GARDEN OF MEMORY

CHAPTER 17

I woke up in the middle of the night, feeling Khalil's absence beside me. I immediately got out of bed and searched for him, but he wasn't anywhere in the house. I had no idea where he could be, but my feet led me to a large building, glowing brightly in the darkness. Khalil was standing in front of it.

He turned to me, a smile on his face. "They're waiting for you," he said.

Confused, I asked, "Who? What do you mean?"

He pulled me towards a field of flowers, their petals shimmering in the night. "Everything you've seen, everything you've felt, it's all a dream," he said, his voice soft. "We're not real, Kahil and I. We don't exist in your world."

I was stunned. "What do I need to know?" I asked.

He took my hands in his, his eyes filled with a strange sadness. "It's all just a dream," he repeated, his voice trembling. "You need to wake up."

I couldn't believe it. Was it all just a dream? Was Khalil not real? Was this world not real?

"No, I don't believe you," I whispered, tears finally spilling down my cheeks. "Believe it or not, this is all not real."

Khalil kissed me, his lips soft and warm. "I love you," he whispered, his voice filled with a bittersweet tenderness. It felt like a goodbye. The last thing I heard was his voice, soft and reassuring, "We'll meet again, in time." Then, darkness enveloped me.

I woke up in a hospital bed, my family surrounding me. Their faces were a mixture of shock and relief. I could see the worry in their eyes, the joy in their smiles.

"Mom, Dad," I said, my voice trembling. "Did you see Khalil? Did you see Kahil?"

My parents exchanged confused glances. "Khalil? Kahil? Who are they, honey?" my mother asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Khalil, he's my... he's my love," I stammered, my voice breaking. "And Kahil, he's... he's my friend."

My father shook his head, his expression pained. "There's no Khalil, no Kahil, honey. We don't know anyone by those names."

I felt myself slipping back into the darkness, my heart screaming in protest. "No! It's all real! You have to believe me!" I cried, my voice filled with desperation.

My parents looked at each other, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear and helplessness. They called for a nurse. A sharp prick in my arm, and then everything went dark.

The dream was gone, but the feeling of Khalil's love lingered, a bittersweet echo in my heart. I was back in the real world, but a part of me still longed for the dream, for the love that felt so real, even if it wasn't.