House Full of Shadowless Memories

Logan

I’d only woken an hour before and it seemed to cause a stir. With people pouring into the room, coming from everywhere. They looked excited, and they stared at me, and I stared right back confused, but nobody said a word to me. I started to feel used.

“What the hell…” I began to say but a nurse told me to be quiet and stuck a thermometer into my mouth, and tried to feed me mush. The moment she left the room a doctor came in and read my chart with a frown placed upon his face.

“Welcome back to the world,” he stated sitting my chart back on the bed. “Alot has changed since you were around.”

I couldn’t make out anything he was talking about. I didn’t know where I was. Loaded with tubes, I raised my arms and flapped like an albatross.

“Let me out of this shit man,” I yelled, “I need to get up and walk!”

“Your legs won’t carry you anywhere just yet, but we need to talk my man.”

He said I’d been out for a long, long time,and it would take more time to adjust. To start, he asked if I knew my name. So I told him, Logan Matthews. And then I remembered the bicycle that I’d ridden down to the barbershop, and the four wheel drive that had sped right by me. Too bad that it didn’t stop!

Then slowly figures came back to me; A head full of raven hair, those pouting lips that had tempted me, and a dimple or two to spare. The way she’d arched her brows when I’d shown her the king sized bed, then laughed and said, “You’re getting ahead of yourself sweetheart, I do have a boyfriend,” she mumbled. She was hard to get around at first but soon she came around and we really began to have fun, if you know what I mean.

We’d chilled and had fun all through the summer months and fucked the shit out of each other in the late fall.

One day. I’d gotten sick of being her side nigga so as we were walking in the rain. We walked hand in hand As a breeze fluttered the leaves, I’d told her that I didn’t want just half of her, I wanted all she had to give.

My heart had leapt in that sterile room as I caught the scent of her luscious golden brown hair, I said, ‘Is Serenity waiting here?”

The doctor, whose name I’d yet to learn, continued to stare at me. “You have to know that your world has changed a lot and the change may bring you tears. You haven’t been out for a week or so son, but over a number of years.”

I was feeling the panic rise in me as those dreaded words sank into my soul.

Over a number of years

The way he said it was as if I’d committed a sin or something. And then he asked, “How old do you think you are?”

I replied, “I’m eighteen!”

He shook his head at the foot of the bed, “This is still shocking to you isn’t it?” Nodding my head yes, I asked him to tell me my age. He wouldn’t say, and just up and left the room, leaving me to think on my own. I came up short with every question my brain could think of.

As I lay there, feeling grim, another nurse had walked into the room to check my vitals. “How old am I?” I asked but all this bitch told me was to wait for him to return.

At three in the afternoon I sensed a shadow at the room door. My mother stood before me with tears streaming down her face.

She said, “I can’t believe you’re awake baby. They asked me to come to the hospital, and I needed to see if it was true.”

“Damn ma, you look like your mother now…” I joked earning a nice scowl to spread across her angelic face.

“I’m happy you’re alive and still the same Logan I’d grew accustomed to.” She began to make her way to my bedside and began gripping my left hand pretty tight but I didn’t want to tell her that.

“Ma how long have I been in a-a,” before I could finish my sentence, she’d told me I was in a coma for five years. Her words were like knives in my head. Why didn’t they just let me die? My mother said she paid for me in hopes that this day would come.

This world is a terrifying place when you lose the love of your life, and wake up to the loss of five years of your life…

Serenity

“How long we’re you in a coma?” Lydia, my new therapist, asked turning a page in her notebook. I had left Trenton because I didn’t actually feel comfortable around him. For starters, he was a man, and his friends eyes never left my body. I just had to leave before I done something I wouldn’t regret. Having Ms. Lydia as a therapist is a blessing and a curse, all in one. The good part is, she is the most sweetest woman I’ve ever met in all of my twenty one years of living. The bad part is she reminds me so much of him. Maybe that’s why I became clingy to her in such a short amount of time.

