Anna's Beginning

Waking to Something New

When Anna woke up, she was in a hospital room, monitors all around her, and her leg felt ten pounds heavier. Looking around, she realized that she was alone in the room, but people had been there. Flowers were on her bedside table, and a pile of get well cards too.  But the one thing that stood out most to her was a toy bat with a guard dog collar around its neck, most likely from Jennifer.  

Where’s was everyone? You’d think that someone would be in the room to let you know where you were, or maybe more importantly, how long had you been there? Anna was a little freaked out, those were a lot of get well cards, had she really been out long enough to get that many? Reaching over, Anna attempted to grab the card on top, but only managed to dump all the cards to the floor.

“Oopps,” Anna said aloud. Deciding not to worry about it, Anna laid back and stared at the ceiling, the hospital room was the same as any other hospital room. White paint covering the walls and ceiling, bright lights over the bed, and windows showing the parking lot, but the curtains were drawn so Anna couldn’t tell exactly what time it was outside. Doctors went scurrying past her door, most looked like they were getting ready for their break, others rushed to get ready for emergency surgeries. It was like no one remembered Anna was there.

After convincing herself that no one was going to come in and check on her, Anna went back to sleep, not realizing how heavy her eyelids had been. She slipped off into a dream within seconds, this one not as crazy as the others.

This time she found herself in the ballroom, the one that she had discovered with her friend, but it was dark. The figures that had been on the walls were shadowy figures dancing across the floor, still in their masque, they were dancing along to music Anna couldn’t hear. One of them must be Bruce, Anna knew it. Weaving in and out of the figures, Anna looked for her dad, he’d probably be wearing a masque in the shape of a bat, but she didn’t see any bat masque.

After searching for what seemed hours, Anna caught a glimpse of pointed ears out of the corner of her eyes. As she went to pursue it, one of the dancing figure near her grabbed her around the waist.

“Would you care for a dance there, pretty lady,” the figure say, he sounded like he was her age, blue eye shinning behind a red masque, and Anna actually found herself dancing to a song, one she hadn’t heard moments before. They danced along with the other figures, and Anna started to forget what she had been looking for. “You’re a good dancer.”

Anna blushed at the compliment, even if the person she was dancing with was one of the shadowy figures, she found something about this one attractive. When the song ended, she didn’t want to stop dancing, but her partner took his hands from her waist. As he went to walk off Anna reached for him.

“Wait, at least let me know your name,” Anna asked, realizing seconds later that she’d quoted  a famous line from dramatic romances. The figure smiled at her, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.

“It’s a masquerade, no one’s to know who the other is,” he teased, “but remember me by my costume, one of these days you may just find me swooping in to save you. I'm the robin.” And with that he melted back in with the other figures, leaving Anna staring after him. Then the dream faded as she awoke to the sound of voices in her room.