Elena's P.O.V.
Never, in any circumstances, trust a doctor - unless your life depends on it, of course - when they tell you when you can be released from the hospital. Because even if they have a doctorate and all, they're not really good at math as they would have you to believe.
What should've been a week, became a month.
For a month have I been chained to a hospital bed in this four-walled room. For a month have I been eating this disgusting hospital food. And for a month have I done nothing but ruined my training schedule.
But on the other hand, at least I finished all of my homework for this and the next year.
Yes, I'm that kind of a person. Sue me.
However, I wouldn't say that the time I have spent here was all in vain. In fact, I'm walking out of this place with colorful experiences.
If there is one important thing that this place has taught me, it's the fact that it's not easy to break out of the hospital as Hollywood shows it.
You should think that if an old, slow grandfather can escape the hospital, then so can you.
Oh, the lies we have been told.
Another thing I discovered, is that nurses are the biggest gamblers of all times. They love to bet, especially about how far I could execute my escape plans â something they let me carry on with for a while until Dr. Lee stopped me.
Such a killjoy.
"Come on, are you ready or what?" A smiling Hazel tugged on my sleeve, pulling my arm away from packing my belongings.
I looked away from the get-well-soon-card on my desk, catching my friend's eyes that followed my movements.
"Please, I was born ready," I threw the colorful flowers with the piece of paper attached to them in the bin, not sparing a glance at the 'gift' as I zipped my bag.
Hazel watched my actions with a careful eye. "You sure about that?" She started, "I mean, if you had fully developed as an infant, maybe your other brain part would still work today."
"At least I have a brain, you airhead," with that said, I left the room with an annoyed curly-haired girl on my heels.
"Hey! You should be thankful that I'm getting you out of here without breaking the laws."
I snorted as I entered the elevator. "Please, your parents are the ones who are getting me out of here, not you. In fact, you failed to get me out of here."
A cheeky smile danced on her lips, "But at least we beat the nurses in the wheelchair race."
When the elevator had taken us to our requested floor and opened its doors to the world, I could literally smell the freedom â which oddly smelled like sweat and old people.
Although the scent wasn't the greatest, it did not stop the happiness to be smeared on my face like paint.
"Oh heavens, I'm finally free!" I let my loud words ring through the hall, not caring if I was making a scene or catching strange eyes. "The agony can finally end! I am free, my brothers and sisters, hallelujah!"
Hazel let out a deep sigh, "You do know you're nowhere near to be a religious person, right?"
A sly smile made its way to my lips. "Yeah, but I thought I could annoy Ms. Wither one last time before I'm out of here," I turned on the volume of my words when the Devil herself passed by.
She snarled, sounding identical to a wolf. "Have fun in hell, you doomed atheist," the old and religious woman spat at me, barking like an animal that was about to attack.
Although I was annoyed, I didn't show it. If you want to get under somebody's skin, you have to be polite with ugly words.
I wore a tight, fake smile like a mask on my face, biting down all my irritated emotions. "Thank you, Ms. Wither, it really warms my heart that you wish me a pleasant trip. However, considering that you are soon to join the place of condemned, you must tell me all about it over a cup of tea."
A blank look flashed across her face, and not too long after, it was twisted into a psychotic glare with twitching, dark eyes. The bird's nest on her head - oh, pardon me, hair - moved in sync with her mad spasms, flying whenever her head jerked to the side.
Oh, dear. I did not think I would hit the nail that hard.
Before I could get murdered, Hazel dragged me quickly away, saving my life and soul from falling into her ancient, evil hands.
"Did she just get possessed by a demon or something?" I muttered under my breath, looking at the smoke coming out of her ears and nose.
"Okay, I get that she's been very mean towards you since day one, stolen your belongings and desserts, but seriously, Elena," she gave me a stern look. "That was way overboard. Besides, you already had your revenge, remember?"
The hilarious memory played itself as a movie, resulting in my lips widening in a smile. "Ah, how could I forget her face when she found out that we dyed her hair blue - it was priceless, Hazel, you so should've been there."
Did I forget to mention that nurses could also be the great pranksters?
"At least you both got what you wanted; you out of the hospital," she pointed at me, glancing behind us to catch the staring coal eyes to a certain blue-haired woman.
"You're not the only one who's happy about that," the voice to my doctor spoke, standing in the lobby next to the other nurses I had befriended. "In my thirty years of working here, I have never experienced this much fighting and chaos like I've had with you in a month."
"What he's trying to say, Elena," one of the nurses, Dianna, spoke with her blue eyes looking sternly away from Dr. Lee. "Is that we are all going to miss you around here. It's going to be very boring without having to stop a certain person from escaping, you know?"
Laughter echoed in the lobby, creating a light air around us.
