'It's dark.'
'So very dark…'
'Where… am I?'
Those were the very first thoughts that clawed through Aliana's mind as her grey eyes flickered open, only to be met with an endless void of intense darkness she found herself surrounded with.
'It's so quiet….am I dead?'
She looked down, trying to see her body, but it was so pitch-black that she couldn't even see herself.
'What the…. I cannot even see myself! Is this hell?'
She glanced around before another thought crossed her mind.
'If this is hell, shouldn't there be fire? Or me boiling in a giant cauldron or something? Or….or someone poking me with a hot stick?'
'Wait! Poke me with a hot stick? What are you, a pervert, Aliana?!'
Getting up from where she was, she began walking, determined to get to the bottom of this. As she moved, a faint sound of wailing caught her attention.
'Wait…. is someone crying?'
She walked closer to the sound, and the wailing grew louder….more ominous, unsettling her more than anything else.
Yet she couldn't stop herself from walking towards it. As it was the only source of something living in this desolated darkness.
'Great! Literally every horror movie I've seen in my life tells you not to follow the sound, and here I am doing exactly that! I wouldn't be surprised if I got jumped by a clown or something. F*ck! No clowns! Don't think of a damn clown!'
She began chanting 'no clown' in her mind, as the wailing became louder and louder, pounding against her head until it felt like it might split open.
Then, a sudden blinding light pierced through the void, and the sound of loud wailing got mixed with the loud beeping sound of a monitor.
Aliana's eyes snapped open only to be met by blinding white light, making her wince, and she shut them again.
Her throat was incredibly dry, and her head throbbed in time with her rapid heartbeat, ringing loudly in her ears.
The sound of wailing and the monitor was so loud that she wished someone would make it stop altogether.
Her hands twitched from the discomfort, and she slowly turned her gaze to the side of the bed, where she saw a familiar head full of blond resting, facing head down.
Swallowing a dry lump in her throat, she worked her muscles that felt stiff, like they hadn't been used in a long time.
Finally, she spoke in a hoarse yet soft voice, "Mom….stop crying."
When her mother didn't respond, the wailing began grating against her nerves.
"I mean it…stop. It's giving me a headache…"
Her brows creased faintly as she murmured, but the crying continued to intensify.
Unable to take it any longer, Aliana hissed in frustration and forced her heavy hand to move, intending to make her mom snap out of it.
"For God's sake…Mom! Stop!" Aliana yelled. Her hoarse voice was as loud as she could manage in her current stay.
As soon as she spoke in a slightly louder voice, her mom lifted her head and gasped in shock, "O-Oh my goddess! Aliana! You're finally awake!!!" She squealed in her high-pitched voice.
Aliana looked at her mother in confusion, noticing there were no traces of tears on her face, yet the wailing continued.
It was only then that she blinked, her eyes adjusted, focusing on who…or what stood right behind her mother.
Her eyes flew wide with horror as she shrieked, "Oh my god!!" startling her mother so badly she nearly jumped out of her skin.
She scrambled back immediately onto the bed in panic, completely ignoring the machines attached to her.
"Ali! Wh-what's going on?!" Her mom demanded as panic rose in her rapidly.
Aliana lifted a shaky finger, pointing behind her mother as she whispered, "W-what is that?"
"What is what?" Her mom asked, already turning halfway, only to find absolutely nothing.
"T-that….th-there's a person…" Aliana's voice wavered as she trembled.
Her mom froze for a second before forcing a nervous scoff, "Ali, honey, you're probably just going to the after effects of waking up too abruptly. I'm going to call the doc-"
"Mom! Don't!" The sharp, panicked cry rang through the room when she took a step back, making her flinch hard.
"Ali?" her mom called, much softer now, swallowing thickly as dread began to coil in her chest.
"There…is…a-a woman behind you," Aliana insisted, her voice quivering.
Her mother stared at her for a long moment, goosebumps rose on her skin. Then, with a deep breath, she prepared herself for either a ghostly sight or disappointment, and finally turned around.
A few seconds passed before she exhaled, muttering under her breath, "Well… either I need glasses, or you need stronger medication."
Pressing a hand to her chest to calm her racing heart, her mother said, "Ali….there is no one there. Trust me," She stepped closer, gently taking her daughter's trembling hand, only to notice how unusually cold it felt.
A frown settled over her delicate features at her daughter's condition. Forcing a soft smile, she added carefully, "Don't worry, my Ali, everything will be alright, okay? I'll just go get the doctor quickly."
Ali shook her head, silently pleading with her not to leave, but her mother was already rising to her feet.
Ali's eyes remained fixed on a woman standing before her.
She wore a white hospital gown, her skin deadly pale as though drained of all blood. Now she was staring directly at Aliana, her hollow black eyes fixed on her, her equally dark lips parting to reveal jagged teeth stretching into a disturbing grin.
Ali's heart lurched at the sight. Before she could react, her mother walked straight through the woman as if she were nothing but air. And just like that, the woman vanished.
Before her mother could reach the door, the monitor in the VIP room, still attached to Ali, began to beep loudly, followed by a soft thud.
When she looked behind, her eyes widened in horror to see her daughter lying motionless on the bed, unconscious once again.
"Ali!" she cried, rushing towards her.
…..
The next time Ali stirred back to consciousness, the first thing she felt was warmth brushing against her skin. Her forehead creased as her eyelashes fluttered.
She heard whispers around her, "Look, there's movement!"
"I-is she finally waking up?!" another voice whispered.
"Let us wait for her to wake up, honey," a deeper, hushed voice reassured gently.
A soft groan escaped Ali's lips as her eyes fluttered open, slower this time.
She blinked a couple of times, trying to clear the haze clouding her vision until it finally adjusted to the luxurious, unfamiliar ceiling above her. Her gaze drifted to her hand, where she felt the warmth and realised it was soft sunlight kissing her skin.
"A-Ali?" Her mother's careful, gentle voice broke through the silence.
Ali swallowed the dryness in her throat and whispered, "W-water."
"Please let me check on her before we can give her anything," another male voice requested.
Ali lay still this time, grateful for the silence in the room, while people moved around her with professional efficiency, checking to ensure everything was alright.
"Miss Vanderbilt, can you hear me clearly? I'm Doctor Jones," the man with glasses and a kind face introduced himself.
Ali gave a weak nod, prompting him to continue, "How are we feeling today? Are you experiencing any discomfort?"
"W-water," she whispered again.
"You'll have water once we are sure everything is fine. Please bear with me for a moment longer," the doctor said gently before asking a few more routine questions.
After that, they carefully helped her sit upright and gave her some water. While she drank, the doctor reassured her parents that she was stable.
Soon, when the medical staff left her alone, her mother, now on the verge of tears, moved closer and sat in front of her.
Taking Ali's hand, she said, "You really scared me back there, my dear Ali. Are you feeling alright now?"
Her green eyes scanned Ali's face, as if searching for even the slightest sign of discomfort.
Before Ali could reply, a tall man with dark blond hair and dark grey eyes looked warmly at her while placing a hand on her mother's shoulder, "Give her a moment, Portia. I'm sure she's still reeling from everything," he said gently while gazing fondly at Ali.
"Mom, Dad….you're here," Ali was able to speak better now that her throat no longer felt like a desert.
"Yes, dear… we both are right here," Portia, her mother, squeezed her hand lightly in reassurance.
Ali's eyes moved around the expensive room, discerning that she was in a VIP hospital suite.
"How long… have I been here?" she asked absentmindedly.
Portia and Alester shared a worried look before her father spoke.
"Do you… remember anything from before?" Alester asked in a slow, careful tone, as if dreading that his daughter might collapse again.