"ATAAAAAAAAR.... you..."
Before I could even complete my outcry, the door to my room swung open, revealing my mom's bewildered face, her voice quivering with concern.
"Malik, what's going on, my kid?" she asked, her eyes widening as she spotted the blood trickling from my nose.
"Malik, what did you do to yourself?" she added.
"I did nothing, Mom... nothing," I reassured her.
But in the back of my mind, I couldn't shake the nagging question: What had ATAR done to me this time? My mom sprang into action, grabbing a shirt and dabbing at my face with a mix of panic and determination.
"Tell me, son. What have you done to yourself this time?" she implored.
"Nothing, Mom. I swear," I insisted, struggling to comprehend the chaos of the moment.
"Put on some clean clothes, we're going to the hospital," she commanded.
"No, Mom. I'm fine, really," I protested, but she was having none of it.
"Your father will drive us. Be ready in five minutes and take your meds with you," she added firmly before exiting the room.
As I gathered my things in a daze, ATAR's voice slipped into the room like a shadow, urging me onward with cryptic whispers.
"Don't fight it, Malik. Let the anger out. Go to the hospital. I'll be there," he murmured as if he didn't want to be heard"
"Malik, let's go!" my mom's voice echoed from downstairs, snapping me back to reality.
Hurrying down the stairs, I grabbed my bag and put every meds my eyes could glimpse and headed down the stairs not knowing how I wore my clothes nor my shoes. It was as if I traveled 5 minutes into the future and with amnesia.
To my surprise, my father remained silent throughout the journey, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. But when I glanced into the mirror, I found ATAR's face staring back at me, a strange sense of calm washing over me like a wave. Lost in the surreal moment, I was jolted back to reality by my father's concerned voice.
"Malik, are you okay? You've been staring at me the whole ride," he exclaimed.
"No, Dad, just sleepy. Sorry," I chuckled.
Arriving at the hospital, I was greeted by a flurry of activity as nurses bustled about. Suddenly a voice started telling me to go to sleep, but I couldn't do so. I wasn't tired or sleepy. Lying on the bed, I watched as they plugged in various devices, their purpose a mystery to me. But as the sedative took hold, I felt myself drifting into a dreamlike state, the world around me melting away like wax.
"Go to sleep, Malik," a voice whispered, and for once, I obeyed, letting the darkness swallow me whole as I surrendered to the unknown.
YOU ARE READING
DOLOR
FantasyAfter a long day at school, Malik, a 22-year-old boy heads to his dark messy room to get some much-needed rest that night. A night that he will never forget.
