Blackout. [COMPLETED]

Merry-Go-Round.

Epilogue.

I opened my eyes to two men I didn't recognise. They were standing either side of me with blotchy, red cheeks and pink eyes. I'd never seen them like this before.

"God, you two look awful," I mumbled, trying to ignore the dull ache in my head. David smiled, wiping his eyes, but Austin continued to sob at my bedside.

"Oh Ayla," he'd wail between gasps for air. I looked up at David and smiled. I could remember him.

"Hey," he whispered, kissing my forehead. I stroked his cheek as his face hovered closely above mine.

"I remember when you were the one in the hospital bed," I mumbled. He raised his eyebrow.

"You remember that, huh?" he asked, stroking a strand of hair out of my face. Austin was still sobbing beside me and moaning incomprehendable words every now and then.

"Yeah. I remember a lot of stuff. Not too much, but enough."

A nurse came over and put a small cardboard bowl beside me in case I felt sick, and raised my bed into a sitting position. I took deep breaths and tried to steady myself as the anesthetic made me light headed and dizzy.

When Austin finally stopped crying, he offered to get me a glass of water and returned with a large pizza box.

"What's this?" I asked, opening it to reveal the very same pizza we'd eaten at the posh restaurant.

"Well, you were unconcious for a long time," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "I decided to get you something nice to wake up to. Sorry if it's a bit cold, it's been waiting for a couple hours."

Even when it was cold, the pizza was still the best thing I'd ever eaten. I ate the entire thing within 10 minutes and wanted more immediately after.

The room stayed silent for a little while, other than the humming of the air-con and the beeping of the machines. It all felt different. More colourful, more clear. Maybe it was having my memory back, maybe it was all the drugs in my system, or it was just finally understanding that life is more than a circle, but I felt like I was free.

David sat down on one of the chairs in the corner and leaned over to lift a book from a table beside him. He flicked through the pages before passing it to me.

"Look, it's your turn now," he said as I cradled the leather in my hands. The cover was exactly the same as the time travel book, except all the pages were blank. "You can write your very own. Maybe it'll help somebody some day."

I turned to the first page and read the title, written by David in quill and ink. 

"MERRY-GO-ROUND by AYLA MAE".

I had no idea what to write, but I felt it was necessary to start as soon as I could. I grabbed a biro from Austins chest pocket and opened the book to the first blank page, and put the pen to paper.

Dedicated to anybody stuck on the merry-go-round.

You're going to be okay.