What Lies Beyond the Unknown (Ending)
Sugar Free
What Lies Beyond the Unknown
(Final)
Summary: ‘A girl with a clinical depression was given a chance to see her future.'
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Taeyeon opened her eyes. She found herself inside a white room with no windows, no designs, just a plain bed, a cubicle, a speaker and a locked door.
She sat up and looked around in wonder how the hell she got there, ''Where am I?" she thought.
"Looks like you're awake now." Taeyeon heard a voice through a speaker, she saw a camera beside it so she walked towards it to speak,"Why am I here? Who are you?" Taeyeon asked and she saw a camera beside the speaker. Taeyeon went towards the door "Why am I locked up? Let me go!"
"Told you, we won't take any chances for you to kill yourself., It's me, Doctor Kwon Yuri. You called the suicide hotline last night, hence you are here today."
‘Huh?’
"I don't remember calling the suicide hotline," Surely, Taeyeon had no recollection doing that.
Frankly, she doesn’t know what’s real and what’s not anymore. It’s like she’s losing touch with reality and she doesn’t know if it’s better or worse.
"You cut yourself and made a call. Good thing, the emergency response was fast, we thought you were going to die."
‘Cut?’ she looked at her wrist, it was covered with a bandage, what’s odd was how she didn’t feel any pain.
How come she doesn’t remember anything about it.
‘Am I going crazy?’ she started to feel anxious.
Taeyeon shook her hand when her fingers started to fidget and put them on her head as she furrowed her eyebrows, "N-No I did not, I was having dinner with a girl named Tiffany Hwang then I passed out."
"Tiffany Hwang?"
"This may sound absurd but she's the girl from my future."
The silence filled the room until the doctor spoke again through the speaker, “Are you still taking medications?”
Taeyeon nodded and answered,”Xanax.”
“Some medications can cause hallucinations so that explains what you experienced.” the doctor concluded
“But I swear, I’ve met her twice already!” Taeyeon insisted
She looked so real. Her voice seemed real. Her touch felt real.
Then, Taeyeon heard inaudible voices chattering at the speaker.
"How long have you been seeing this girl?"
"I don't remember but I've been seeing her since that old man from my office did something on his watch."
"Taeyeon, we need to talk. It’s confidential.” The door became unlocked and the doctor came in and signalled Taeyeon to come along on her office.
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The doctor asked for Taeyeon’s consent to run some tests on her to verify what is happening to her. Taeyeon anxiously waited for the results. After some assessment and scans that were done with Taeyeon, the doctor told her the results.
"You have a schizoaffective disorder."
"Schizo what?"
"That means, everything about that girl and the old man you've been talking about is only a by-product of your illusions. She's not real and he's not real. It's a part of your hallucinations. I know it's hard enough to be depressed and adding schizophrenic symptoms made it harder but we'll help you, you'll be better." the doctor explained
"So, what happens now?"
"You'll stay here inside the ward until you get better."
"But I already stayed here before and look, things didn't get better!" Taeyeon raised her voice in frustration.
"We'll try harder. Better days will come. Everything's gonna be okay." the doctor assured her.
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That night, Taeyeon stayed up. She refused to sleep. She's afraid to have hallucinations again. She phased back and forth on the almost empty room that confined her. She kept shaking her head to fight her urge to sleep.
"There is really no future... Everything isn't real. It's just a part of me that's crazy." Taeyeon keep on telling herself
The last thing she knew, the door unlocked and the doctor came in. She saw the sunlight peeking on the window outside when her door opened.
She didn’t sleep a wink.
"Come, it's time for our group therapy session."
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Taeyeon attended the group therapy session. They sat on chairs that formed a circle position and the counsellor seat was at the center. She saw familiar faces. Like that girl who has binge eating disorder, that bipolar old man, that woman who has OCD and that schizophrenic man.
"I'm hungry, is there any food here?" a girl complained
Taeyeon rolled her eyes and answered, "Girl, we just had breakfast five minutes ago."
"It's not enough." she whined
Taeyeon’s attention was diverted towards an old woman who seemed to be uneasy while cleaning imaginary dirt on her chair.
"What are you doing?" Taeyeon asked
"The chair seems to be so dirty, I'm cleaning it..." The woman furiously rubs her hand on the chair, “God, why won’t it come off?!” she yowled
"I see no dirt." Taeyeon casually commented.
Taeyeon was impatiently tapping her foot on the floor while waiting for the counsellor to start their session, “, why the hell am I here?” she asked herself, her train of thoughts was cut when she heard a series of laughter was heard from an old man.
Taeyeon sighed in annoyance and squinted her eyes towards the old man."What's so funny?"
The man paused for a while to stare at her until he spoke again using his monotonous voice."Your face."
“Tsk, right.”
Then suddenly, the old man cried out loud.
"Why are you crying?"
"Your face... makes me wanna cry."
