Chapter Two: Unfortunate Events

What the hell?

Some people came to stare at me like I was some spectacle they’d never seen before.

“Are you really okay?” A doctor with the kindest eyes I’d ever seen asked, her face filled with worry. I couldn’t understand why, though.

“Never better,” I replied. They were overreacting to something as small as an accident, and I didn’t feel as much pain, which was curious.

“How are you even—how’s this possible?” She seemed stumped for words, but I just shrugged.

“The impact was bad, wasn’t it? Well, I’m fine now.” I smiled, all teeth. She looked at me, fixing the glasses at the bridge of her nose.

“I don’t know how to say this, but... I wasn’t there.” She replied hesitantly, and I didn’t know why she bothered mincing words with me; she was a doctor and I was a patient. There was nothing else that held us together.

“Of course, that’s to be expected. Where is my family? I want to tell them I’m awake.” I was happier than I’d been in a while, and nothing could dampen it, not even the casual look of pity in the pretty doctor’s eyes.

“They aren’t here.” She righted herself, a stern look on her face. I wondered if I’d managed to say something wrong.

“Why? Where are they?” My heart hammered in my chest, but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. They were probably at home and didn’t know I was awake. Yes, that would explain a lot of things.

“Take a look outside,” the doctor urged, and I wondered if she’d hit her head somewhere. Of course, it was night, which is why my family wasn’t there. But she wasn’t budging in the slightest, and I knew that I had to do what she wanted, or I wasn’t going to hear the end of it.

I begrudgingly pulled the curtains, and the world exploded in my vision.

“This isn’t right. What is this?” I looked back at her, my eyes pleading for her to make sense of what I was seeing. Or maybe I was still dreaming, yes.

“This is earth. Doesn't it seem familiar?” She was alone with me in the hospital ward, but all thoughts of her pretty face had been banished from my mind. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see anyone else.

“What year is it?” I asked, waiting with bated breath. I closed my eyes, unable to take in the sight before me. It didn’t add up; nothing did.

“The year is 2075. And you’ve been in a coma for fifty years. My name is Aisha Gray. Your doctor and the one who refused to pull the plug. Yet… you look no younger than 17.”

She spoke to me, but the sight of the world outside blotted everything else from my memory; I couldn’t even come to terms with it. It wasn’t fair; it wasn’t fucking fair.

There were floating buildings and eerie-looking landscapes. Scorched earth and a dystopian overtone. Manhattan wasn’t like this, no.

Something has changed.

“What is the name of this place?” I asked, still unable to meet her eyes. My body was shaking, and my head was filled with white noise.

“After the war began, we became part of a Federation. This is the New Liberty Front. And the world you knew doesn’t exist anymore.” The blows came one after the other, but I didn’t react. What was there to react to?

“Did my family survive? Are they still alive?” My voice shook slightly, but I didn’t want to consider the possibility of losing everyone and everything in one fell swoop. Life wasn’t meant to be that cruel.

“I’ll let you see for yourself,” Dr. Gray gave way, and a woman of no less than sixty years was framed in the doorway, eyes wider than saucers.

“Hello, big brother. It’s your sister, Grace. You look like a child,” she laughed, tears streaming down her face, all smiles. I didn’t ask about my mother; I didn’t want to hurt myself even more.

“You finally became older than me.” I matched her humor, even though my heart was wringing in my chest. I couldn’t let her see.

“Well, even little sisters have to grow sometimes. Now, explain to me. You were a vegetable yesterday—sorry about the language—and now you look half a decade younger. Is there a new drug I should know about? I really want to get rid of my wrinkles,” she winked at me, and I was tempted to tell her she needed to put up a front with me.

“Can you tell me what happened after the crash? I remember it like it was yesterday. I mean, you were just a 15-year-old brat, and now you’re technically old enough to be my grandmother. Time sure is warped.” I tried to make light of the situation, but I knew the truth, even if no one else did.

My age had suddenly reversed, and the world had gone to hell. I didn’t feel like I was asleep for that long; at least I’d remember being bedridden. But… I don’t have an inkling of what they felt like.

“When you were rushed to the hospital, our mother blamed herself for everything and sourced the funds to pay for your medical expenses. But after a few months, she deteriorated, and you weren’t showing signs of waking up. You didn’t even seem like you were there. And after a while, she lost herself and died. I decided to continue paying the bills. But I got old, and well, let’s just say you’ve racked up a truckload of debts.”

I squeezed the sheets; the pang in my heart was almost choking. But I knew that something else was in play.

And I was going to find out what it was.