CHAPTER 1

Dara was floating. She feels so light that she imagined herself with wings. Touching the clouds, flying through different colors of light, gliding though rainbows. She lifted herself up and up and up to see how high she could reach when clouds suddenly turned dark.  Something was coming directly in her direction. An ominous shadow sprinting as if it wants to get her. She was held transfixed when the dark shadow multiplied and all clashed on her side. Above her, beneath her feet, through her. She put her hands on her head feeling like the impact of these shadown would damage her when she felt herself  falling. She tried to grasp anythng to hold on to but the hand slipped through the dark shadow. She was screaming as she plunged down, the dark shadow opening its mouth to devour her into its interminable darkness.

Dara’s eyes flew open.

For a moment she was blank as she stared at the white ceiling, her mind trying to gather its thoughts. She couldn’t remember what woke her, what she was dreaming about, what she is supposed to be doing… Something about needing to finish exams crept up into her thoughts but all that seemed so insignificant at the moment. All that was registered on her mind is a constant Toot Toot sound. Her head hurts. She lifted her hand to put it in her head but stopped when she saw a needle embedded on her skin. She followed the trail of a small tube where the needle was connected to and rested on an IV bag on a pole.

Her eyes scanned the room. From the IV bag to the Infusion Pump to the Heart Monitor to the white pristine color of the walls and ceiling. A soft light was streaming through the blinds of the glass window as the sun bades its good bye.

Holy . It all came rushing back to her now. She got hit on the highway.

Before she could delve further into her thoughts, a girl of about an inches shorter than she is entered the room balancing a phone on her right shoulder and writing on a small pink notebook. “Yes, I can take a message. She is no position to take the call. She’s in an accident. Yes. What should i-“ The girl froze when their eyes met. Dara’s with confusion and the girl in shock.

“Ms. Dara, you’re awake!” She exclaimed after a moment, dropping her notebook and holding her phone to ear, she told the person on the other line. “Let me call you later.” Then she scrambled out of the room before Dara could even ask who the hell she is.

She sat up resting her back on the mound of pillows she tried to pile, feeling weak. And thirsty. After a moment, the girl came back followed by what Dara assumed is one of the nurse. The nurse was smiling as she strode over to her holding a small bag which what she assumed is to check her blood pressure.

“Good evening, Ms. Dara. How are you feeling?” The nurse gently took her arm and proceeded in checking her blood pressure.

“Water,” Dara replied, her voice raspy. The girl quickly poured her a glass of water and Dara drank it all immediately, feeling like had not tasted water in forever. “How long was I out?” She asked.

“Almost three weeks,” the girl answered instead of the nurse. Dara looked at her and the girl looked alarmed that she answered. “I’m sorry.” The girl apologized. “I mean, you were in a coma for almost three weeks.” She added in a small voice.

Three weeks! “Three weeks?” She repeated in disbelief. She doesn’t know where she would start after a thousand questions bombarded her mind with the realization she was in a coma for three weeks! “Oh my god. What about my finals?” She looked imploringly at the nurse then at the girl. “I mean… Were my teachers informed what happened to me? Where’s my mom? And dad?” She put her left hand on her head and could feel the bandange around her head. She is supposed to get a scholarship if she aced the finals. She missed a lot to ever be even considered on the scholarship program.

She was so busy with her thoughts that she didn’t notice the look of alarm at the girl’s face and concern at the nurse’s. She barely noticed the nurse excusing herself and saying something about getting the doctor as she worried over her future. All her dreams gone because of a stupid accident. Well maybe not gone gone but she feels she’s so behind on everything. She felt like she lost track of what she is supposed to be doing. She already planned her whole life. What she’s going to do, where she’s going to go… she didn’t count on having an accident and being in a state of coma for three weeks on her life plan.

She looked at the girl who is standing awkwardly at the corner shifting one foot to the other. She doesn’t look familiar. She’s small. With a small face and pretty eyes. A cousin, maybe?

“Are you my cousin?” Dara asked.

The girl’s doe eyes got bigger as she shook her head. Dara’s brow creased. What is wrong with her? She’s been jumpy and acting like she’s scared of something. Dara was about to ask her if she knew where her parents are when the doctor came with the nurse behind her.

“Hi Dara,” the doctor greeted amiably. She took out a small flashlght and checked her eyeballs lifting a finger and told her to follow it. Dara feels kinda stupid doing that but she did it anyway.

“Are you feeling any pain?”

Dara shook her head but then the movement caused a little. “Just here.” She touched the general area at the back of her head.

“Can you tell me your whole name?” The doctor asked.

Aren’t they supposed to have it in their records? “Sandara Park,” she answered anyway.

“Can you tell me where you live?”

For about a minute, the doctor had asked her all the basic questions which she answered dutifully. If the girl’s eyes could get any bigger, her eyeballs are gonna pop out, she thought when she glanced at the girl with the small face.

“Can you remember the accident?”

Dara nodded and proceeded in recounting what she can recall. “Bom and I are walking to get something to eat. Bom is my friend, by the way,”she added thoughtfully thinking the doctor would like to know who Bom is. “And then, I w