FIVE
1468 Words
She was standing in a narrow pathway, the sky above smeared with dark clouds. The scent of wet soil and after rain scent clung to the air. She looked down—bare feet, torn dress, knees scraped.
A voice called her name—but not Dawn. Another name. Her real name.
A man’s voice. Rough, impatient.
She turned around and saw only shadows.
Then her mother appeared—graceful, glowing in a soft white gown. Her perfume reached her first, wrapping around her like a hug. Jasmine and citrus.
“Mama?” she called, her voice cracking.
The woman didn’t speak, only smiled and reached out a hand.
But before Dawn could take it, a sudden wind roared between them, blowing her mother away like ashes on the breeze.
“No! Wait—Mama!”
The road became more narrow as the forest collapsed inward, the trees folding like paper, and then there was silence.
.......
One moment she had been curled in the corner of the hospital room, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, rocking slightly to ease the thundering panic in her chest. The next, her body had given in to exhaustion, dragging her into a restless slumber, right there on the cold floor.
She was startled awake by a shrill, high-pitched sound.Her eyes shot open.
Riiiing. Riiiing.
She shot upright.
What was that? Her heart slammed against her ribs. Was it an alarm? A warning? Were they coming to take her?
Her brows furrowed.
Her eyes darted around the room, wide and wild, searching for the source of the high-pitched noise echoing through the white walls.
Riiiing.
It was coming from the small table beside her bed.
She approached it cautiously, crawling on all fours like a suspicious cat. Her eyes landed on a strange object flashing and vibrating. The screen glowed bright with a face she didn’t recognize — a young man with fluffy hair and a dimpled smile.
Two buttons blinked below his face — one red, one green.
A trap?
She picked it up and sat back on her heels tilting her head slightly to the side.
The red button was familiar somehow. Red meant stop. Danger. Blood. Death.
The green one… maybe it was food-related? Or permission? In her past life, green was only used in plants or maybe when her owner wanted to be “merciful.”
She squinted and pressed the red button.
Silence.
She blinked.
Huh?
The picture of the stranger disappeared too.
Her lips curled into a confused pout. What kind of magic was this? Was the man trapped inside the glass box like those poor people she tried to rescue earlier?
The box started vibrating again.
Riiiing. Riiiing.
She jumped.
This time, the same man’s face returned.
“Well, this seems like a test of courage,” she muttered, inching closer and pressing the green button.
To her disappointment, the ringing stopped again — but unlike last time, the man’s face remained on the screen.
And then…
“Hello? Dawn?”
She gasped and threw the phone onto the bed.
The man was speaking.
Speaking.
From inside the box.
“Dawn! Can you hear me?!”
She screamed and clutched her head. Her eyes darted toward the corners of the room. “Who are you?! Show yourself, demon!”
“Hello?! Hello?!”
The voice was louder now, Demanding— which only made her more hysterical. Her scream escalated into a full-on wail as she backed away from the bed like it had tried to bite her.
“DAWN!”
“NOOOOOOOO! I DIDN’T OPEN THE GATES TO YOUR WORLD! GO BACK TO WHEREVER YOU CAME FROM!”
And then — silence. The call had ended. The box had gone black again.
But her screams had done their job.
Not long after, the door burst open and a team of nurses flooded in. Two rushed to her side, their faces creased with worry.
“Miss Dawn! Are you okay?”
She pointed at the phone, tears in her eyes. “It talks! It talks! There’s a spirit trapped inside it!”
The youngest nurse blinked. “You mean the phone?". The nurse followed her gaze and sighed in relief. She picked up the phone and turned it off. “You don’t like phone calls, huh?” she mumbled softly, coming to her side.”
Dawn gave her a scandalized look. “You know it too?! Are you all part of this curse?!”
Another nurse sighed
she was supposed to deliver food to Dawn when she saw the other nurses running towards Dawn's room. They thought she was under an attack of some sought, only for it to be one of her episodes.
Handing her a warm food tray. She said gently “Eat. Let’s calm down first, okay?”
Like magic, the moment she caught the smell of spicy soup and rice, her suspicion turned into a delighted squeal. “Oooooh! More food from this strange land?”
The nurses exchanged a long, exhausted look.
---
The next morning arrived quietly, with no voices from cursed boxes or violent flashbacks — just the gentle humming of birds from a nearby window and the soft rustling of leaves.
Dawn remained curled on the bed, her eyes open and lost in thought. Her gaze had dulled since yesterday, the weight of the previous day’s fright sinking into her bones.
She had no idea what this world was.
She remembered dying — in a cold, lonely dark room, somewhere far from here. She remembered the blood, the dampness, the pain. Then she remembered waking up in this unfamiliar body, with people claiming to be her family.
was this a second chance? it was too good to be true.
Where was her mother?
She hadn’t seen her since yesterday.
her mother in this world was called jasmine, she had heard her father in this world call her that. Ever since waking up in this strange place, jasmine was the only person she trusted and liked immensely.
Jasmine always smelled like something warm and sweet—vanilla and soft flowers. Like the perfume that lingered on pillows long after bedtime stories ended. She had this laugh, delicate and effortless, that made people around her smile without knowing why. Her walk was smooth and elegant, each step like a soft song, and her voice… her voice.
It wrapped around Dawn like a blanket. Gentle, melodic, comforting. Like home.
Just thinking about it made her eyes burn .
Why wasn’t she here?
Why didn’t anyone mention her?
Was she hurt too? Was she… gone?
Her thoughts turned, inevitably, to her father.
His face came to her in flashes—sharp edges, furrowed brows, tight lips. A man who spoke like thunder and expected obedience like it was law. He had never hit her. No. But there were words that could bruise worse than fists.
He was cold. Mean.
And she didn’t miss him.
A knock pulled her from her thoughts.
Then the door creaked open.
Dawn turned to see who was coming into the room and her breath caught.
Their was a girl standing in the doorway.
She didn’t know who this girl was, but oh, she was lovely. Her eyes sparkled beneath the fluorescent light. Her skin was like cream, smooth and bright. Her hair, rich brown curls that framed her delicate face. She wore clothes that hugged her figure and confidence that made the air around her feel lighter.
Pretty. So, so pretty.
Dawn sat up slowly, stared at her with wide eyes, then broke into the gentlest smile imaginable — like a sunbeam breaking through stormy clouds.
The girl blinked, clearly confused by the reaction.
“Wow…” she whispered. “A goddess…”
The beauty in the doorway, blinked again in confusion.
Dawn tilted her head. “You’re beautiful. I like beautiful people. What’s your name?”
The beauty frowned. “You don’t know me?”
Dawn beamed, completely smitten. “Do I have to?”
The beauty took a step inside, unsure. Dawn’s eyes followed her every movement, delighted.
The beauty raised a brow. “Okay… this is weird. ehm... I'm Chloe”
Dawn didn’t blink. “ Chloe, your voice doesn’t sound like a ghost’s.”
Chloe froze. “…What?”
Dawn’s smile widened.
Chloe looked over her shoulder like she was considering retreating, her brow furrowed.
And that was when Dawn leaned in a little closer, still grinning.
“Are you real?” she whispered.
Chloe’s eye twitched.
“…I’m going to get a nurse,” she muttered, stepping backward.
Before Chloe could step outside Outside the door, a nurse popped her head in, whispered something, and then disappeared again.
Chloe offered Dawn a sheepish smile. “Well… this is going to be interesting.”
- Writer