"Ignore it, he's a Gemini.” The girl with the binge eating disorder said
" His birthday is June? "
" Nope, I mean he's bipolar. "
" Right. "
And then, Taeyeon saw the schizophrenic man who stabbed her with a fork on her right side. He was staring blankly at Taeyeon.
"I guess, you and I aren't so different after all'" Taeyeon told to the man
"It feels like hell, huh?" The man replied and Taeyeon shrugged
"It's the worst. All these ing labels to prove that we are mentally ed. It ."
"Yeah...Wait, you're the one who killed my wife!" The man yelled in rage and Taeyeon was just so tired of everything, she didn’t even budge on her chair.
"Dude, please "
The man was about to attack her again but he got sedated by the men in white.
“HEY!” the counsellor called out towards the commotion.
"You could've let him do that, maybe I'll die and everyone would have a happy ending."
"Happy ending is when you get better."
After the therapy session, Taeyeon was given an antipsychotic drug and it put her to sleep and her hallucinations started again. Waking up brings her misery while sleeping brings her hallucinations.
‘Just what kind of life do I have?’ she felt hopeless.
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When Taeyeon woke up, she found herself inside a hospital room.
‘Oh, great.’ she sighed and looked around, then she heard that familiar voice again, "Babe, finally you're awake!" she saw the familiar redhead girl who claims to be her future wife.
"This ain't real. This ain't real. This ain't real." Taeyeon closed her eyes and chanted to herself, “I have to wake up!” she shook her head and the girl smacked her forehead.
"Yah, what are you saying? Of course, I'm real!" Then she pinched Taeyeon's cheeks and Taeyeon yelped in pain, "Ouch, what the ?!"
"Still ain't real for you?" Tiffany cunningly said
"Whatever, why am I here?" Taeyeon asked
‘This is either a dream or part of my hallucination.’ Taeyeon thought
"You passed out last night, I didn't even get a chance to enjoy the Tteokbokki you bought." the girl frowned.. “I’m hungry.” she fret.
"Tiffany, right?" she confirmed
"Yes, your one and only wife." Tiffany proudly said.
"Tsk.I'm straight." Taeyeon dead panned
Tiffany smirked and said, "The ring on your finger didn't think so." Taeyeon looked at her fingers and saw a ring. "Holy !"
“Oh, look! Here’s mine.” Tiffany showed her ring on her hands while wiggling her brows.
“I really need to ing wake up!” Taeyeon frantically shook her head
"Taetae... What's happening to you? I think you bumped your head on the floor when you passed out. But the doctor said you’re good to go today, maybe he’s wrong. Let me call the doctor," Tiffany was about to stand up but Taeyeon held her hand,
‘But if I pass out again, I’ll be back at the ward… Maybe staying awake here is a good idea, my life anyway.’ Taeyeon rationalized her choice.
"No! Uhm... Just take me home."
"Alright." And Taeyeon could swear that she saw something brighter than the sun inside that hospital room when Tiffany smiled
They were walking towards the parking lot until Tiffany stopped in front of a pink lamborghini.
“Come on,” Tiffany opened the door for her.
“Are you telling me that this is your car?” Taeyeon raised her brows in doubts.
“Why?”
“Just in case we are stealing this car, I would like to know if I’m going to jail in this dream.” Taeyeon said
Tiffany slapped her hard.
“What the hell?!” Taeyeon shrieked as she put her hand to attend on the sting on her cheek.
Tiffany asked “Still dreaming?”
“What did you do that for?” she complained
“You once told me that there would be times that you’ll be weird, the only way to fix you is to slap you or smack you in the head. I guess this is one of those times.”
“I don’t know what hurts more, your slap or the fact that this car is pink.”
“It’s actually yours.” Tiffany answered, “Nice color, right?” she asked
“Wait… You’re telling me that I was able to afford this cool car but chose this color instead?” Taeyeon asked in bewilderment.
“Yeah?”
“Well, me and my life choices.” she dryly commented as she went inside the car.
“Yah, you make the best life choices in the world!” Tiffany retorted
“Is that so, Miss Hwang?”
“Yes, because you chose me...and that is Mrs. Kim for you.” Tiffany smiled and drove them home.
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Arriving at their place, Taeyeon couldn’t help but feel foreign in her own house. The maple tree didn't exist in front of her yard before, the flower pots, the colour of her walls, the furniture...It all feels new. Especially the woman who was holding her hand happily as they walked inside their home. She noticed Tiffany looking at her and she couldn’t help but to feel embarrassed.
“Is there something on my face?” Taeyeon warily asked
“Nothing, I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
“About how lucky I am to have you!” Tiffany gave her a big hug and a kiss.
“YAH! DON’T DO THAT!” Taeyeon covered her red face, she has to get used to this.
“Ha, you see that ring? You’re mine!” Tiffany victoriously said
“Then, I’ll remove this ring.” Taeyeon was about to remove the ring on her finger until she saw Ti
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