Hers Freely

57. Disheartening Madness

 Ella

I was drifting through a thick haze of silence, teetering on the edge of reality. However, there was a dull persistent ache throughout my body that came and went. Every now and then, short-lived moments of memories flickered faintly, only to vanish quickly. Everything was kind of blurry, like the world had been painted in shades of gray, then sounds slowly morphed into whispers that didn't make much sense. I was trying so hard to wake up from this surreal dreamscape. But it felt like I hadn't been truly awake for what seemed like forever. I was struggling to reach the brightness, only to be continuously pulled down as if fighting my way up from the depths of a lake, where the water was so thick and murky, it was hard to tell which way was up.

Fading from one thought to another, a gruff male voice broke through the murkiness. "When will she wake up?" The question sent a ripple of urgency through my muddled mind. It was as if the words themselves were a lifeline, pulling me toward the surface.

My heart pounded as I strained to make sense of their words and break free from this limbo.

Was Jonah here? Did I imagine him? His soothing voice, those piercing green eyes, and the comforting feeling of his arms around me... It seemed like a faded dream.

" There's nothing we can do." Another male spoke up, his voice full of worry but I could tell there was tension between them. "I asked. When. Will. She. Wake." Each word dripped with impatience.

"I d-don't know Alpha....?" The second person's voice stumbled, like they were scared of saying the wrong words.

"Alpha?" .............Where the hell am I?

"You're the healer.... you should know or are you just a waste of space?" The Alpha's voice roared with a mix of frustration and anger, echoing all around me.

"I'm sorry Alpha, I'm doing all I can for both of them. If he knows she's okay he... may be able to take back control."

I clenched my eyes shut as much as I could, hoping to somehow muffle the panic rising in me. What on earth were they talking about? And why were they speaking so harshly?

"What do you fuckin' mean by 'may'?" The Alpha snarled, the fury in his voice reverberated through the room as the harsh sounds of glass shattering and something snapping seemed nearby.

This only amplified my need to wake up, piercing through the cloudiness of my mind. I felt my muscles start to stir from their stiff slumber. A tingling sensation spread through my fingertips, growing warmer as it traveled up my arms. It was as if my body was slowly coming back to life, each nerve waking from a long sleep. My eyelids felt heavy and reluctant, but determined to open and let in the light. The chaos outside my mind was becoming really intense. Every word spoken around me seemed to tighten the grip of uncertainty and had me questioning if I truly wanted the answers. Yet, a relentless will pushed against the haze that was keeping me trapped, even though I was safe here from the chaos. Taking a deep breath, I called upon whatever energy I had left. Seconds later, my eyes opened a bit, fluttering like a butterfly's wings.

The room was lit with a soft, flickering glow that cast dancing shadows on the walls. There was a familiar smell, and I lazily gave a look around, quickly finding what was causing all the trouble—the Alpha was Elrix. Seeing Elrix filled me with a confusing mixture of emotions. Part of me felt relieved by his presence, while another part trembled with fear, unsure of his intentions or the situation I had found myself in. Memories of past encounters flooded my mind, leaving me wary of what would come next. 

Next to Elrix was the healer, who detested me, all hunched over this rustic table, cluttered with plants and strange shaped bottles, his hands shaking as he was smashing stuff together in a bowl-like thing. The light from the lanterns were flickering and making his face look older and more dramatic. Though, when he looked up and saw me, his eyes went wide as his eyes met mine.