She felt a touch on her shoulder. Someone lifted her up and laid her on the sidewalk. It just took her a while to open her eyes and feel the cold blood running continuously from her forehead. She was confused and feeling dizzy but she needed only a short time to remember what happened. She was driving back home from work and on that close turn, she didn’t see the truck coming. It hit her with 50 miles or more and she went off the road drifting between the bushes creating a huge dusty cloud.
The man who took care of her was now talking for a couple of minutes, but she ignored him, or did not hear him.
- Can you hear me? Muriel…?
She turned her eyes towards him. He was a tall guy, around his thirties. He was smiling while staring at her.
- Muriel. Hi.
- What happened? There was this truck and we crashed and after that I went off the road and….
-Don’t worry Muriel. Everything’s ok now. It finished. I found you.
She tried to stand up. She wasn’t hurting at all. She suffered major injuries but she wasn’t hurting at all. She looked around and saw a vast desert. The asphalt looked more closely than it was before the accident and it was leading through over some naked mountains.
- What is going on? She asked. Where am I? This is not where I was.
- No, this is not where you were. They brought you here.
- They brought me here? Who? And why didn’t they take me to the hospital?
- I am sorry dear but, it was too late for that. At least I found you. Believe me it would have been worse if you had made it to the hospital. You suffered major injuries and I am afraid that you smashed both of your legs pretty bad. But you see? That wouldn’t be very nice. Spending the rest of your life on a wheelchair with both of your legs amputated.
She stared at the man confused and then at her legs. She didn’t understand. The situation seemed incomprehensible.
- What? But…but my legs are fine and…I’m not hurting. This is weird. If I had all those injuries I should be in terrible and unbearable pain. What happened to my car? Where is my staff, my car? I need a phone to call at home. Do you have a cell phone?
- I’m afraid I don’t.
- From where can I call then? Have they told them?
- Them? You mean Jackie and Ross? I bet they have. You are here for more than you think you are.
- Can you hear me? Muriel…?
She turned her eyes towards him. He was a tall guy, around his thirties. He was smiling while staring at her.
- Muriel. Hi.
- What happened? There was this truck and we crashed and after that I went off the road and….
-Don’t worry Muriel. Everything’s ok now. It finished. I found you.
She tried to stand up. She wasn’t hurting at all. She suffered major injuries but she wasn’t hurting at all. She looked around and saw a vast desert. The asphalt looked more closely than it was before the accident and it was leading through over some naked mountains.
- What is going on? She asked. Where am I? This is not where I was.
- No, this is not where you were. They brought you here.
- They brought me here? Who? And why didn’t they take me to the hospital?
- I am sorry dear but, it was too late for that. At least I found you. Believe me it would have been worse if you had made it to the hospital. You suffered major injuries and I am afraid that you smashed both of your legs pretty bad. But you see? That wouldn’t be very nice. Spending the rest of your life on a wheelchair with both of your legs amputated.
She stared at the man confused and then at her legs. She didn’t understand. The situation seemed incomprehensible.
- What? But…but my legs are fine and…I’m not hurting. This is weird. If I had all those injuries I should be in terrible and unbearable pain. What happened to my car? Where is my staff, my car? I need a phone to call at home. Do you have a cell phone?
- I’m afraid I don’t.
- From where can I call then? Have they told them?
- Them? You mean Jackie and Ross? I bet they have. You are here for more than you think you are.
She gazed at him amazed and suspected. How did he know her son’s and husband’s name? He knew her name too. He was calling her by her name but she didn’t pay attention. She also noticed that for the time she was here she saw nothing passing. No men, or car, not even an animal, or a bird.
- Can you please tell me where am I? What happened to me and who are you? How do you know my name and my family?
He took off his glasses and his view became more serious and threatening. His eyes had a mysterious tone of grey.
- Are you scared Muriel or it just look strange to you? This is how this place looks Muriel. Empty…. No trees, no vehicles, no animals, nothing. This place is dead. No one will help you here beside me and you won’t see anyone you expect to see. Maybe you are confused. Maybe you have heard of this place from your grandma’s fairytales or stories of the superstitious. This place is as real as me, my dear Muriel as lonely as you are, as alive as you are and empty as you are.
- Wh..what? This is a dream isn’t it?
- I’m afraid its not
- Then am I dead?
- Are you dead? This I’m afraid I don’t know it. This is for them to tell. Jackie and Ross.
- Who are you?
He went near her and touched her face. His hand was cold and motionless. His eyes unwelcoming.
- Ohh my dear Muriel. Why are you shaking? I cannot harm you. I just wish you were older and not only 26. But, sometimes life is unfair isn’t it? Gives you everything that you desire. Beauty, money, career and a nice family. Then it turns away from you and you understand how useless all these material goods and talents are without it.
- Can you please tell me where am I? What happened to me and who are you? How do you know my name and my family?
He took off his glasses and his view became more serious and threatening. His eyes had a mysterious tone of grey.
- Are you scared Muriel or it just look strange to you? This is how this place looks Muriel. Empty…. No trees, no vehicles, no animals, nothing. This place is dead. No one will help you here beside me and you won’t see anyone you expect to see. Maybe you are confused. Maybe you have heard of this place from your grandma’s fairytales or stories of the superstitious. This place is as real as me, my dear Muriel as lonely as you are, as alive as you are and empty as you are.
- Wh..what? This is a dream isn’t it?
- I’m afraid its not
- Then am I dead?
- Are you dead? This I’m afraid I don’t know it. This is for them to tell. Jackie and Ross.
- Who are you?
He went near her and touched her face. His hand was cold and motionless. His eyes unwelcoming.
- Ohh my dear Muriel. Why are you shaking? I cannot harm you. I just wish you were older and not only 26. But, sometimes life is unfair isn’t it? Gives you everything that you desire. Beauty, money, career and a nice family. Then it turns away from you and you understand how useless all these material goods and talents are without it.
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