The Cunningham Saga: The Fate of Yesterday

Chapter 22- Waking to a Dream

Elizabeth

"I don't want to lose her," a familiar voice echoes in my head.

"It's a coma, she should be back anytime," someone responds.

My head is pounding and I want to slip back into unconsciousness but I fight the urge as I try to open my eyes. The bright lights pointing down on me are almost too much to bear. I see Alex sitting next to me staring at his phone that is turned off. He looks at me and jumps up.

"Oh my God! You're awake!" He hugs me tightly.

Every bone in my body feels brittle and the hug only makes it worse.

"Hey," I respond, pitifully trying to wiggle out of the painful hug.

"What happened?" I ask, confused.

"You don't remember? You and your sister got into a bad car accident on your way to my house. I got worried and came to look for you and I saw your car on the road completely totaled. That's when I saw you and Amelia being lifted into separate ambulances," He responds with a tear running down his cheek.

"Amelia?!" I yell, trying to get up. My legs stop me from standing as I collapse to the floor in pain.

"Woah! You fractured your femur Elizabeth, you can't just start walking like that. Amelia is fine. I heard she was awake for a few minutes about an hour ago," He responds.

I look down at my leg that is in a cast and now throbbing in pain. I grab my head that is still pounding with a seemingly endless migraine. It's too much.

"What's wrong?" Alexander asks.

"My head...it's just a migraine," I respond, trying to seem calm.

"I'll go get the doctor."

Alexander walks over to the door and slowly starts to turn around.

"This is only the beginning," he whispers.

"What?" I respond with fear.

"I said I'll be back in a minute," He says with a smile.

I try to get up again in an attempt to check on Amelia but pass out from the pain.

Amelia

*Beep Beep Beep*

The faint sound of beeping echoed in my head over and over again as my eyes slowly opened. As I listened to the continuous beeping I tried to sit up only to fall back down quickly in pain while small tubes were attached to my arms. I looked down to find my stomach wrapped in a bandage as the left side was covered in blood, but I was determined to stand up.

"Amelia!" Someone blurts out quickly.

I look up to see James standing in the doorway clutching a book in his hand, and he drops it instantly running to the bedside.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" He says, taking my face gently in his hands.

"James? Where am I?" I ask as my heartbeat quickens.

"You're in a hospital, you've been a coma for weeks."

"Weeks? What do you mean?"

"You don't remember? You and Elizabeth were heading to Alex's house when you guys crashed the car."

"What! No, I have to see Elizabeth! Or Gayle! Where are they?" I panic as I once more try to stand up.

"You have to stay and rest, Elizabeth and Gayle are both fine, Gayle woke up a while ago."

"Gayle was with us too?"

"No, he was driving somewhere else and crashed."

"That's impossible, that's not what happened," I responded as the panicking increased.

Warm tears began rolling down my face as my breaths got heavier and heavier.

"Amelia, it's ok, you're going to be ok," James reassures me as he gently takes me into his arms, holding me carefully as I cry into his shoulder.

I had held in my tears for too long and at that moment I had to admit I was scared, both my siblings and I were in a hospital for car crashes and nothing seemed to make sense.

"This is only the beginning," a voice whispers.

"What?" I mumble through my tears.

"I didn't say anything," James responds before gently stroking my hair as I fell asleep once more.

Gayle

"Finally," someone said.

I jolted awake and sat up. I could see I was in a hospital. And by the plaque against the door, I was in the ICU.

"How do you feel?" Asked the doctor.

"My head hurts," I responded, still a little dazed.

"That's no surprise, you hit that pole pretty hard." he said.

"A pole? Are you sure I didn't fall and hit my head?" I asked.

"You don't remember? You were driving and hit a telephone pole. They found an address on a card, looks like you were trying to go to an apartment complex?"

I went to get out of bed.

"No, no, no. You're gonna stay put for now," said the doctor.

"Can I make a call?" I asked.

"Sure," he responded, pulling a white corded telephone from the wall beside the bed.

"Hello?" Alice's mom answered.

"Hey, it's Gayle."

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay we were all so worried!"

"Yeah I'm alright, I just want to give my condolences for your loss," I said, starting to tear up.

"What are you talking about, no one's dead in my family. Did I miss a funeral of mine?" she started to laugh.

"Wait?... is Alice there?" I asked, overjoyed.

"Yes she's right here in the kitchen, do you want her on the phone?"

"Yes please!"

"Gayle, good to have you back!" she exclaimed.

"You too, I had the strangest dream where you died, it wasn't just a dream though it was long and detailed and seemed too real."

"Well you had plenty of time during that two-week coma, so I guess it makes sense," she said laughing.

"You need to come to the hospital, I've got a lot to tell you."

"Okay, I'll be there soon, just try not to hit your head again."

I was instantly relieved. It felt good to be back. Then I remembered about Amelia and Elizabeth. I started to dial home.

"Hello?" responded Alfred.

"Alfred, I'm awake now, can I talk to Amelia or Elizabeth?"

"They're not here, they're at the hospital with you."

" Umm, okay? I'll call back soon thanks."

This was too much of a coincidence.

"This is only the beginning," said the doctor.

"What was that?" I asked, shocked.

The lights flickered on and off in a stroke inducing pattern. Whenever the lights were off the only visible shape was the outline of a figure in a cloak.

"This is only the beginning!" another familiar voice shouted...