Trigger Warning!
Mentions of hospitalization.
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Panic.
Clawing up my throat.
My ears were filled with the raspy, hollow sounds of my dry, desperate gasps. I couldn’t see clearly despite the openness of my eyes. Even as the inside roof of a car slowly appeared beyond the blur of my water-stained eyes, my lungs persisted in their incessant demands on my lips to part. The sweet taste of air filled wasn’t enough for my greedy lungs. I gaped my mouth as far as I could to bring in more oxygen.
Blinking a few times, I finally cleared the water from my stinging eyes. Looking around, I was stunned at the proof that I was alive. Just as I was about to discern the, still blobby surroundings, something was forced into my open mouth. Gagging, I tried looking for the offender when I felt fingers constrict my nose. Suddenly, I felt like I was back under the waves. My thrashing just as helpless as before.
My mouth sucked in, praying for some more of that precious air to-
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The soft strumming of a guitar trickled into my ears. It’s pleasant whispering pulled my eyes back together despite my best efforts. Warmth enveloped me in a snug embrace. Wearily, I managed to part my eyes enough to wince at the sight of flashing lights outside the window. A car window. I felt my lips curl into a smile, but I couldn’t understand why these simple things seemed to bring me so much joy.
A joy that was short-lived as I felt an oddly placed straw-like object. I played with it gently before I realised that this was the source of my comfort. Chewing it slightly, I relished the sensation of blissful ease that flowed throughout my body.
“How are you feeling now, Mr Francis?”
The voice was gruff. Firm. It gave no room for opposition, and the question seemed more like a demand than anything. Who did this heartless voice belong to?
My right eye strained open further, my left still too lazy under the gentle strums of the guitar’s charm. I vaguely caught sight of the man. Squinting felt odd as I struggled to focus on his image. White shirt and black pants. A standard outfit for a working man. His tie slowly came into focus, and I was entranced by the little ships that adorned his navy blue tie. I blinked… or was it a wink… as his hands moved up to fasten his tie. The long sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing his massive forearms.
They drew closer to me and tugged at the straw. My teeth formed the vanguard of my defiance as my left eye opened to concentrate my fury at him. The tug of war lasted seconds before my teeth clashed into each other. I grinded them in rage at the loss of the… straw?
“It looks like you’re good to go.”
I blinked for a second.
The cold brush of the wind was almost as harsh as the crude crashing of waves that stole the space in my ears. I stumbled, shocked to be on my feet in the cold. My eyes were forced open as I felt gravity threaten to take me to the ground. I struggled to right myself from the abrupt and relentless wobble that struck my weak legs. Confusion scrunched my face as I questioned why I had been ejected from my car. I searched my mind as I finally stood steadily. Thoughts hung loosely as even the man’s face had slipped from my memories.
Carefully, I turned back to the man to get some answers. The bright lights of the car caught me off guard. Squinting through the artificial light, I barely caught the greys that clung to the back of his head as he got into the car. It drove away smoothly, crunching the gravel underneath and taking the light with it as it left.
I stood still for a few moments, staring at the fleeting red light as I tried to make sense of everything. The car struck a chord with me for some reason. I knew the car was familiar, but if it wasn’t my own, then why did I remember it so well? My brain felt hot as I tried my best to remember the importance of the car…
“Jonah!”
I groaned as the sound of the familiar name washed away all other thoughts.
That name…
My name…!
Falling off of a cliff.
A mermaid.
Being battered against the inside of the cove.
Memories flooded back into my mind, and my body was suddenly riddled with discomfort.
A series of sharp flashes of light tore through the darkness and into my eyes. I recoiled, blinking and stumbling as I tried desperately to evade the continuing onslaught. The sounds of cars motoring up to incline was married with opening and closing doors. All of it weighed heavily on me as I continued to stagger away from it all. Without the comforting touch of the green straw, the world seemed to have been placed on my shoulders.
“Mr Francis! Can you explain what you saw here tonight?” A high-pitched voice cried out over the swarm of sounds. The lights of the cars and other devices continued to spotlight me. My head felt like it was splitting under the constant assault.
