seems to be far more severe." He looked away as if he wanted to keep the worst of it hidden. "With your condition, Mairi, there are some complex aftermath. I would like to debrief all of the details concerning when your parents are present, not only due to you still being a minor but because I feel you will want some support." He stated.  
     
      I took another heavy inhale just as I noticed a monitor to my right began to appear flatlined. The obnoxious screeching left a ringing around my head leaving me dizzy. Amidst a dread within my stomach, all of the people in the room ceased to exist and I was alone now in the dark. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some sort of shadow-like arm coming up over the blue blanket on the bed from underneath. It inched closer to me until it revealed its full form no longer hidden beneath the bed. The figure shaped out to resemble a dark, extremely tall, and lanky shadow with glowing ruby eyes. It seemed to float, hovering over the left side of the bed. I simply watched helplessly, unable to move, as its long and wispy fingers wrapped around my throat immediately releasing all of the air from my lungs. As I felt myself losing my strength, the creature decided to release its grip. With a demonic scowl, it voiced, "You're ours." At this moment I knew this was just a warning about whatever kind of horror was to come next. With one exerted breath I let out a bloodcurdling scream as if it could ward off the attack. As I closed my eyes trying to flinch, the last thing I saw was the space fully lit red as the shadow faded its way out of the room, seemingly hiding in the dark abyss of the opening beyond the doorway.
      
      "Mairi?!" Came a familiar voice as another shriek released from my lungs. I was gently shaken. "Mairi! It's me! Please open your eyes!" came the voice once again. I finally opened my eyes slightly to see that the one talking was Zach. "Min! Are you alright?" He questioned me seeing as I was screaming so intensely. "Baby!" Zach exclaimed. He wrapped his arms around me causing me to release a pained groan. "I am so sorry!" He stated, breaking away from me. "It's okay." I muttered trying to hide my pain. "My poor baby girl!" Cried my mother, coming closer to brush some of my loose hairs out of my eyes. She gently rubbed my cheek, letting out a whimpered sigh. "How do you feel sweetheart?" Asked my dad. I looked toward him and noticed the concern on his face. "I've been better." I stated, giggling. "That's my girl." He said back, petting the top of my head. The chuckle I let out made my body ache. My mom kissed my forehead, and I felt as if she could take all of the pain away. "Love you guys." I managed to say quite exhausted.  
     
      "Now that we are finally all together, I believe it is time to deliver the serious news." Stated Dr. Krueger as she approached the group surrounding my bed. My parents glanced at each other as my stomach dropped. 'Is serious just a more professional way of saying bad?' I thought to myself. Now, more worried than before, we all waited patiently for Dr. Krueger to deliver us the revelation. "Now, as I am sure you are all aware, Mairis's condition shows severe sciatica which is damage to the sciatic nerve in her back. The train rubbed her raw." She paused as if to let us prepare for what was to come next. I glanced at my parents, both of them holding each other tightly. Zach standing at my side, trying to not touch any part of me, not wanting to cause me any pain. "When the damage is this severe it is normally cause for surgery. This procedure is naturally only an option when the damage has seriously affected mobility." Dr. Krueger stated. "What do you mean mobility?" Questioned my dad quite worried, as we all were. "What I mean, quite literally is her ability to walk." With the thought of that, my mom let out a small shriek as she came back to my side, trying to comfort me. "So, what are the risks of this surgery?" Asked my dad. I glanced over towards Zach who was beginning to wear his concern on his sleeve. His matted hair, puffy eyes, and the worry in his expression. Dr. Krueger took a step closer to my dad. "With the surgery, it will be to remove her ruptured lumbar disk causing the Sciatica. The procedure is called microdiscectomy. It is to prevent her from potentially becoming sort of paralyzed, however, we cannot guarantee it will improve her pain. There is also a risk of the Sciatica coming back. "The idea that I had to go into surgery made all my arm hair stand on end, a dark shadow of fear surrounding my bed.  
    
      "Oh, baby girl." My mom sputtered as she stroked my face once more. "Let's do it then." I stated, not wanting to be stuck this way forever. "Well let's not rush things dear, you just woke up." My dad remarked. Zach, still at my side, leaned over me so we were face to face. "I love you Mairi, and I will no matter how this turns out." I leaned forward beside the pain so that I could quickly steal a kiss before he could pull away. "I love you too Zach." I answered as I laid back. "I love you guys too." I said looking over at both of my parents. "We love you too." They both responded practically at the same time. "I want to do this now though." I stated once more, not wanting to argue about it. "We can begin as soon as the preparations for the procedure are completed, and as you all should know, we will be using anesthetic." Beamed Dr. Krueger, as if she were excited to perform the surgery. "Well, we will not stop you, of course dear. We just wanted to be with you before you went. We love you." My dad stammered as my mom nodded in agreement. "Alright." I said. "I know I just said this but, I love you, Min." Zach said as he rubbed his thumb across my cheek. I could feel my face becoming red. Of all the times to get embarrassed, this was the worst. I then decided that a kiss would be a suitable response. As I began to pull away from Zach's lips, he leaned in deeper, not wanting to leave quite yet. I smirked still pressed against his intense kiss, him smiling in return. As he pulled away, Dr. Krueger seemed to eagerly want to move things along.  
     
