"The thing about loneliness is that, I don't see it as something simple that it will disappear once it's been appeased. You could say it's like a shadow that walks with you for all your life. Still, once in a while I feel the need for someone to comfort me - but as the things that I mentioned to you earlier are embracing me so fully, I'm going through a healthy lonliness right now."
- Kim Jong-Hyun ( Umbrella Leaf )
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"You're going outside looking like that?", Avan called out from behind the door. She didn't look behind and kept running. "Are you going to run again?" he said while taking off to run behind her. "Ughh youu!" he ran behind her as fast as he could. Losing his breathe he reached her and spun her around by her shoulders, "ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY?" He shouted at her. With the anger burning in his eyes, he took her hands and dragged her inside.
"Leave me aloneee!!", Felisha shouted back at him, speaking for the first time in the last 16 hours. The doctors came and made her lay back on the bed and closed all the doors. "ABBY?!" Avan woke her up as soon as he came inside. "You are really looking after her?" She woke up and rubbed her eyes. "Oh! I'm sorry. I don't know when I slept. What? Wait did she wake up." She asked getting up from the couch. "You can go home I'll take care of her from now on." Avan assured her.
*
The black smog followed her everywhere she went, she started running from it. Breathing heavily, she fell on the ground, the smog still behind her. "Mama, save me!" She screamed. "Don't let me die!" She saw the dull sky and bright stars on it, telling her she was all alone. Felisha could hear laughs and giggles saying she was crazy, she was bad. "HELP ME SOMEONE!" She kept screaming and crying but no one heard it. Starting to run again, Felisha took off with the fastest speed and screamed into the thin air, "AHHH!" She reached the edge of something that seemed like a cliff. She saw at the back, the black smog coming rapidly behind her. She took a deep breathe and compelled herself to believe. "I did well!" The black smog engulfing Felisha entirely, smiling at the ground beneath her, she jumped.
*
She was shivering like it was the wildest winters in December, the beep sound started vigorously. The doctors came in immediately and hurried to save her. She was breathing heavily and shaking the whole bed. It looked like everything might collapse at any moment. "God! Please save her." Avan pleaded. She opened her eyes and took in a large amount of air. She sat up again and kept staring at the ceiling. Avan got up from the couch and handed her a glass of water that she immediately drank up and continued staring at the ceiling. "Ha-ha-hey! D-do do you s-see herr??" She made Avan come closer and pointed at the ceiling whereas he started to worry.
She started laughing. "Look! Sh-she is smiling back-k at mee.." Felisha looked a joyful child happy for whatsoever. Avan saw nothing where she pointed. "Please lay down, you need some rest." He said while caressing her face. He was astonished that she didn't flinch on his touch this time. "I want to meet her..ahh" She said smiling. "There's no one there please lay down." Avan said suddenly in a harsh tone.
"She's having hallucinations. We'll have to change her medication from now on. Please calm down and go outside until we handle the situation.", one of the nurses said to the distraughting Avan. The doctors continued the treatments and laid her to rest again. This time she didn't fall asleep and kept staring at the ceiling. Avan came in and sat at the nearest stool.
"What do you see up there?" He whispered. "The absence of everything." She replied immediately. "What about the presence of everything? Don't you see it? " he asked. "Presence never matters, it becomes absence one day and then there's nothing you can do to bring it back". She continued speaking while looking up. "Hey, I'm here to help you." Avan said with a bright smile taking her hand in his own. She looked at him immediately with bewilderment in her eyes that soon become whimpering with tears. "G-ggoo a-wayy! Nohh-!" is all her brain could process and mouth could curl upto and lips could spill out. With a sudden rush, the tsunami came out, telling everyone it could not be kept inside anymore.
Meanwhile the doctor came in and called Avan outside. "Yes, doctor? She's crying so badly. I don't know what to do?" Avan asked as soon as he came out of the room. "You're her..?" The doctor the asked with a confused look on his face. "Boyfriend." He answered. "She is behaving differently from before. Due to the fear that she ran and got hit, her brain has started working differently. She is already suffering and now we fear now she may act differently and maybe like before go to any extent to harm herself." The doctor was now concerned. "But I can't understand the real problem here." Avan asked brushing the sweat from his forehead.
"She's been suffering from autism* since her birth. It could be cured at an early age but the time for her therapy has gone. It's very risky right now." He explained. The world of Avan now bought him at the most difficult stage. "I hope you know how dangerous it is for autistic children or people who can't-" "Yes, I know!" Avan cut him in the middle. "I know what the world has done to her. I freaking know everything."
That's where the shell broke.
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Autism - Autism/autism spectrum disorder, is a condition which causes difficulty in social skills, causes repetitive behaviours, speaking difficulties and many nonverbal activities. It is also characterised by unique strengths and differences.
YOU ARE READING
A Thousand Years
Teen Fictionthere is a beautiful thing inside you, that is thousands of years old. too old to be captured in poems. too old to be loved by everyone. but loved so very deeply, by a chosen few.
