Cuts on Paper Hearts, They Can be Awful Deep

Strange Maze, What is this Place?

Chapter One; "Strange Maze, What is this Place?"

"Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

-John Wooden

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Isabella POV

Bright lights, blind me. When did I get here? Why can’t I remember? I inhale deeply and a menacing voice booms. “Skating now is, Isabella Mavery,” I shiver involuntarily and begin my routine, I’m flitting across the ice, the cool, crisp, air wraps its daunting fingers around my throat. I can feel myself choking. My legs seem to have a mind of their own, performing flawlessly, I don’t remember learning the routine, but my legs move nimbly and I can feel the audience hold their breath as I leap into the air.

Suddenly, I hear a shrill scream and I fall to the ground. All I see is blood. Blood is quickly surrounding me, I nearly lose consciousness and fall headfirst into the thick crimson puddle, the metallic stench is agonizingly sickening and I can feel myself choking on the blood. As this thought creeps into my mind, I instantly sit up and a veil of crimson clouds my vision, “Isabella! Isabella!” I hear someone scream in the distance. I attempt to wipe the blood out of my now stinging eyes. All I can make out is the plump figure of my mother rushing towards me, then, everything, goes black.

~*~

Groggily, I opened my mouth to yawn, keeping my eyes shut tight. I tried to reach up and stretch out my back and arms, but my arms were surprisingly stiff and my fingers started tingling, and I felt the blood rushing back into them. My eyes fluttered open as gently as a newly formed butterfly’s wings. I’m in a bright white room, too white, a sickly white, immediately the smell of cleansing alcohol and metallic stench of blood smacked me in the face. Why? Why am I in the hospital? I muttered to myself. I desperately attempted to remember, clawing at the thin wisps of memories that I could actually recollect, trying to piece everything together. All I could remember, was pain, immense pain, and my vision being clouded with crimson red.

My heart started twitching and my heartbeat began to pick up and my breathing grew shallow and labored as I strained myself and propped myself up against the vast amount of pillows at my back. The vital signs indicator at the side of my bed, which had been drawing a steady pulse before, began to pick up frequency and spike. My eyes wandered frantically around the room, looking for an emergency pager. Finally, I found it and it was flashing a vibrant red. Without warning, a nurse and an elderly doctor quickly bustled into the room. The doctor came by my bed, and while his lips moved, I couldn't seem to hear him. "Excuse me? I can't hear you. Please stop mumbling." I whispered softly, but my throat was dry and nothing came out, “Water” I mouthed and the doctor just nodded at me and turned to the nurse, I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but I just watched as the nurse bobbed her head up and down, absorbing everything that he seemed to be saying then calmly exited the room.

The doctor turned to me again with a wide fake smile painted onto his face. He began mouthing words at me and his mouth moved rapidly, I just stared at him, blinking blankly and smiling, nodding as if I could hear and understand every word he said. I watched his brow furrow in confusion but he still is talked to me. A faint buzzing became prominent in my hearing and I scrunched my face in concentration, attempting to make out what the doctor was saying. “I can’t hear you,” I wheezed drily, but still tried to hear what he’s saying. Again, nothing. I silently watched as he hastily scribbled onto a notepad. It’s at that moment when his attention turned to the door as the nurse slinked her way back in, holding a bottle of water for me. I grinned at the bottle, mesmerized as the liquid sloshed around in the bottle, longing for it. I licked my lips like a hungry cat on the prowl.

The doctor urgently turned around to consult with the nurse as she made her way over to my bedside, handing me the bottle then carefully inspecting the tubes that were hooked up to me. I watched silently as fear and paranoia slowly inched onto their faces. The doctor glanced back at me occasionally, and when he did, I turned my attention down towards the bottle of liquid ambrosia in my hands. Slowly and cautiously, I unscrewed the cap with shaky hands and gingerly brought the heavy bottle up to my chapped lips, I tilted the bottle up slightly and suddenly a steady stream of heavenly water began making its way into my mouth, after I drained the bottle, I sat it down by the counter and turned my attention back to the nurse and doctor, I lost track of time as I stared at them. Finally noticing that I was gazing intently at the pair, trying in vain to understand what was happening. My brain began to throb as he gave me a reassuring smile and I had begun to feel faint. Our eyes were trained on each other when he abruptly snapped his head over to the door.

I as well turned my attention to the door. I smiled as my boisterous mother tromped through the door. She turned towards me with a grin on her face that stretched from ear to ear. She began speaking frantically, but all I hear is the buzzing from before. My face became distorted with confusion and suddenly my mother’s creased with concern. The doctor took long strides over to her side and began to talk to her, I desperately attempted to listen in on their conversation, but that annoying buzzing wouldn’t let up.

She gave me worried glances as she listened intently to the doctor and nodded. Finally, she let out a shaky breath, her chest heaving laboriously, and came over to my bedside as the doctor gently stepped outside. She knelt down by my bedside and began to stroke my forehead with her warm, tender hand, and she moved my tangled brown hair out of my shamrock green eyes, and smiled warmly and tenderly at me, deep within her eyes, laid a hint of fear. She squeezed her eyes shut for what seemed to be eons, she breathed deeply, her chest rising with each intake. I was mesmerized by how silent she was, her eyes snapped open suddenly, which caused me to jump. Her knowing eyes searched mine as her hands clumsily searched for my frozen ones, she grasped onto them as if I were her life force and tears began to roll down her creased face. Embarrassed by this, she quickly drew me into a hug. I could feel her chest tremor as she held me there, rubbing circles on my back. When she released me and drew back, her eyes were pink and puffy, she rubbed at her nose, and mouthed “Sorry,” with a sympathetic look on her face. Swiftly, she stood up and with one last smile exited the room, joining the doctor.

With a sigh, I settled back into the fluffy mass of pillows that were propped up behind me, my chest quivered as I inhaled deeply. So many questions. I felt caged, it was overwhelming. Why couldn’t I hear anything? Why was am I here? Why? Questions raced through my mind as I sat there, slowly rolling everything around my head. And before I knew it, I had nodded off, into my world of dreams.

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Vote and comment please (: I'm re-writing this story, some of you may remember it, some may not. But here it is, Chapter One of "Cuts on Paper Hearts, They Can be Awful Deep"! In it's newfound glory! Some of you that have read this before, may know this story as "If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On". This new name comes from a Mayday Parade song; "Ocean and Atlantic" Each chapter will be named for a song lyric that I feel fits the chapter and the video will always be on the side, this chapter's title, "Strange Maze, What is this Place?" is from "Painting Flowers" by All Time Low :D Make sure to check out the song, and keep reading as I take you through Isabella's life!