Homesick

Chapter 19

 Back when i was five years old, my mother would always take me to the meadow fields every year on my birthday. It was my favourite place when i was little. It was also my mother's, because she discovered this meadow when she was little too and had told me about it. It was a beautiful place. Yellow daisies was spread neatly everywhere, billowing across the fields as the wind would blow across it. It was always sunny, the sun gleaming on my hot, sweaty hair. Even when it was raining, a patch of sun would still hide in the clouds to remind us that it was still here to protect us. I could still remember the touch of the daisies as i ripple my finger across it. My mother would always tell me that here was "heaven" and this is where i would meet her when i died, it was where i would always belong. The meadows felt safe, it felt like i was free from the cruel world and nothing could harm me here.

My eyes snapped open.

I just lay there, eyes wide open blankly, staring at a white ceiling, my mouth slightly ajar. I first thought that i was still at the place where i had fought Claw, sprawled on the ground in the middle of New York City, my right ear bleeding, my ankle fractured and my whole body aching. But i had just realised that i was experiencing none of that. In fact, it felt like the contrary. I felt warm and comfortable, like i was being snuggled in a straight-hot jacket. My ears weren't buzzing anymore and my ankle didn't feel as bad as before. Something didn't feel right.

I gasped loudly and sat up, panting heavily, sweat trickling down my face into my mouth. My hair felt ruffled and messy. I looked around frantically. I was in a bed, in the clothes i had wore before, lying on a bed with white sheets and pillows. The walls were white. Beside me stood a table with a vase of dried flowers, a dimly lit lamp, a water jug and a glass placed neatly beside it. Monitors hung there on either side of me, however, they were all switched off and closed. The curtains were shut and the blinds were all pulled down. I was in some sort of hospital. I threw back the covers and peered at my left ankle. It was heavily bandaged. I gingerly touched my right ear. The blood seemed to be cleaned up, but there was nothing was bandaged there.

I threw back the covers completely and swung me legs carefully around on my bed, staring at the floor. Suddenly, like my brain was engulfing back past memories as i remembered what had happened. Claw had stabbed Jack in the stomach, he had fallen, i tried to hold back Claw as Jack told me to shoot the electrical lines down and end him and the weapons, i obeyed shot them down, the sound of the explosion made my ears bleed and buzz, Claw was knocked unconscious and all i remembered what happened last was Jack dying at my knees.

I tried to hold back my tears because anyone could barge in my room any second now. Instead, my eyes was filled with anger, i slipped on my shoes, walked over to the curtains and pulled them apart. It turned out i was on the second storey and i could see the whole of New York up here, the buildings shimmering with light and logos. The power must've been restored when i was unconscious. I could distinctly see smoke wafting above in a distance, which was where we had fought Claw... where Jack had died. Police helicopters zoomed overhead to the scene, its blades spinning in the air. I looked down. I didn't cry, because how would it give back?

I slowly made my way back to my bed. Every step felt like tortue, it felt like a pang of guilt for my stupidness as i could not save Jack. I sat down on the bed, the bedsprings creaking and fell silent. A few moments later, hurried footsteps i could hear were racing down the hallway. A second later, my door burst open and there, in the doorway, stood a security which i could tell from the badge. He had dark skin and was muscular, broad-shouldered and had sandy dark hair. I looked up wearily at him, who was slightly out of breath.

"You're Kara, right?" said the security quickly. I nodded. "How's your ankle and ear doing?"

"Fine." I said, trying not to sound stiff nor rude but the slight coldness in my voice was obvious.