A Black Kpop Idol

Chapter 3

[February 22nd, 2012]

I'm on a soft cloud floating in the night sky, the dancing stars shining above, my dark hair received the hugging color, turning my hair a dark blue, purple, pink. My hair stood tall and proud in its afro, like a confident lion.

I looked down at the surface of the ocean, the city lights reflection created a beautiful moving picture of colors on the water, I and my cloud were shown vividly alongside the twinkling stars floating in the colors of the night.

It showed everything except for my face. In the area where my face was supposed to be, there was a human head there but with no face.

How am I seeing anything at all with no eyes to look at? How can I breathe with no nose or mouth?

I felt lightheaded and I started falling from my cloud, the water below approached me at incredible speed. A bright light swallowed me once I plunged into the water.

With a sharp inhale of air, I sprang from my bed, soaked with sweat. Someone jumped surprised to see me. They cleared their throat.

"Miss Carter, how are you feeling?" The man asks, with his clipboard and pen ready to put down the information. "Do you feel pain, dizzy, or weak?"

I stay silent, too busy catching my breath. Why am I in a hospital room?
The last thing I remember was taking my sisters to grandma's house. I don't recall anything else after that.

The doctor reached out his hand to place it on my forehead and writes something on his clipboard. "Miss Carter do remember anything up to this point?"

"N-no I-I don't," my throat was on fire, why does it hurt to speak? What happened to me? " D-doctor, why am I here?" I ask, with my hand around my neck.

The Doctor sees this, and walks out of the room, coming back with some water. I nod and thanked him, my throat felt better with some cold water.

"You were a victim of a tragic accident, five months ago." The doctor slowly says watching for my reaction. "You were brutally beaten to a pulp and left on the side of a road. You were left unrecognizable, even to your family" Tears well up in my eyes wanting to fall, I try to wipe them away without him noticing, I didn't want to look weak, but it fails as he hands a box of tissues.

"Luckily someone offered to pay for the reconstruction surgery of your face," The doctor continues, "He was the man who found you."

"Why....why would someone do that for me," I said sniffing, clenching my fists together " They don't even know me." I don't know how to repay him, my life is forever in that man's debt. I feel uneasy about this.

"I don't know that answer, I'm afraid. But you should feel thankful for his kindness, for he didn't make your family pay for your costly surgery"

I'm scared to even ask, how much the procedure was, I feel like knowing that answer will only prompt me to faint. "I've told your guardians you're awake. Do you want to remove the bandages on your face now, or wait for family to arrive?"

Bandages? I touched my face only I didn't feel my skin, but fabric warped tight around the structure of my skull, my skin was still stung a bit even weeks after the procedure was done.

"I'll wait for Grandma and my sisters to arrive" he gives an understanding nod, and leaves the room, gently closing the door that 'clicks' when closed. I sigh when alone, I am glad that it was me and not one of my sisters or niece.

My relatives arrived about 10 minutes later. My Grandma sees me, lets out a sigh of relief with tears in her eyes, alongside my sisters and niece. The youngsters tackle me and I let out an 'Ooof', internally hissing in pain. Gently pushed them to the side to ease up on the pain of my mummified body. That little push drained almost all of my energy, I felt weak and pathetic.

"Imani, I missed you!" Bozé cries, hugging my side and I let her, it's exhausting to move. That and the fact that she'll just reattach herself to me even if I move her. "I don't you were gonna leave me!"

I pat Bozé's back to calm I look over to the other two children standing behind her next to the white walls of the hospital. Page is bawling her eyes out next to a regretful-looking Janet. Janet avoids my eyes, preferring to stare down at her worn-out crocs on her feet, but I'm certain she blames herself for leaving me behind. I gesture her to come to me and she did but with hesitance.

I open up my left arm, after adjusting Bozé into my right arm, and Janet slowly lays onto my side with hardened eyes. I wrap her in my arm, "Janet--" her body went stiff, probably waiting for me to blame her for everything. "You did well, thank you, it's not your fault I'm like this, That decision was to save all of you."

"No! I don't want your thanks" She yells, brimming with tears, "I don't want to hear it! Because I- we ran, you got hurt pretty badly." Her body's shaking glaring up at me with her nose full of snot and tears running down her face.

"When they said that you were found, we thought it was a prank we didn't recognize you--" she continues, Bozé starts wailing harder, probably remembering my beaten-up body. "Until they took a DNA test and your picture came up on the computer. We were speechless with disbelief on our faces, heartbroken with grief and anger. How is this not all my fault?!"

"Janet" she froze, hearing my deep voice that only comes out when I scold the kids, "When you're the older sibling you have to protect the younger siblings, even if you have to sacrifice yourself, It's our duty. What would have happened had I did not tell you to run then you, Bozé or Page could've ended up like me. I would have failed as an older sibling. Do you want them to have the same fate as me?"

"No..." She cringes, rubbing her right arm, looking away, "I don't want any of us to get hurt" I smile, Grandma walks up to her, placing her hands on her shoulders, opening her mouth to say something.

"Janet, she had the same thoughts as you that night four months ago, the words you just said. She didn't want any of you to get hurt, so she sent you with the others somewhere safe. Do you understand?" Janet realizes, at last, nodding her head before Grandma pulls her away and sits her on a chair next to a now calm Page. Maybe Grandma consoled her before Janet's outburst, or she calmed down on her own, though I doubt it. "Now Imani, the doctor said the bandages are ready to come off, I'll call him in to take them off"

I nod, while Bozé's and Page's eyes fill with childish curiosity, guessing what creature will come out under the bandages, I roll my eyes but lowkey curious about my face as well. I watch in anticipation as the doctor arrives pulling out some scissors, snips a bandage, and unravels them around my head.

I hear a shocked gasp from my relatives. Am I that ugly? I knew it, what did I expect? I don't even want to go out if it were that bad. At this point, I'll be wearing paper brown bags on my head for the rest, because we're too poor to do anything about it. As I felt my self-esteem lower, the doctor shoved a mirror in my face and I gasp at what I saw. I couldn't believe it.

Imani Carter DOB: March 8th, 1998 (Face claim (Sira Kante))

I look decent, thank god I'm not a mummy or something like that.