Into The Wild

S E V E N

Did I die?

I open my eyes, seeing a really fuzzy vision, before rubbing them.

When I open my eyes again, the familiar lingering smell of peaches hits my nose. “Madison, do you bring your air freshener wherever you go?” I ask, trying to sit up on the bed I’m in.

Madison rushes over to me, holding tightly to both of my hands, her expression very serious. “Olivia, are you okay?” she softly asks.

I chuckle. “I’m fine, but are you okay? It looks like you’ve seen a ghost,” I tell her, touching her arm lightly.

That’s when Carly runs into the room to my other side, holding my face in her hands. “Olivia, we thought we lost you!” she wails, using the blanket on me to wipe her tears.

That’s when the memories came back. Me, falling into the water, drowning, and everything turning black.

I really did almost die.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone you didn’t know how to swim?” Madison asks, looking very angry. Carly nods, sticking out her bottom lip.

I shrug. “It’s been a while since I swam, but I thought I would be oka-” I stop talking and begin coughing crazily. Carly immediately stands up, running outside the room, then back in with a glass of water. Madison helps me sit properly, helping my back lean against the pillow.

They watch me gulp down the water as if I’ve never drank anything in my life. When I finish, Madison takes my cup, placing it on a small table. I take this chance to look around- a few beds lined up against the wall, a few small tables near each of them, and boxes of hospital supplies and many surgical face masks. “Are we in the infirmary?” I ask them, thinking back to last night when Madison was here.

They both nod.

Carly sighs. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if Madison didn’t spot you almost drowning in the water,” she says, looking at her.

Madison shakes her head. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if Aria wasn’t in the water to save you,” she says, glaring at Carly. “We should all be thanking her.”

“Thanking her?” Carly scoffs. “Luke told her to look after Olivia and she refused!”

“Luke did?” I suddenly ask.

Madison stares at me while Carly nods furiously. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say he was really worried about you,” she says. Madison rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

“My boyfriend was also worried about Olivia. In fact, almost everyone around camp was talking about you. It’s the kind of worry you don’t need to think about,” Madison says, ignoring Carly’s glares. “You just need to rest.”

I watch them sadly as they both get ready to leave. “We'll come back at night,” Madison says reassuringly. Carly nods, giving my arm a soft squeeze while I sit back on the bed.

The room is white, completely white. It feels like I am in a colorless world, a world I have to use the right tools to fill up.

   

My phone rings from where it is perched on the small table near the bed. I look at the caller ID, picking it up as soon as I see who it is.

“Mom?”

I hear some noise in the background when she says, “Olivia, honey? Are you alright? I just got a call from the camp and they told me you were in the infirmary,” she says, sounding a lot like she was just crying.