Lost Inconsistencies

Part 14

In my dreams, I heard this lovely singing.

Then I opened my eyes to realize that the voice was not in my dreams, but in my reality. Calypso was sitting next to me, holding my hand. She finished the song and looked down at me.

"I'm going to tell you what happened."

I nodded.

"I really believed you when you said you were going to die." She stopped and took a shaky breath. "So I took you to Kade's lab. I pulled out my knife and told Kade to save you. In return, he could have me back. I promised that I wouldn't escape. And he saved you. He really did. I watched as your heart began to beat normally again, and I knew it was worth it. Before you could wake up, though, they injected me."

She started sobbing.

"I had no idea if you were actually okay, but I held onto the hope that you were. I tried to muffle my screams. I was hoping that you were still alive while also hoping that you couldn't hear me. I ended up pretty lucky. They gave me the new serum. I had less pain, but after what I had been through before, there was no way to stop the attacks. And then your aunt showed up, telling me that it was over. That it would be okay."

A voice came from the doorway. "She told me that she must be by your side as soon as she could. She said that she loved you." My aunt, who must've been standing there for quite a while, walked back into the hall and away from the door.

Calypso leaned down and whispered in my ear. "I do love you, Charlie. With all that I have."

I opened my mouth to respond. To tell her that I loved her too. But nothing came out.

I squeezed her hand, smiling.

She looked deflated. She wanted me to say that I loved her back. To say that she wasn't alone in her feelings.

But of course, I didn't even have time to try to explain because, as I've said before, my luck is terrible. Pain had to crash an important moment in my life. I felt my stomach flip and bit down hard on my lip, soon tasting blood.

I fought to stay awake harder than I ever had. I wanted to see Calypso. She was the calm in the storm, and I wanted to keep that with me. To have the calm win.

That was probably pretty stupid because the pain was tearing me apart, and she didn't need to see that. Before I finally did pass out, I tried to scream. I couldn't hold on for much longer, and I needed a release.

What came out was definitely not a scream. It was... a monster that barreled its way out of my throat. A voice crack on steroids. It didn't sound anywhere near human.

I knew at that very moment that my voice was gone.

For good, this time.

～～～

Lost Inconsistency Project / Enter Day 132:

After his most recent injection, test subject C has lost his ability to speak. We hope that this is not a permanent side effect. The Captain would not be happy in the slightest.