How many hours has it been since I was left watching over my sick body? It was just a shell, an empty shell that has lost its sprit to the body of a stuffed bear.

I watched as Mia breathed peacefully. What would happen if I never returned to my body? If I was never to wake up, would I be stuck as Dani or will I disappear? Never to see Joon again.

I let out a sigh. Life really was a scary game. Suddenly, Mia’s pulse reading on the cardiac monitor started to rapidly increase. It started off with 70 beats per minute, 80 beats per minute and finally jumped to 122 beats in a matter of seconds.

What was going on? Why was this happening?

I started to panic and felt my own heart rate increase. Pulsating to the same beat as Mia’s. I don’t know what happened but a flash of white light quickly brightened the room. It faded as quickly as it appeared and I was transported to a world of darkness. Unconsciousness.

*~*~*~*~*~*

My head felt heavy and I was half asleep. I knew it was already morning but there seemed to be some sort of commotion going on outside. There were people running in all different directions and the door had slid open with such force I thought it was going to break.

I tried to open my eyes to see what was going on but they felt heavy and were sealed by something flaky.

“Mia! We have to get out of here!” Joon’s familiar voice sounded and I felt him lift me up.

My head bobbed while Joon ran and I smelt something burning. The temperature was also oddly warm and stuffy. It didn’t take long before I realised the hospital was on fire. A wet towel suddenly covered my mouth and nose, preventing me from inhaling the smoke. As we moved I heard rushing footsteps of firemen assisting in the evacuation of patients and staff.

My eyes were still tightly closed and my body felt numb and stiff, as if I haven’t moved in years. We had safely departed the building and I could hear people yelling for their loved ones around me.

Joon was panting as he removed the towel from my face. Hold on. Why would he put a towel on a toy bear? Something wet suddenly dropped onto my cheek, was it raining now?

“Mia, thank god we made it.” Joon said in between breaths.

Mia? Did he just call me Mia? Does that mean I’ve returned back to my body? What happened to Dani then?

Joon gently traced his finger on my cheek and gracefully brushed my eyelashes. I felt his breath on my skin and I could feel the warmth being emitted from his body.

My hand twitched and I slowly forced my eyes open.

Joon was staring down at me, black ash covered parts of his face. A fury arm wrapped around his neck and I noticed that he had tied Dani around him. He saved the bear, how sweet. I raised my hand to wipe away a stray tear and Joon’s eyes stayed still. His face was frozen and he didn’t move, almost like he was a living JPEG.

“Why are you crying? Aren’t you happy?” I said and was surprised with my ability to speak.

Joon grasped my hand that was caressing his face.

“You have no idea! You have no idea how happy I am. I've missed you so much I thougt I was going to die waiting.”

He pulled me up into a tight embrace and I patted the back of his head, “Thank you for waiting. I’m back.”

The game of life had awarded me with the gift of love and I wasn’t scared anymore. As long as I had Joon beside me until the end of this game, the pain and suffering I have to go through in the future will only be the start of a happier memory.

We finally broke off our skin ship and Joon had an adorable expression on his face.

“Mia, I think I was hallucinating when I visited you. This bear,” He said as he untied it from his neck and placed it between us, “it was moving and saying I love you to me.”

I let out a small chuckle. You weren’t hallucinating at all. “Joon, I love you.” I said with a sheepish smile and hugged him again, never wanting to let him go after everything the both of us had gone through. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

It’s funny how things can change so quickly within a day. How a couple of hours could alter the very fate of the rest of my life. Just yesterday, I was sitting on the side of Joon’s bed, admiring him from a distance as a stuffed bear. Now, I’m in his arms, rejoicing our reunion.

As we sat there, embracing each other, a blue butterfly flew past and I couldn’t help but smile. That very smile that Joon had longed to witness again.

“Thank you,” I mouthed.

We let the sunlight shower us with its warmth but it was the company of each other that warmed our hearts. If god really existed, I wanted to thank him for hearing my prayers and allowing me to be in a state where I will be able to love Joon, not secretly but as humanly and openly as possible. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Author's Note

This story has sadly come to an end. :') 

I would like to give a big thank you to YOU for reading and for those who commented and subscribed! Thank you, thank you and thank you! <3