“Jonah! What was your reason for being here?!” This voice screamed over the first, and prompted more voices to be thrown.
Questions swirled and danced around me as my unsteady feet continued their awful dance. Nausea churned in the pit of my stomach as gravity dragged me closer to the floor. My right hand caught something. I barely had the strength to hold myself upright. Glancing at the structure that held my weight, relief temporarily eased my ailments. I had found my car.
My freedom.
I tried my best to drown out the noise of the crowd that had formed around me. Instead, I used their light to find the front door handle. The door resisted my first, feebly attempt at opening it. I fought miserably against the handle for a few seconds before remembering that the keys were in my pocket. My mind pounded and my heart raced as I prayed to find them quickly. Finally, the car chirped. A brilliantly wonderful sound that sent a rush of euphoria throughout my body. Prying my right hand from my pocket, I ripped the door open and threw myself into the car. Closing the door on the insistent reporter, I chuckled weakly and reached for the steering wheel.
Only to find nothing.
Looking up, I realised I was in the passenger seat of the car. Cursing under my breath, I dropped my forehead against the dashboard. The discomfort in my body only grew. The nausea, which had started in the pit of my stomach, was now forming thick lumps in my throat.
But the sound of the questions was muffled.
The thrumming in my ears slowly eased, and I felt my breathing calm. My throat was still tightly clenched, but I relished the momentary relief. Once I had built up enough strength, I decided it was time to leave. Mustering all of what little energy remained, I forced my body to claw over to the driver’s side. Discomfort turned to slight pain as I flopped onto the seat. Sticking the key, still in my right hand, into the ignition, I nodded encouragingly to myself. Ignoring my useless left arm, I reached over for the PRNDL to shift the car into reverse.
A loud bang against the driver’s window broke my concentration. I looked forward at the sea, now illuminated by my headlights, as I tried to ignore the unrelenting reporters. Looking in the rear-view mirror, I realised I was stuck. The entire car was swarmed, and they seemed unwilling to let me leave without any answers.
Taking another deep breath, I held firmly on the brakes as I rolled down the window slightly.
“I’ll take one question, so please let me leave after that.”
Their screaming grew almost manic as they pushed against each other for an answer. The car rocked slightly as they tried to push their mics into the window. I shrunk into my seat, my right shoulder raising defensively as my foot almost slipped off the brakes.
“Quiet!” A loud, commanding voice cried over the frantic reporters. The roaring swell of a tide washed over the car park as the man slowly made his way through the crowd. “Jonah is one of us. Whether you like it or not, this story is his. He already offered to answer a question regardless, so how about we stop acting like animals! Huh?”
A vaguely familiar face appeared at the window. I focused on the smile on his lips, which broke immediately into a frown. “You don’t look too good, son.” He turned back to the reporter trying to push his mic past him to hear our conversation. The man glared at him until the mic and the arm retreated. “Let me do you a favour, I’m going to ask you why you’re here. You give me a quick Wachowski answer, and I’ll handle it for you. You look like you could use some rest.”
I stared at the man gratefully before nodding quickly. Slightly ashamed that I couldn’t remember his name for the life of me. He shifted back, reaching in to roll down the other windows, which were quickly filled with microphones.
“What brought you to Destiny Cove tonight?”
My mind wracked with dishevelled thoughts before the words finally slipped out of my mouth. “I was following the Wachowski family, searching for evidence since they murdered my parents in front of my eyes when I was a kid.”
A wave swallowed the noise of the reporters as they stood stunned.
“This kid answered your question. He used to work with me, so I know his studies of the Wachowski family pretty well. If you have anything to ask about that, you can come to me. About the mermaid, well, you’ll have to either wait for his report or The Agency’s report.”
He chuckled easily, leading the crowd away from the car before waving at me to leave.
My eyes watered. Whether it was from my appreciation or the growing pain, I couldn’t tell. Either way, I wiped them quickly before finally raising my foot from the brakes and pulling out of the car park.
