A Day of Freedom

Chapter 3

            I awoke early the next morning. My eyes stayed closed as my thoughts pounded against the walls of my mind. They screamed at me to take the medicine, to be normal like everybody else. I laid there, having an inner war with myself before Father knocked.

            “Come in,” I rasped out.

            The door opened with a click and I noticed him walking in carefully, balancing a tea cup on a tray. Steam escaped the cup and rose to the ceiling. He placed it on the table. I sat up slowly and climbed out of bed. I sat down in front of it, knowing perfectly well it wasn’t just a cup of tea.

            “I tried mixing it into your favorite tea to hide the flavor, but it probably tastes awful,” he paused for a split second. “You sure you want to go through with this? The consequences…” he trailed off.

            I shrugged my shoulders; my decision already engraved into my concreted timeline. “Que será será.”

            The chuckle he emitted sounded melancholy and he ruffled my hair again. I ate my breakfast quickly, allowing the tea time to cool. I brought the cup to my lips, tasting it. Jasmine and honey helped sooth the bitter taste. I tried to finish the cup as quickly as I could. Honey could only mask so much. I set the cup down and waited a moment.

            “Am I supposed to feel something?”

            “I’m not quite sure, let’s just give it a second.”

            I was about to speak again when a sharp pain pierced my temples. I touched the pained spot but it quickly ran down my skin and sliced through my ribs, straight to my lungs. I gasped a moment for air and the sharp jabs once again moved. Then just as quickly as it hit, it vanished. My vision began to blur, I felt myself falling, and then there was only darkness.

            My eyes fluttered open slightly and as I got my bearings I realized I was in my bed. The rising sun shone through the closed curtains like it did the other day. Odd. I thought, trying to remember just what happened. I let out a huge yawn, sitting up I stretched my limbs, but stopped. There was no pain accompanying the stretch. The more I came in tune with the living world, I realized the usual aches and pains I felt were gone. I touched my forehead and temples but the soreness had seemingly disappeared. Mother walked in as if on cue and ran to my side.

            “Thank goodness you’re awake! You’ve been sleeping since yesterday morning! I was afraid you’d fallen into a coma!” She sat on the bed next to me and wrapped her arms around me. I could feel her shaking, a mixture of fear and adrenalin.

            She yelled for Father. He appeared a few seconds later, disheveled and barely catching himself from falling. He pressed his palm to my forehead; the fever was gone. He moved quickly to grab his medical supplies. When he came back he ran a few tests on me. He said I checked out as a perfectly healthy patient. I had gotten the ‘all clear’ for the first time in my life. I looked out the window and my first thoughts were to run outside. I began to beg them and felt their hesitant “no” coming.

            “Please,” I begged.

            Mother sighed. “I have to go into town in a few minutes. I was actually on my way out but I thought I heard you wake up, so I came here first. There’s a little rest area you can wait for me at. It’s not too far from the house or town and I’ll only be a moment away.”

            I was ecstatic as I shooed them out of my room so I could get dressed. When I was ready I ran downstairs and met up with Mother outside the door.