“Ms. Watkins?” She stated bringing me from my thoughts.

“Huh?” I stated, she chuckled before she asked me her question.

“How long were you in a coma?”

“Five months.” I sighed and began to play with my nails. It was a old habbit that I’d picked up from my mother.

“And what was He first thing you saw when you awakened?” Thinking about that day brought a smile to my face.

“My mother was sitting right beside my bed, sleeping peacefully.” No matter what I’d been through, seeing my mother’s face and being able to touch her was the best thing in the world to me. She’s that amazing.

“Why wouldn’t she be there by your side at a time like that?” She asked with confusion, yet again, running through her facial structure. Just as quick as my smile appeared on my face, it vanished into thin air.

“Sh-She was in prison.”

“Oh, if you don’t mind me asking, what was she in prison for?” She asked turning another page in her journal.

“She killed my ex step dad because he raped me. She killed him while he was inside of me.” I heavily breathed out a breath that I’d been holding since we got on this subject. The look on her face showed petty and because she’s so sweet, I refrained from getting up and leaving her office.

“I’m sorry.” She took my hand in hers and began to comfort me even more.

“It’s okay really but let’s get on another subject, shall we.” I said, freeing my hand from her delicate hands.

“Earlier in our conversation, you mentioned there being another man in your life, tell me about him.” Why did she do that? He’s the reason my depressed mind began to take over my body. He destroyed me inside and out and took my heart with him. Before I could speak, her assistant, had walked into the room telling her, her next client is here.

“It was nice speaking with you again Serenity, can’t for more.” She said giving me a hug before she walked me out.

**********

She felt it again, the intense sensation as if a million eyes were staring her down, analyzing her every move. She checked her front door to assure herself all seven of the locks were secure, but the feeling still wasn’t going away. That feeling that she tried to hide with her life, has made it’s appearance yet again.She slowly felt her chest tightening up.

“It’s not real. I am okay,” she repeated to herself. Over and over as she slowly began to do her mini exercises that she learned in therapy.

Finally, she began to calm down. She returned to her bedroom so she could change into a more comfortable attire.  As she checked her inside of her room, she noted the smudges on the outside of her window; still unknown as to what caused them. They had been there for days actually. 

In her tenacious paranoia she made sure her door was locked, and the curtains were tied shut, but they still draped open somewhat. 

Slowly, she slid off her jacket. Then, from the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of something black shuffling around  outside her window. She checked more closely … Nothing was in sight. She changed out of her shirt into a Victoria secret night gown.

This time she heard the shuffling, but having too many false alarms before, she passed it off as her paranoia. She left her room to make herself a decent meal for the night.

When she came back for bed, something was a little different. She looked at the window again, but this time, the smudges she’d saw outside of her window, we’re now splattered inside of of her window.

She began to panic, then she spun around ready to dash out of her house but someone else had other plans. This unknown person grabbed her and held her arms hostage behind her back. He possessed wide, ever-open eyes. Behind his mask covered face, she could tell he was smiling. His smile would never disappear because it was carved in his face. 

Quickly, he placed his blade against her throat. He looked directly in her eyes.  “Go to sleep,” he whispered, and dragged the blade along her throat.

I watched in awe as she lay taking her last breaths she’ll ever have. I could’ve helped the poor girl, but my body wouldn’t let me move in inch closer. I didn’t want to look down but I did anyhow. Expecting to see a dead woman, bloody and broken, was far from what I’d saw. The woman smiled as her eyes found mine. Why is she smiling at me? Once I actually looked up, my face showcased beneath the blood she’d, I mean I’d shed. How is this possible? I began walking towards her but a familiar face caused me to immediately stop in my place. He was supposed to be dead.

“Hello Serenity.” He viscously stated as He began walking towards me. I began to walk backwards as I became frightened of what he could do to me. I was already dead, he’d already killed me.

“What do you want?”