The Phantom's Admirer

Breathe Easy

Alice’s POV

Someone is stepping on my head. Or there is a car tire on it. It is throbbing with this immense amount of pain. I wanted so badly to open my eyes and see what is pushing on my head but my body was not listening to me. Around me I could hear the small, hushed tones of people talking but I couldn’t make out what they were saying because all I could focus on was the pounding in my ears.

And then I felt the fire in my veins. I wanted to scream out in agony, but my voice was caught in my throat. Everything about my body ached. I heard a beeping noise quicken, faster and faster until I thought it couldn’t go any faster. The voices around me became louder and rushed. I felt hands pounding on me, but I couldn’t move. I wanted to tell them to stop doing whatever they were doing because it hurt, but I couldn’t.

But then suddenly, it was all gone. There was no pain. I heard a flatline. Just that same, annoying sound continuously playing. I could hear now. There was crying. My mother was crying. Why is she crying? What happened? Where am I? Why can’t I move? Don’t cry mother, I wanted to tell her. It doesn’t hurt anymore. Strange. Everything is an echo in my mind. Then, the darkness that was surrounding me wasn’t so dark anymore. I could see a little light at the very far corner of the darkness. It was growing, faster and faster, and soon, the brightness was too bright. It was overwhelming. I wanted to cover my eyes it was so bright but I still couldn’t move. Turn it off! I screaming inside my head. It is too bright! Erik! Do something!

“Erik!” I gasped and shot up, clutching my chest. I turned my head quickly around to survey my surroundings. I was in a hospital room, I think?

“She’s alive!” Someone yelled. Suddenly I felt arms around me and my mother’s scent filled my nose and her hair tickled my face.

“Oh my baby, my daughter. I thought you were gone. I thought I lost you.” She sobbed into my shoulder. I was confused. What is she talking about?

“Mother? Where am I?” I asked pulling back, looking around me again. The room was filled with very expensive looking equipment I have never seen before.

“You’re in the ICU.” She said slowly.

I opened my mouth to ask more, but men in strange suits rushed in along with women. They were asking me questions and poking me with things and pressing more buttons. I was starting to freak out.

“What is going on?!” I yelled.

“Everyone, please leave. Everything is under control, I can handle it from here.” A woman pushed past the rest of the people and walked to me. When everyone was out of the room I could finally breathe again. “Hello. My name is Doctor Rae. Now Alice, I am going to ask you some simple questions, and answer them as honestly as you can, okay?” She said slowly.

“Will you tell me where I am? And where is Erik?” I asked. I was starting to worry. Why wasn’t he here with me?

“Soon. Now, how old are you?”

“19.”

“Who is your mother?”

“She is.”

“Where were you born?”

“Paris, France.”

She paused, and wrote something down on her clipboard. “No, you were born in Louisiana, Alice.” My head clouded with confusion. “Where do you live?”

“The Opera Populaire.”

Once again she wrote something on her clipboard, but didn’t correct me like she did before. “What year is it?”