"Yeah, I figured," I returned her smile. "But next time, I will succeed," I pointed my finger at everyone, holding it a couple of seconds longer on Dr. Lee.
"Hopefully, there will not be any 'next time'," the doctor gave me a humorless look that warned me to not do anything stupid again.
Well, I can't really promise anything that I can't hold, now can I?
"With Elena's luck, there will always be a 'next time'." Hazel chimed in, giving me a playful push.
"Have some faith in me, now would you?" I didn't even bother to cover up the annoyance in my voice. "I fell down a hill once, and I'm not going to repeat that mistake anytime sooner."
"Okay, that's enough," Mr. Phillips - Hazel's dad - butted in and laughed, breaking our fight before it could start properly. "Are you ready to get out of here, Elena?"
I looked at the tall father with a salt and pepper beard who was carrying my bag of clothes. "Do you really need to ask, Henry?" You know you're close to your friend's parents when you're on the first name basis. "I've never felt so alive until this day. Never take freedom for granted, my friends. You should always appreciate your life as a free bird as long asâ"
"If a hospital made you this dramatic, I wonder what a mental one could do," Hazel snickered at her lame joke.
Before I could respond to her 'joke', her parents were fast in their places to scold her for being rude. Although I wanted nothing more than to record it with my phone and laugh at it later, my first priority was to conceal the victory smirk that threatened to escape.
"Now, that's not a nice thing to say, Hazel, especially to someone who just got out of the hospital after surviving a dangerous fall." Mrs. Phillips gave her daughter a stern look with her arms locked in a cross.
Oh, if you only knew, Annalise.
"Yeah, Hazel," I reflected her mother's words, receiving a deadly glare from the daughter in the process.
If looks could kill, my funeral plans would come to a great use now.
The sound of someone clearing their throat broke the war between my friend and me. "And I also hope that you don't come back anytime sooner â unless it's just for a visit or getting your cast off." Dr. Lee pointed at my left arm. "Now, have fun getting out of here without being stopped."
Despite the fact that laughter echoed in the atmosphere, a feeling of relief was entwined in the gleaming air.
After all, there is a grain of truth in every joke.
"Goodbye, everyone!" I waved to the people who made my days in the hospital less boring, yet, frustrating.
And then I was out of the building, free to go home to an empty house â something I was actually okay with. Relieved even.
Because now, I can finally figure out what that light I saw a month ago was without any hinders. The curiosity of the strange occurrence had burned me like a fire, and no matter what I did, I could never find a way to satisfy it.
"Are you coming or what?" Hazel's voice shouted across the parking lot, snapping me out of my thoughts for the second time this day.
I filled my lungs with fresh air, feeling how the warmth of the excitement danced in my chest. "I'm on my way."
***
"Yes, I'm sure!" I said for the fifth time, trying to convince Hazel's parents that I would be alright being home alone â as I've always been.
They offered me to stay over at their house, something I decline to every time they asked. Don't get me wrong, I knew they were just looking after me, and I appreciated their concern, I really do.
But if they knew what I was up to â oh, boy, would I be chained to a hospital bed within a second.
"Are you sure, Elena? If you want to, we can justâ" Hazel's mother started, but I had to kindly cut her off again.
"Annalise, thank you for your offer, I really appreciate it â I really do," I smiled warmly, the feeling of gratefulness filling my belly. "But I want to be alone for a while. The nurses were practically shadows following me, always worrying about me escaping."
A brief chuckle left her lips, "Fine. But if you need anything, don't hesitate to call us, okay?"
"I will, Ann, don't you worry," my voice was filled with gratitude, concealing the cold feeling that tightened the knot in my chest.
If only I could have a mother like her.
"Alright then," she clapped her hands and walked towards the door, but quickly turned around to look at me. "But are you sure that youâ"
"I will be fine," I answered firmly, my words steady as a mountain. "It's just a broken arm, nothing I can't handle."
"Mom, she's going to be okay. It's not like she will invite a serial killer for a cup of tea." Hazel said, an annoyed sigh following her eye roll.
"Yeah. Why invite a serial killer when you can invite a criminal on the run?" I laughed with my friend and her father joining the party. Annalise, on the other hand, was not amused. "I'm kidding, Mrs. Phillips," I quickly added, trying to assure her that I wasn't that stupid to actually invite a criminal inside my house.
Or actuallyâ no! I'm not that stupid. I still have something called common sense.
"You better be," she pointed her finger at me, both of her eyebrows raised. "But call us if you need anything." With that said, she was out of the house with the rest of the family following.
"Send me a message before you go to sleep, Elly," Hazel waved before stepping inside the car.
I responded with a mock salute, "Ay, ay, captain."
