The Wavering Heart

A room slowly came into focus, its sole occupant a young girl laying on a bed. Her breaths were automated but nonetheless, she was alive in a sense. The usual cheer and animation were gone from her face; it was almost as if she was a blank slate. She seemed to be a hollow shell of who she used to be, faded with lifelessness.

While the walls were white, the place seemed to be dark and dreary, like it had a heavy atmosphere. In the silence of the machines and bustle of the hospital, you could hear death creeping slowly in. Its approach was unstoppable, barely held back with the induced slumber she was plagued with.

She had lived life on the edge, as though she was racing against an unseen force. It was like she secretly had a death wish. Although she showed little concern when driving, it wasn't hers but another's reckless driving that put her in the hospital. Surprisingly, her personality was contradictory, being happy like sunshine and having depressing thoughts at different times. The soul behind her eyes that once gleamed so bright, was dull with the toil of the forced sleep.

Almost like a haze, her reality faded away and her consciousness created a world of its own. Slowly she opened her eyes to find herself in the place she often dreamed of: the crossroads of two paths, representing two major decisions in her life.

It was a hard choice to make, but her mind was made up. Unconsciously, her feet began to wander to the side into the dark deep forest. It was so alluring and seemed more real than the other option, which was a flowery meadow.

The shadows stealthily followed her, as she went on her path. Eventually, her eyes got used to the lack of light and she forgot what the real world was like. With every rustling of the undergrowth, she would flinch, until ignorance and habit got the best of her.

The beastly creatures made up of darkness itself caught up to her, and, in their monstrosity, hunted her down in the eerie forest. She had forgotten what fear was until she caught a glimpse of them hot on her trail and ran for her life. Branches and stickers scratched her bare feet, and the trees seemed to reach out for her, preventing her escape.

Her heart pounded as the liquid lightning of adrenaline filled her veins, and she ignored the pain in her aching legs. She dared not look back for fear that she would see their true form or even worse, be caught. Everything appeared the same - flashes of trees and bushes blurring into one. Out of nowhere, she ran into a silvery-white tree trunk, knocking herself out. Surely this was the end.

But before the beasts overwhelmed the girl, she was miraculously saved by another. His features seemed to match the grim forest with brown hair and eyes, but he smiled like the sun. The young boy's very presence seemed to scare the monsters away, which was odd, but she dismissed it without a thought.

The world she created in her mind's eye shook and spun around. To her disappointment, the boy blurred out of focus as she snapped back into reality. It was a strange feeling, looking down on your body and seeing it lifeless. She floated around her room in exploration and was startled to attention when she heard her name called for the first time in what seemed like ages.

"Licia?" another teenager had entered the room and looked identical to her. The boy sat down beside her slumbering body and his deep blue eyes were bloodshot as if he hadn't slept in days. Suddenly, all the memories came rushing back to her.

Alicia couldn't believe she forgot her own family, even her own twin brother Alexander. The faces of her loved ones suddenly came to mind and with a startling realization, she came to the conclusion that she was either half-dead or in a coma.

"I know everyone else thinks you are brain dead, but I can feel it... you haven't given up yet. I miss you very much, so please, come back to the land of the living soon," Alex rambled on as he held his sister's still hand.

He straightened up quickly at the sound of someone knocking on the door, and his shoulders sank in relief when his best friend walked in.

Licia silently watched from the corner of her room, and the reality sunk in as her brother explained the details of her coma. The doctor told their family she might wake up anytime from next week to several months, or she might never recover. They began to lose hope seeing as it had been just about three months since the car accident and coma occurred.

With a heavy heart, she remembered all the troubles of the real world - failing classes, conflicting emotions, selfish desires, and worrisome stresses. Licia would never admit it, but she had trust issues. She loved her family with all her heart, but, for others, she had a selfish love.

Time slipped away from her in that state, and she heard the words everyone dreads to hear. The doctor in charge was encouraging her parents to take her off of life support and let her go peacefully. In that instant, her panic was voiced by Alex, who immediately shouted out "No!"

"Alex, sweetheart, we all miss her, but we need to give her a chance to come back on her own. This trial has been hard on all of us but think of your sister. You wouldn't want her to be miserable, right?" Their mother tried to console Alex but to no avail.

He ran out of the hospital room, tears streaming down his face at the thought of losing his twin. They had always been together and he couldn't bear the thought of her dying.

Alicia's parents were left to make this hard decision, to let go of their baby girl. The doctor had them fill out a consent form, agreeing to take her off of life support. She knew they couldn't hear her, but she begged for them not to let her die. Being alone was a terrifying aspect, and reality blurred into the world of before as an escape.

It was as if she never left, the sunshine boy guiding her out of the forest filled with dark hidden beings. It was the most natural thing, her hand in his, and the silence between them was interrupted when he said one word. "Trystan."

Without needing an explanation or further words, she knew it was his name. Just being beside him in this beautiful fantasy - filled with calming silence - was enough. Before she knew it, they left the forest and walked among the splendors of the meadow she blatantly disregarded before.

When her eyes were opened to its beauty with her silent tour guide, Licia saw it was much more than a meadow. In fact, the meadow was the entrance to a beautiful garden of silver willow trees surrounded by masses of extraordinary flowers. It continued for miles and she could spend days wandering through it, but Trystan brought them to a stop in front of an old oak tree.

"Licia, it isn't your time to leave, but you are stuck because of unresolved issues. Please, confront them and find the strength to live," he gave her a soul-searching gaze and gently caressed her cheek.

The giant oak leaves drifted around her and swirled with increasing speed. It felt like she was being ripped away from the world she made to one she had no choice over. Licia reached out to grab hold of Trystan or anything to anchor herself to what she knew. But with a flourish and a kiss on her hand, he released her, and Licia was gone.

She awoke to the beat of her own heart and was forced to confront the very reasons for her trust issues. It wasn't easy at first, but when she thought of Trystan she was able to let go of her suffocating delusions about love. He had shown her that real love is not selfish or jealous, but is genuine and heartfelt. As soon as all the problems were resolved she felt very peaceful.

Then she could hear the noises of the hospital come to life but her room was strangely quiet. Next came the sensation of her hand being held in another's. It was a struggle to move but she managed to open her eyes a bit and make her hand twitch. She noticed Alex sound asleep beside her on the hospital bed and weakly attempted to smile. Her mother became quiet at first, not believing her eyes, but was ecstatic to see her daughter wake up from the coma.