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“… sparked further investigation on the Wach-”
“Mr Francis?”
The sharp pinging sound of a machine filled the room. It persisted in its steady cries as I shifted to the sound of my name.
“How are you feeling today?”
A cool touch brushed over my forehead. The sensation was soft, yet I frowned at the lack of vision. I tried to shift my head alone this time, to see what was touching me. There was only darkness.
And the resilient beeping that continued.
Doing my best to remain calm, I tried to speak this time. No words came out. Feet shuffled on the floor around me. The first voice in the distance continued speaking, but the volume had been lowered so I couldn’t hear it anymore.
But the beeping was still there.
Slowly becoming more frequent.
I tried moving again. To even feel my fingers or toes move an inch. That’s when I realised I couldn’t feel anything at all.
The beeping grew erratic. Crashing into my ears at a pace and frequency of alarm that made me feel my heart. Pounding heavily in my chest. Darkness persisted even as my heart roared so thunderously that I could feel the sound in my ears.
Blocking out the chorus of panicked voices and the beeping finally stopped.
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“…owski family has been in court for-”
“Mr Francis?”
The pinging started again. Or maybe it never stopped…
There was another sound this time. This one, a constant droning.
I tried to take a breath to calm myself. Nothing.
That was odd…
Maybe I did take the breath but just couldn’t remember it. I didn’t even know where I was after all.
Composing myself, I tried again.
Nothing again.
Just as I was about to panic, a sudden flow of air rushed into my lungs. I recoiled at the odd sensation.
My lungs filled with air. I…
I quickly shifted my thoughts as I heard the beeping speed up. Instead, I focused on the fact that I felt more than before. There was an odd weight that hung on my chest. It was as if I were clamped down.
Another uncomfortable rush of air flew into my lungs.
“How are you feeling today?”
The question sent another wave of panic through my body.
I tried taking another calming breath, but got nothing for my efforts. I clenched my eyes tighter, relieved that I could at least feel that response. Another sudden rush of air, and I calmed slightly. Turning to the sound of the voice, I was once more coveted by the familiar darkness, which seemed to enshroud me perpetually.
My throat ached slightly, and my lips felt unbelievably dry when I tried to speak. I tried to lip them but something was obstructing…
The beeping grew erratic again. Somehow, even in the darkness, the world was spinning. When did I take my last breath? What was stopping me from breathing? I..
Another wave of screams and footsteps around me.
My throat felt tighter.
The entirety of my body screamed out in pain.
Air rushed into my lungs.
A hissing sound grew into a low roar as a hand fell onto my forehead. As the world grew quiet once more, a faint whisper lingered behind.
“I’m here, Jonah. It’s alright, I’m here…”
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Beep.
It was back.
I tried my best to compose myself as my mind swirled in the nigh-infinite darkness. Based on what little I remember from the last two times that I was awake, I should be in a hospital.
For what? Well, I couldn’t figure that part out.
Silence. Well, as silent as it could be with the persistent beeping next to me. But much quieter than the last time I was awake. I breathed in and shocked myself when the air came to my lungs manually… well, automatically but not mechanically.
Licking my lips, I found they were dry, but within reach of my tongue. My throat still felt sore, but it was unobstructed. My body… I could feel my body. Aching, sore and feeble, but it was all present this time. I took another breath, eager to feel the air respond to my command.
My body trembled. Discomfort scrunched my face as I let out shuddering coughs. Each one causing my throat to burn.
Suddenly, the beeping, increased now, was heard as my coughing fit faded away. With more caution, I took another breath and sighed in relief as the air flowed as it should.
“Jonah?”
The familiar voice rang out. I could hear it more clearly now. It belonged to a lady. It was soft, despite how strongly it carried. A gentleness that seemed to whisper ease into my bones. I repeated the cycle by turning towards the voice. This time, however, I felt my neck more and the coldness of the pillow on my left cheek. It made me question whether I had actually turned the other times before.
Excitement coursed through my veins as I felt more confident about my chances of finally escaping the darkness. With a bit of anxiety, I begged my eyes to open.
