Life's Beginning.
1376 Words
The beeping of the machine was heard in Aria's room.
The strong smell of medicine and antiseptic intercepted everywhere and filled her nose. She could hear machines beside her, quietly beeping in a steady rhythm. There were voices at the background
Aria’s eyes opened gradually. The ceiling and walls were all painted white. Her lips and throat were dry. She felt pain all over her body.
Where… where was she? She thought.
Her heartbeat increased as her mind tried to remember.
The memory of the fire incident lingered in her mind, then she remembered her dad.
She tried calling out to her dad, barely recognizing her voice.
She felt pain, but it wasn't too obvious where the pain was coming from. She felt like her skin had bruises on them
She adjusted her hand, so she could stand up from the bed, but felt a sharp pain that felt like she was stabbed through her left shoulder. She cried out, falling back onto the bed.
Then suddenly the door opened.
"Aria!" a voice she recognized called, with fear.
It was her mother.
Her mother sat beside her. Her eyes were so red and looked swollen, she seemed not to have had a good bath, because of how messy her clothes were, due to her daughter's condition she hadn’t rested for days. She held Aria’s hand firmly and gave her a soft pat.
Aria looked into her eyes, “What happened?”
Her mother paused.
Aria looked around the room. There were machines making beeping sounds, a tube in her arm, her face being masked with a sterile gauze bandage, and a quiet sound coming from the oxygen nearby.
“Why… am I in the hospital?”
Silence.
Her mother was quiet for somewhile, gently moving Aria’s hair away from her forehead.
“There was a fire at the house sweetheart,” she said softly.
Aria’s heart stopped.
Everything came rushing back like a flood to her memory, ranging from the party, the eerie costume, when she was chased by Jayden from the party, meeting the house on fire, then rushing in to save her father before she fainted..
She sat up immediately, ignoring the pain and the bandages that went through her body.
“Dad!” she said quickly, holding her mother’s arm. “Where is Dad? Is he alright? Did he... did he escape?”
Her mother’s eyes filled with tears again. She turned her face away to prevent Aria from seeing her cry.
“Mom,” Aria said, her voice getting louder. “Please tell me he’s fine!”
Her mother couldn’t look at her.
“Nooo” she whispered. “No, baby. He didn’t make it.”
Aria’s heart like her heart had been broken into pieces, she saw her world crashing immediately before her eyes
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Nooooo you’re lying. I have a feeling that he got out. He was right behind me. Mum, please tell me he is fine!”
Her mother went on her knees,beside the bed, sobbing bitterly.
“They found your dad in his study room, he never made it to the stairs.”
Aria screamed.
She cried out so loudly that she felt her chest tightened, she felt so much pain in her heart, she kept on saying, dad I'm sorry it's all my fault…
She tried pulling out the tube in her arm and tried to get up, she tried moving, but her legs were too weak, and she fell back to bed.
“No! He can’t be gone! Dad promised he’d always protect me!” she cried.
Her mother tried to hold her, but Aria pushed her away.
“Why didn’t you save him”?
Why didn’t you tell them to save him?
Tears ran down her face as she pushed away the blanket. She fell on her face while she cried. She hit herself repeatedly on her chest, trying to know if she could take away the pain she felt.
The nurse attending to her, rushed in and tried to figure out what was wrong with her.
“Get the doctor! She’s having a panic attack!” She said
Two more nurses ran in, followed by a doctor in blue scrubs.
“Aria, darling, you need to be calm,” so you don't hurt yourself, the doctor said gently.
She wasn't bothered by what they said. All she wanted was her father to come back to her.
She felt like her world crashing without him.
Everything that made her feel safe was all gone.
And then she noticed something. Her mother’s eyes, and the way she avoided staring at her face.
And then to the nurse, who tried to smile but quickly looked away.
Aria was confused and scared. “Why… are you all looking at me like that?” she shouted.
Her hand lifted slowly to her face, she touched her cheek, and winced in pain.
Her face felt like it was patchy. Why was her face like this? she thought.
“What is wrong with my face?”
No one answered her.
Then she turned her head slowly towards the mirror on the wall, with her heart racing so fast.
Her mother reaches out to stop her. “No, Aria, please…”
But it was too late.
And then the scream came again. This was worse than the first one.
Half of her face was gone.
She dreaded what was under the bandage, but she could feel it. She felt a stinging sensation at the left side of her face. Half of her face felt tight and had burnt sore on them. Her eyes felt swollen. Her cheek which was once smooth and pretty, now felt rough and uneven. Even without seeing it clearly, she knew something had changed.
She felt like she looked like a monster.
She threw at the mirror across the room, shattering it.
“Nooooooo!” she cried out.
She covered her face with both hands, sobbing into them.
“I’m ugly! I’m ruined!”
Her mother tried hugging, but Aria screamed, pushing her away.
“Don’t touch me nor look at me!” she said to her mum.
The doctor walked towards her with a sedative syringe. “She’s in a deep shock and we need to calm her down,” he said.
Aria mum gave her consent with tears rolling down her face. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” she whispered.
Aria was injected, “No! Please don’t make me sleep! I don’t want to!”
She said, with her words becoming unclear.
Her body went limp.
And as the sedative pulled her into silence, only one thought remained in her mind.
Everything seems like it's gone.
Twelve Hours Later
It was night when Aria opened her eyes again.
The lights in the room were low. Only a small light radiated from the machine beside her bed, thereby brightening the space.
She stayed quiet all through looking up at the ceiling. There was no more strength in her to cry. She could only stare. Just a deep silence erupted from within.
She could still feel the bandages on her, and the weight of her face, her disfigured face.
She didn’t want to cry anymore.
What was the point of living? Her father was gone, who was always her backbone, and her beauty was gone, which made her stand out more than anyone else.
Her life… was now meaningless
Her private nurse came in quietly, trying not to disturb her. She checked the monitor and wrote something on her notepad.
Aria didn’t move or say anything.
The nurse turned around and spoke to her softly.
You’re awake,” she said, trying to smile, hope you enjoyed your sleep, she asked
Aria didn’t answer.
Then she patted her forehead and walked away.
Silence.
Aria’s fingers held onto the blanket.
She was lost in deep thought on how she and her mum would cope. A lot of things ran through her thoughts.
What if she had turned off the socket, like her father had told her earlier on, her father might have been alive and she wouldn't be left with a scarred face.
Her heart was filled with regret of her actions.
- Writer
