A Sew Through Time [Banbudh And Budbak]

12: Nostalgic shock

The free fall numbed her senses. She could not comprehend whether she was alive or dead.

A finger twitched.

Her feet still shivered.

Her chest rose up and down.

Khushi opened her eyes, finding herself in the middle of a strange, desolate place. It was barren and slightly cold. The dark blue sky stared back at her from above. The lack of noise made her feel uncomfortable to a great extent; she could hear her own panting after regaining consciousness.

It was arduous to move even slightly. She tried to lift her head up, but it fell back on the grass, like a mold of mud weighing her spine down. A slight sensation returned into her lower body.

With great difficulty, she tried to balance her upper body in order to sit upright. She fell down again, failing miserably to do such a simple task. Her hands and legs felt like big chunks of iron burdening her entire body. Yet her intrepid mind did not give up.

She tried lifting her legs slowly, her knees had bent a little. Some hope sparked in her. Standing up, she tried to put her body weight on both her feet,  tripping and falling on her hips and hands.

Blinking abruptly, she tried to remember. The big venue hall, the lines, the chaos, the white... the blue, the void. She could not recall further. Looking into her hands, she noticed her palms were pink, the knuckles and finger joints were bright red.

The sky above was transforming into another colour. If it was dawn then she would probably be safe; if not, it would be the most mettlesome for her to escape the darkness and protect herself. She sat upright, perfectly this time. Bending her knees, she balanced her body above her feet.

She crashed down.

Struggling for half an hour, she was finally able to lift herself up. She turned around slowly to observe the area. Nobody lingered there. The yellow pricks of grass beneath tickled her knees. She wriggled her toes inside the dirty sneakers, the laces were loosened. She moved her hands, her fingers, her pink wrists.

Looking down, she discovered her clothes too dirty. Her shoes were muddy, her face felt dusty. Some of her fingernails bore cracks, her hair was messed up; black threads tangled with one another. The overwhelming fatigue did not wear off yet.

The overgrown long yellow grass hindered her sight as she looked around again.

Distant sounds wafted from afar. There was a road near the field. Feeling that it led somewhere to her town, she decided to walk towards it when someone yelled.
Turning her head around, she discovered shadowy figured coming out of the crooked old hut across her sight.
Terror-stricken, she tried to run away, but her ankles stung from pain. Managing to stay upright, she limped towards the road a few metres away from a field, leaving the eldritch place safely.

The sky dawned with a creamy pink hue. The streetlamps were still brightly lit, forming shadows across the empty streets. Panting near a streetlamp, she tried to breathe normally again when she heard a pack of dogs barking at a distance. Fearing she might get attacked, she dodged the lamp and scurried out of the street.

Birds began gathering in the skies. The main road was half-empty, except for the men pulling garbage trucks and the boys on bicycles delivering newspapers around each block. Some in sports wear were jogging through the footpath and some mysterious ones strolling. She watched a large Volvo bus returning to its humungous depot, the clock tower nearby it. Shop gates were slowly clattering open, their owners watching the poor little girl running around.

Speculating the streets, Khushi tried remembering which road was the the road towards her home. Her hands searched her pockets, feeling to call either one of her friends. They could be the only ones who'll help her get out of this unnerving situation.