The faith they have in me. But then again, their suspicion does hit the nail.
When the car was out of sight, I quickly closed the door and raced upstairs and to my room, changing my clothes in record time.
After hopping into my shoes (and falling a couple of times), I got my jacket and dashed out of the house.
"Weird light, here I come."
***
Visting the nature made me realize how much we take it for granted. It's absolutely beautiful and peaceful, and it makes me wonder why I haven't discovered it before now.
But then I remembered that Netflix announced that they added new seasons and movies, which makes me rethink of my newly made resolution.
Who needs the sun when you can binge-watch Bones for an entire week? Or Sherlock for that matter.
I slowed my jogging pace when I reached the spot where my encounter with the white rabbit took place.
How could something so small and innocent cause so much trouble?
When my eyes wandered to the tree root that had started this entire chaos - that shared the same description as the rabbit, - I knew why.
"I hate you," I muttered under my breath, wanting nothing more than to rip it from the soil.
My attention soon averted behind it; towards the hill. The memory of me being beaten up by the ground was still fresh in my mind, which made me wince at the phantom impacts that pricked my body.
It's now or never, I told myself, sucking a sharp breath and forcing myself to slide down the hill with care.
"Phew," I brushed the grass off my pants when I reached the bottom, hoping that my clothing wasn't entirely green from skating down the hill with my legs.
Taking a brief look at my surroundings, I instantly found the old oak tree with the big hole in it â the same tree that held the source of the light that had kept me alive.
I was fast to scrutinize it, touching and knocking on the wood to find some kind of a hidden flashlight. Maybe it's a modern garden light?
That hole looks like it could fit a personâ no, this is not the time for another stupid idea.
"Come on," I mumbled as I tried to revive the light again. Despite my efforts of hitting and kicking - which was a very bad idea, by the way - the stone hard tree, it wouldn't budge.
"Work!" No matter what I tried to do to summon the light, nothing happened.
Maybe it needs some kind of a password or something?
I almost said 'Open, sesame,' but common sense was quick to hit the back of my head, scolding me in the process for being so stupid.
"I still don't understand how you're able to score perfect results on tests with an idiocy this high." Hazel's voice echoed in my ears, her statement pushing me in wonder.
I don't think anyone can answer that, heck, even God has no clue.
After the many failed attempts to get the light to return, I considered to just give up and go for Dr. Lee's conclusion: it was a hallucination.
But then something stirred. Something happened. The same thing that happened a month ago was happening now, and this time, I knew it wasn't a mind trick.
The light is back.
I jumped back, falling onto my elbows and swiftly crawling back to my feet.
My eyes blinked repeatedly, and I rubbed my orbs as I could not believe what I was witnessing. Yellow and white colors radiated from the source, and it was almost as bright as the sun.
Did someone just forget a star in the middle of the woods?
Although my body turned into a statue and my muscles froze like the water in the wintertime, I could not stop the growing smile of excitement that loosened the knots in my joints.
"It worked!" I exclaimed loudly, throwing my fists in the air.
The strange light was back again, filling the big hole in the tree with bright colors that moved in a blinding dance.
"But now what?" I asked myself, letting my question hang in the air as the confusion hit me like a brick.
Should I call the police? Or get some scientists to look at it? Maybe call Hazel about my discovery?
No, no and hell no.
The last thing I need is another lecture from all of them, telling me how dangerous and stupid it was to come here.
And not to mention; the last time someone - except for me - was near it, the light disappeared faster than I could blink. Who knows it won't do it again?
"Looks like I'm on my own," I concluded, knowing that I couldn't tell a soul about this uncovered truth â not because I didn't want to share it, but because no one would ever believe me. Not even Hazel.
And if Hazel couldn't believe me, then I don't know who will.
With small steps, I forced myself to get closer to the light, stretching my right hand to touch it.
Perhaps I can figure out where it comes from, or what's on the other side if I can feel it?
The nearer I got, the warmer it became. However, it wasn't that hot that it could burn my skin.
What if this is a spaceship that crashed on Earth? Or maybe it's a weapon made by the military?
The untamed questions continued to fill my head, which only fed my curiosity that grew wilder and stronger for each thought that crossed my mind.
Wait, maybe it's not that great of an idea to stick my hand into an unknown light? A nauseous feeling of doubt pinched my stomach, something that made me regret my actions and my poor plan.
But before I could retreat my hand to safety, the light had suddenly grown stronger and bigger, dragging me into the mysterious hole and swallowing me whole.
I didn't even get the chance to scream or think as I was blinded by the light, making me shut my eyes quicker than I could react. My body was hugged by a foreign source of warmth, and all I could do was to wait for it all to go away.
Oh, God, what have I gotten myself into?