The cottage was steeped in shadow as Mavis sat by Axel's bedside, her fingers wrapped tightly around a damp cloth she'd been using to cool his forehead. Axel lay motionless, his breathing shallow, eyes closed as though he were lost in a place far beyond her reach. He had been unconscious for two days now, slipping into a stillness that both frightened and fascinated her.
That first night, as she kept vigil by his side, something impossible happened. A faint, ethereal glow had begun to seep through his shirt, originating from his chest and bathing the room in a soft, unearthly light. Her heart pounded as she watched, unable to look away. But within moments, the light vanished, leaving only silence and darkness behind.
But curiosity gnawed at her. Slowly, she reached out and lifted his shirt, just enough to glimpse the source of the glow. What she saw stopped her breath: a patch of his chest was...empty. There was no skin, no muscle, just a faint translucence, as though part of him didn't quite exist in the same way the rest of them did. It was like looking into a void—a shimmering, invisible space that shouldn't be possible. Panic tightened her chest as she stumbled back, gripping the bedpost for support.
"Axel?" she whispered, shaking his shoulder, but he remained unresponsive, lost in whatever deep trance held him.
The next night, she returned, bracing herself for what she might see. And again, the glow appeared, gentle but otherworldly, illuminating his face in a strange, ghostly light. This time, the translucent space seemed larger, spreading outward from his chest. She could almost see through him, as though parts of him were fading, slipping away like shadows at dawn.
Fear gnawed at her insides. What is happening to you? she wanted to scream, but no one could answer. Each night, the phenomenon returned, each time the translucence creeping further across his chest, inching outward. The world she had known—of quiet farm days and simple living—felt more distant with each passing night, as though Axel had pulled a part of her into a reality she had never asked to know.
By the fourth night, she could no longer ignore the dread that seized her heart. She clutched his hand tightly, leaning close to his ear, willing him to awaken. "Axel," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Please, come back. Tell me what's happening. I need you to wake up."
But Axel's breathing remained steady, his face calm as ever, unaware of the panic building inside her. Mavis felt helpless, anchored to his side but powerless to reach him, trapped between her duty to help and the fear of what he might truly be. As the night wore on, her only comfort was the hope that, somehow, he would awaken and bring answers to the mystery that haunted them both.
YOU ARE READING
"The Me She Never Had"
Acak"The Me She Never Had" tells the haunting and mysterious tale of Mavis, a girl who was born dead in one world, but alive in another. Unknown to her mother, Yvonne, Mavis has been living in a parallel reality-a realm where she exists as a vibrant you...
