Immortal (#Wattys 2017)

Chapter 1

Everything went black.

I can't see.

I'm scared.

Am I dead?

My eyes opened to heavily blurred vision, pain shooting across every part of my body. The only thing I could see was black and red, until after what felt like hours, my vision had sharpened enough to realize the black was the forest surrounding my weak and small body.

The red however....was stained blood. I knew it was mine, and it startled me badly. I cried, scared out of my mind. Then I stopped, realizing what should of been my terrible fate. I shot up, experiencing deep pain from my protesting back.

I was supposed to be dead, but I was alive...how though, and why? I remember that awful gem I accidently swallowed, and felt my stomach as if it were a black hole. The gem was gone, making me scared and confused.

Everything was defying logic right now, and decided that some things are better left unexplained, and decided to look at my wounds, which, also defying logic, were miraculously healed.

I-I should be dead....wh-what .....what's happening to me...?

But pushed the thought away, not wanting to panic. I was confused by how I was, but glad I was alive. I slowly got up, realizing the sun was coming up. I must've been out for a while, I reasoned. My attention then went to my mother, who was now possibly dead due to my cowardice, and ran as fast as my legs could carry me back to the cottage we resided in.

I slowly approached the ajar door, before cautiously peeking through.
My mother had a cloth over her wound in her side. She was barely alive, causing me to panic internally. But somehow my body remained in a calm state, and I stopped, suddenly feeling as though it was okay, when it clearly wasn't.

I calmly walked over to the first aid kit in the bottom cupboard under the oak counter, full of bandages and medicine. I was baffled by myself acting as though nothing was wrong, but gently and softly approached my dear mother, who finally saw me and calmed her panicked expression, her breathing calming down.

I sat down carefully, setting the first aid kit in front of me, whilst I opened it, I instantly grabbed some wrap around bandages, and gently applied them to her very injured body. I gave her some painkillers, and helped her slowly upstairs and to her bed. As I set her there, I covered her up, before I saw her mouth a thank you, before a tear rolled down her cheek, and fell asleep.

Her midnight black hair was beautifully strewn about the bed, her previously stained fair skin on her face now wiped gently clean, her stained long light blue nightgown covered her wounds, helping the bandage. When her crystal blue eyes had closed, her body held a peaceful look.

I exited the room, knowing she was going to be okay. After a few hours of letting her sleep, with me walking around the house, I finally called 911 on the house phone, and I calmly explained the situation. They seemed shocked, and said the dispatcher said they would be on thier way.

When I saw the police arrive, I snuck out the back window, going to look for where I found the gem, to get some answers. I left a note in plain sight that told that my mother was sleeping peacefully upstairs in her quiet room. As I saw them take her away, I walked off south to find a place that looked like something drove through the dirt like a crazy plower.