The harsh white light scorched my eyes. A meek, pathetic sound rumbled painfully up my throat as I slammed my eyes shut. For the first time in forever, I found comfort in the darkness my eyelids provided. My eyes continued to sting, almost sizzling in the remnant agony. A warm hand fell gently onto my forehead, brushing soothing circles onto my temple as I battled through the receding pain.
The suffering faded into comfort. Despite my desire to stay hidden behind my eyelids, a reddish colour had replaced the complete darkness which I had been stuck in. Wincing in advance, I peeked out.
Someone had taken off the lights. The white wall that I was facing reflected what I thought was sunlight. My eyes throbbed a bit, from dryness more than anything. Slowly, I opened my squinting eyes more. Finally, after some time, my eyes had fully adjusted. I caught sight of the hand still on my forehead and followed it up the arm to find its owner.
The face of an older woman, with a smile that reached her eyes, was waiting for me.
I tried to speak, but nothing came out. The effort of moving my head, and the coughs which ravaged my body was apparently too much. The woman’s face seemed to grow further away as exhaustion dragged me back to the darkness that I had just liberated myself from.
As I fought to stay awake, I heard her voice faintly. “Okay, next time we can wait a bit longer before adding the sleeping medi-”
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The machine sang out.
Its sharp pinging, rising and falling in a steady requiem of life. My eyes flickered open, and I was staring at the ceiling. Plain, ordinary, white tiles. They seemed to stare back at me in the low light of the room. Shifting my head to the right, I confirmed my previous suspicions. A window. Warm trickles of light slipped into the room.
Dawn.
I lay there, fixated on the slow dance performance of the clouds. Even as they hung over the rising sun, they failed to obstruct its orange glow. Instead, they were coloured by it. The peaking of the sun over the clouds forced my eyes to face the ceiling. As I stared up, I realised that this was the first time I had seen the sun rise since I was a kid.
It was beautiful.
A smile donned my lips as I continued to stare at the white tiles above. Slowly, I pieced together what little memories that trailed around my mind, leading back to the events before I arrived at the hospital.
“Hello Jonah.”
I turned again to the left and found the softest pair of green eyes. They belonged to a comforting face. The elderly lady from before was not quite as old now. I wasn’t sure what had made me see her as older before. She stood before me, her hand reaching out to brush my face. I melted into the touch. Memories of my childhood… Affection from my long gone mother…
I frowned slightly when she pulled her soft hand away.
“You probably have one or two questions, right?” She asked, pulling a chair to sit. My first question was where she had pulled it from. “I’ll start with answering the most obvious ones while we let your throat rest for a few more days.”
I gave up on nodding instantly, as a wave of pain struck my neck. Closing my eyes, I shifted my neck for a few moments to find comfort again. After some time, I reopened my eyes. Not fully comfortable, but the effort of searching for the best position was too taxing.
Looking back at the lady, I saw the concern leave her eyes as she sat back in her chair. She waited a few moments longer before speaking again.
“You were a bit lucky, I’ll admit.” Her voice was soft as she spoke. Her eyes flowed past me and stared out of the window. “I was at the beach next door. I keep forgetting its name.” She kissed her teeth to herself as her face contorted in thought. Sighing, she shook her head as she gave up on remembering its name.
“My daughter called me and told me what was happening. I said, since I was in the area, I would come and check it out with my own eyes.” She laughed softly to herself. Turning back to me, she stared mischievously. “Don’t tell anyone, but I was watching your livestream while driving over, and when I saw them, I knew the worst was coming.”
I blinked in surprise at her words. Memories of that night flashed across my mind. The Wachowski family. It must be them she’s referring to. Over the years, I had met many other victims and even helped a few. Every time I was convinced that I had found everyone affected, all the awful crimes they had committed. There was more.
“Calm down…” I zoned back in to the sound of her voice being drowned out by the rapid beeping of the monitor. I took a few deep breaths until the sound slipped back into its constant rhythm again.