      "Alright everyone, the surgery will last up to three hours so if you all would like to rest at home in the meantime you can." She stated. "However, we do allow up to three people to wait in the surgery waiting area." My mom and dad held each other as if one of them might just float away. "We will wait in the other room, however long it takes." My dad voiced. "I will too!" Stated Zach, glancing back at me as they all made their way out of the room, Dr. Krueger shutting the door behind her. I gazed around the room, there still being a few nurses as well as Dr. Joltly. Already having previously been dressed in a hospital gown I knew it would not be very much longer before I would be brought into surgery. I began to lift my arm which had no IV and immediately had to lay it back down. All the pain rushed to the parts I had just moved. The fear of never being able to walk again started to creep back into my mind like a looming shadow. "Are we ready dear?" came a voice. I glanced up, still sort of dazed. Dr. Joltly stood closer preparing to transport my bed and IV to the room where the procedure would be taking place. "Now or never." I answered, just wanting to see myself walk once more. As the bed began to roll towards the door, now held open by a female nurse with a blonde bob, Erin popped into my mind. The idea that I could be dead, and he probably does not even know I am here. The fact that I haven't sent him any sort of message might cause him to worry. Seeing as he is my best friend, we quite text often. I began to wonder if what had happened earlier, with Zach, had scared him off. It would seem that was exactly what Zach would seem, that would be exactly what Zach would have wanted.  

      Making our way down the hall, I noticed framed art hanging up on the walls. The plaques read that they were donated from Clover Valley High's very own art program. The first few were all paintings of the calla lilies showing how newly presented they were, seeing as the flowers were planted only months before. The intensity of all the red, yellow, and purple held me in a sort of trance. The idea of disappearing, becoming lost in those lilies like a hungry caterpillar. The next piece of art breaks me away from my haze. It was nowhere near as colorful and cheery. The representation of true darkness overwhelmed the journey as each new frame presented itself. Each one showed a sort of shadowy form, slowly shaping itself into a truly demonic figure similar to what I had encountered before in the other room, the figure that I had brushed off, assuming it was merely a dream. This one, however, still having the same glowing ruby eyes, was shaped more largely build than the last which was tall and lanky. As time itself stood still, the presence grew nearer, practically coming out of the frame, its sharp eyes, with its shadowy form seeping from the paper, hoping to reach my very soul. I wanted to run but I obviously couldn't. Time still seemingly frozen, the only movement coming from the looming manifestation, as well as my pounding heart. As the Shadow began to surround my head, As the Shadow began to surround my head, I heard its coarse voice whisper, "You will be with us soon enough." The moment that I felt my body want to scream, the world began to go on as before, now with the demonic art replaced by more calla lilies like the ones before. 

      My heart still beating out of my chest, I glanced up at Dr. Joltly as if he would protect me if that flowing creature were to come back for me as promised. He was focused on what was ahead, so I laid back down, preparing myself for the coming surgery. I tried to calm myself but all I could think about was those red glowing eyes surrounded by the heaviest storm forming into an illusion of a humanoid shape. '"You're ours." 'What do they mean?' I thought of remembering that detail from the first event. The image of the deathly smoke making true to their promise, bringing me into a room of red. The red of the room matching the darting eyes of the creatures, making me feel like prey. My heart couldn't be tamed, it was still strongly beating fast. "Okay." I said to attempt to think logically. I am in a hospital about to have surgery and once it is all over, I can leave and feel safe at home, away from whatever the smoke was. 

      As we reached the operation room, I thought about the whole idea of being put to sleep by drugs. It is a safe procedure when done by professionals though. 'I hope my doctors will be.' I thought as they brought me under several hanging lights and held a mask over my mouth and nose. As I felt my eyes start to waver, I gazed up to see a pair of ruby-red eyes hovering above the doctors who were all now wearing blue masks. Smoke formed around them while an uneasy feeling settled in my gut. Even with all of the other people in the room, the creature still seemed to be fixated on me directly. Their red eyes burned into my brain as the overwhelming anesthetic began to strip my consciousness away. "You're ours." I heard faintly once again hoping this was all really just a lucid dream, this all leading me to the deepest sleep I had ever known.