Wisteria

Bed-bound

Everything felt so calm at the moment. Martha had never felt so light,  as if all of the weight that she was carrying her whole life was lifted away. 

The sun's warmth seeped through her soul, and the soft breeze tickled her skin. It reminded her of the summers she would spend by the beach as a child, she was never allowed to explore too far, but she enjoyed lying down in the sand while the cool sea breeze wash over her. Martha's eyes fluttered close in bliss, it felt like she was floating. No, flying. 

Putting her arm forward, as if in a dive, she began gliding through the azure sky. It was amazing, she's finally doing it. She was flying! Her mother always told her she couldn't, if only she could see her now. It was all she could ever wish for, so why is it that suddenly everything felt so wrong? 

Martha stilled in her movements, trying to listen, trying to figure out what was wrong. White noise softly hummed in the background,  and shadows started to form in the corner of her eyes but whenever she tried to look, they would disappear.

She knew something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Trying her best to stamp out her growing panic, she tried to move, but  her limbs failed her. 

Martha looked at her arms in horror. It was flapping about uselessly. All of the bones and meat in her body seemed to have been pulled out, and replaced with white stuffing. She tried to scream, but she found that her mouth was sewn shut as well. 

Voices started to fill her head, laughing and whispering things that she can't make out. 

What's happening?  

The sun continued to glare. She was sweating bullets. Is it just her or is it getting warmer? 

"...rt.. A.. "

A sharp pull made her realize she wasn't floating. She was falling. She tried in vain to scream for help, to hold onto something. Anything. 

Someone help. 

"M... rt.. a. "

It was so bright. It felt as if a supernova was exploding in front of her very eyes, and she was forced to watch it in slow-motion. The light blinded her, the heat melting her skin.

"Martha!"

Her eyes snapped open, only for her to close them again in pain. Why is it so bright? Sunlight streamed through the window next to her bed and Martha shut her eyes tight, red burning beneath her eyelids. She was still catching her breath, scenes from her nightmare still replaying on her mind but the details seemed muddy now; less real. 

"Bloody hell.. Someone get- the curtains." She was struggling to speak. Her throat felt dry and scratchy, but she managed to croak out the words at least. 

She heard soft footsteps and the rustling of thick cloth before darkness befell the room. 

Her eyes struggled to adjust in the sudden dimness but despite that, she could recognize the room as her own quarters. It was considered a small relief. The room was fairly small, consisting only of a bed, an ornate dresser, and a wooden nightstand. But in the few weeks that she had spent here, she considered this room as her safe space, her sanctuary.