“I had turned off the stream to call the police.” She continued. “And when I reached the carpark, it was swarming with cars and reporters. They were interviewing someone else, so I drove past, hoping to see over the edge of the cove by the ropes. I saw that some sort of machine had pulled the mermaid into the boat when I heard a crash.”
I stared at her as she paused. Concern sprouted in my mind, growing to my face as I waited for her to reveal the fate of the poor soul that had…
“Me?” I croaked out in shock. I regretted it instantly as my throat felt as though it were being torn apart. Biting my bottom lip and squeezing my eyes shut, I begged the pain to go away. The rush of agony slowly subsided, and I opened my eyes to see the lady hovering over me. A cloth in her hand stained with blood.
My blood.
“You really need to be patient with yourself.” Concern laced her voice as she threw the cloth away. Another hand stretched over my body from the right and handed my, I’m assuming, saviour a cup. Gingerly, she raised my head and fed me small drops of water. The process was slow, but I felt a cool wave brush over my throat and relaxed fully.
“You’ve been in and out of consciousness and surgeries for the past two months. I’m not sure how often you were lucid, but your body has been under severe stress.” She paused, taking note of my increased heart rate, something that I was all too aware of, and stopped feeding me water. My head was gently lowered back onto the pillow.
“Maybe we’ll talk about the extent of your injuries another time.” She chuckled lightly, gently wiping my lips with another cloth. As she was moving back to her seat, a horrid blaring alarm sounded from her hip. Panic struck her face, and she quickly dashed the chair aside.
I was left to stare up at the ceiling, wondering just how bad the accident truly was.
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“How many times did we tell you to stop your little game?”
The ceiling started spinning at the sound of the voice. My throat tightened, and the beeping was drowned by the roaring of my heart in my chest…
“Every time we warned you, you continued. Every time we shut down another one of your little articles or videos, you posted another one… You were the most difficult little gremlin to catch, I’ll give you that. But now it’s time we do a good deed and offer you a little family reunion!”
I shut my eyes tight. Begging for the hallucination to fade. It couldn’t be real… He couldn’t be here… They couldn’t be here…
But I knew they could.
A pair of fingers pried my right eye open. His face had scorned the sun for years. His eyes, grey and piercing, barely withheld the psychotic glee that had been let loose for far too long.
“Oh, how I wish I could hear you scream and beg like the video we have of your mother… Oh how we enjoyed that night, Jonah.” His pink lips, chapped to the point where red stained in splotches, curled upward into the deadest smile I had ever seen. His right eye twitched, and he released mine.
A grotesque growl pulled my gaze to him. I feared losing sight of him for too long. He cast his manic fury at the heart monitor. Smashing it roughly, bloodying his fist, before ripping all the plugs from the socket.
Breathing in deeply, he ran his bloodied hand through his frayed blonde hair. Turning back to me, his smile was calm. The anger gone. If it weren’t for the blood in his hair, I would’ve thought there was an entirely new person lording over me.
“I want you to know that the person who the nurse ran to save… That was us. So, you have their blood on your hands too! A mother giving birth! The things we get to do as part of the Wachowski family!”
The butt of a gun slammed into the back of his head. “You talk way too much, Eric. Grab the pillow and smother him. We have seconds, not minutes or hours.”
Eric growled, though it was weak as he cradled his head with one hand. He gruffly pried the pillow from under my head. Before the back of my head could hit the bed, the pillow was over my face. I shuddered at the sudden pressure. My body refused to listen to my pleas to struggle.
“Wachowski sends their regards!” The muffled voice was followed by even more deranged laughter.
“Jonah, why is the door…” Who was that?
A loud thump sounded, followed by a few screams. I felt the pressure on my face loosen.
“Shoot him!”
A couple of gunshots rang out.
“Jonah!” Cheryl! It was Cheryl!
Two hands slammed into my ribs. My body slipped off the warm comfortable bed, and I kissed the cold hard floor. I was too exhausted to move more than enough to shift to breathe. With my cheek against the floor, I tried to look up and see what was happening. Pain erupted in my stomach… or was it my back? Or was it…
Darkness.