Lying Cold

0.3

The effort was overwhelming to force the door open as I had gone so long without proper health care and was extremely malnourished in that prospect.

After the heftiest push I could muster the door broke open. Daylight swarmed in and momentarily brought me to a daze. The new readjustment of fresh air hit me and my feet began to move.

Slowly at first, to get used to the feel of the earth under my bare feet, then gradually, they grew faster. Faster and faster. Until the wind slapped against my face, stinging and piercing.

My lungs felt as if they would collapse by the pressure from the old feel of air.

My feet ached after a while but I would not stop. Continuing on I had no clue where I was headed. I could not go back home or anywhere near there, it was obvious and dangerous.

Lights illuminated the darkness nearing the edge of the woods. After a while they passed with speed and I came to the conclusion it was a road. I aimed for it.

Only on occasion did a vehicle pass making it beyond impossible to hail a ride. After a few precious minutes wasted I came to the conclusion that on foot was safer and faster than trying to attract the attention of a driver.

Cautiously, I crossed the mainly deserted road and entered the woods on the other side. The trees and foliage were thicker than on the previous and it was difficult to manoeuvre between bushes and thorns.

My feet were red raw to match my slowly recovering wrists and ankles. The baggy cloth I wore clung to my sweat lined skin. My hair remaining matted on the back of my head.

Dehydration was a quickly gaining issue as I searched for a water source of any kind and my luck ran thin.

The land stretched miles without a single source of water to be encountered. Lacking hesitation I collapsed onto a nearby bolder that rested beneath a large willow tree.

The air was hot and clammy which did not aid my growing thirst. After everything dehydration was going to be the cause of my death.

Reluctantly, I decided to trudge on further leaving the shelter of the willow tree long behind. Not long into my gentle amble i became dizzy and overpowered by thirst that I could not stop myself from the sudden fall I next experienced.

I was sure my head had hit something but I couldn't care any less than I already did as once again my body fell unconscious.

...

A bright light.

A white bright light.

And a pounding head.

And the smell of antiseptic.

A hospital?

It took a lot of energy to eventually lift myself up to survey my surroundings.

It was in fact a hospital. If it was real I was yet to discover.

A bandage was firmly wrapped over my head and my ragged clothes were replaced by a white hospital gown.

The realisation or the fact I was delirious from my head injury encouraged my first positive thought.

I was free.