Summer Of Echoes

Chapter 1

Ali and Garrett lay in her bed together tangled up in her white sheets. It is late morning and the sun shines through her sheer curtains bringing a bit of warmth into her cool room. She lays next to Garrett with her head on his chest and he runs his fingers through her hair. Their naked bodies pressed closed together with her legs intertwined with his. Nights spent with him are euphoric to Ali. It is as if the world stops turning when she is in his arms.

"What are you thinking about?" Garrett asks as his hand moves from her hair to her back. He traces his finger up and down her spine causing her tiny hairs to stand straight up.

"You." Ali replies.

"What about me?"

She looks up into his light brown eyes and smiles. "How happy you make me."

"Oh really?" He asks playfully before kissing her lips.

"Mmhmm." She replies. "What are you thinking about?"

He lays his head back on the pillow and lets out a deep sigh as he stares at the ceiling. "What your dad will do to me if he walks in here and sees us like this."

Ali laughs and lifts her head off Garrett's chest so she can face him while twirling his brown hair with her fingers. "You're scared of my dad?" she sarcastically asks.

His eyes widened in disbelief of her question. "Have you seen your father?? He is a very scary man."

She lays back on the pillow. "He's a big softy. Besides, he is in town buying feed and supplies, so he won't be back for a while."

Garrett rolls over and lays on top of Ali with his upper body held up by his elbows. "So... you're saying we have time for round two?" He tenderly moves her hair away from her eyes.

Ali laughs and kisses him. "I think so."

Garrett places one hand behind her neck and the other under her thigh as he kisses her.

"I love you, Garrett." She whispers.

"I love you too, Ali."

~~~

Strange beeping sounds disturb Ali's sleep and pull her away from the amazing dream she is having. Her eyes feel heavy and strained, making opening them seem difficult. When she is finally able to open them, her vision is blurry. Trying to look around, she only sees shadows. The beeping sound continues, more solid now that she is awake. She closes her eyes for a moment and when she re-opens them, her vision is clearer, and she can see that she is not in her room. The room she is in is white and plain. There is a single tv mounted high up on the wall in the corner of the room and one large white-out board on the adjacent wall with a bunch of writing on it, including her name. Looking to her left, she can see the source of the beeping and realizes she is in the hospital. She begins slowly feeling her body and looks down at her chest to see many wires connected to her and each arm has small tubes connected to her at the veins.

Panic instantly begins to set in, and she frantically looks around the room, but she is alone. The beeping noises grow louder in her ears and a light-headed feeling begins filling her head. Soon, a nurse enters her room and when she realizes Ali is awake, she calls down the hall for help before rushing to Ali's bedside. "Miss. Kirkland, my name is Wendy. I am your nurse. Everything is okay. I need you to try to stay calm okay." She rubs Ali's arm with one arm and rubs her forehead with the other.

"Where am I?" Ali asks in a terrified tone.

"You are in the hospital. You were in an accident, but you are okay. You have just been asleep for a little while." She continues caressing Ali, trying to keep her calm.