long sleep
979 Words
The Long Sleep
Episode 2: Awakening
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1. A World Unknown
A faint beeping sound echoed in the darkness. It was rhythmic, steady, like a distant heartbeat. At first, Arman thought it was part of a dream. Then, slowly, his mind began to stir.
His eyelids felt impossibly heavy, but with effort, they fluttered open. Blinding white light flooded his vision. A sharp pain shot through his head, forcing him to shut his eyes again. His body felt weak—too weak, as if it didn’t belong to him anymore.
He tried to move his fingers. It took all his strength, but they twitched. A strange scent filled his nose—sterile, antiseptic. He wasn’t home.
Where am I?
With another deep breath, he opened his eyes again. The world came into focus. He was lying in a hospital bed. Tubes ran from his arms. A heart monitor beeped beside him. His mouth was dry, and his throat ached as he tried to speak.
A nurse, dressed in unfamiliar blue scrubs, turned toward him. Her eyes widened.
"Doctor! He’s awake!"
Footsteps rushed toward him. A man in a white coat leaned over, shining a light into his eyes. "Arman, can you hear me?"
He barely managed a nod. His body felt alien, stiff, like it had been frozen in time.
"You’ve been asleep for a long time," the doctor continued, his voice calm yet serious. "Can you tell me your name?"
His name.
"Arman…" His voice was hoarse, almost a whisper.
The doctor exchanged glances with the nurse. Relief flickered across their faces.
"Good. That’s good." The doctor smiled. "You’ve been in a coma, Arman."
A coma? The words hit him like a shockwave.
"How… long?" He forced the words out, his heart pounding.
The doctor hesitated. "Twelve years."
Arman’s breath caught in his throat.
Twelve years.
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2. Lost in Time
The words refused to sink in. He tried to sit up, but his body resisted.
"Twelve years?" His voice cracked. "That’s not possible…"
The doctor placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know this is overwhelming, but you need to stay calm. Your body has been through a lot. We’ll explain everything, but for now, you must rest."
Rest? How could he rest? His mind raced with questions. What happened to my family? My friends? The world?
The nurse adjusted his IV drip. "We’ll call your family. They’ve been waiting for this day for a long time."
His family. His mother, father, Laila… Were they still here? Were they okay?
Minutes passed like hours as the doctors ran tests. Arman stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything. Twelve years—a lifetime stolen from him.
The door creaked open. Footsteps entered the room. Arman turned his head, his heart pounding.
A woman stood there, her face lined with age, eyes filled with tears.
"Arman?" The voice was familiar, yet different.
His breath caught in his throat.
"Amma?"
Tears streamed down her face as she rushed to his bedside, clutching his hand. Her fingers trembled.
"My son… my son… you’re awake!"
Arman felt his own eyes burn. His mother looked older, fragile. Her once-dark hair was streaked with gray. But it was her—it was really her.
"Where’s Baba?" he asked, barely above a whisper.
His mother’s expression faltered.
Silence.
A cold dread settled in his chest.
"Amma… where is Baba?"
She gripped his hand tighter. "He… he didn’t make it, Arman. He passed away five years ago."
The words hit him like a sledgehammer. His father was gone.
Gone.
Arman stared at the ceiling, his mind reeling. The world had moved on without him.
And he was left behind.
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3. A New Reality
Days passed in a blur. The hospital was filled with strangers—doctors, nurses, visitors he didn’t recognize.
Sameer and Bilal visited him, their faces older, voices deeper. They were no longer the young college boys he remembered. They had jobs, families.
"You really slept through everything, huh?" Sameer tried to joke, but his voice was heavy.
Bilal forced a smile. "The world’s changed, man. You’ve got a lot to catch up on."
They told him about everything—how the city had transformed, how technology had advanced. Cars drove themselves. Phones no longer had buttons. People barely used cash anymore.
And Laila…
His little sister was no longer little. She was a doctor now, working in a hospital across the city. When she visited, she hugged him so tightly he thought he’d break.
"I thought I lost you forever," she whispered.
Arman tried to smile. "You became a doctor… just like you wanted."
She wiped her tears. "Yes… but I wanted you there to see it."
Guilt weighed heavy on his chest. It wasn’t his fault, but it felt like it was. He had missed her graduation, her struggles, her victories.
The world had moved forward.
And he was still stuck in the past.
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4. The Road Ahead
One evening, as he sat by the window, watching the city lights, his mother joined him.
"You’re quiet," she said softly.
"Just… thinking."
She placed a hand on his. "It’s okay to feel lost. But you have been given a second chance, beta. Don’t waste it."
A second chance.
He had spent twelve years in the dark. The world had changed. His father was gone. His friends had grown up.
But he was still here.
He didn’t know what the future held, but one thing was certain—he wouldn’t waste this life.
No more sleeping.
It was time to wake up.
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End of Episode 2
In the next episode, Arman will try to rebuild his life in a world that has moved on without him. Do you want me to continue? Let me know if you’d like any changes or a different direction for the story!
- Writer
