LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 5: A new ally
{Mia}
The door slammed shut behind me, and I was plunged into suffocating darkness. The air in the chamber was stifling, thick with heat that clung to my skin like a damp blanket. I took a step forward, but the ground beneath my feet was uneven, almost spongy, and the sensation made my stomach churn.
The silence was absolute so heavy it pressed against my ears, amplifying the sound of my own heartbeat. Thump-thump. Thump thump. It grew louder and louder, drowning out every other thought in my head. My breath came in shallow gasps, the oppressive heat sucking away what little oxygen was left.
I reached out, searching for a wall, a corner, anything to orient myself, but my fingers found nothing but air. The space seemed to stretch endlessly, though I knew it was probably no bigger than a closet. Then, faintly, I thought I heard something a soft, rhythmic dripping sound. Water? No. My mind played tricks on me.That's when the whispers began. Low, indistinct murmurs that seemed to come from every direction. They weren't words, not exactly just sounds that tickled the edge of comprehension. I turned frantically, searching for their source, but there was nothing. No one.
Panic set in. My chest tightened, and my legs threatened to give out. Was this the punishment? To break me down until I couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't be?
I dropped to my knees, my head spinning as the heat and silence gnawed at the edges of my sanity. And then, a voice not a whisper, but loud and clear boomed from nowhere:
"Do you deserve to leave this place, Maria?"
I tried to to speak but now words came out , I was clearly dehydrated. No words came out and with the little strength I had left I got up and started banging on the door ,
the room began to spin, and just before everything went black, I saw a shadow a blurry figure at the edge of my vision.
I woke up dazed , my head heavy and my vision blurry , with a warm hand on my forhead .Then suddenly I heard a sweet voice . " OMG !! She's up "
My head throbbed as fragments of memory floated back to me the stifling heat, the whispers, the voice that had questioned me. I blinked rapidly, trying to ground myself, but my surroundings still felt surreal.
I tried to get up but then my head started throbbing , then I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder . The sweet voice rang again " lay down , and try not to move a lot "
I instantly relaxed at the sound of her voice I didn't know why but her voice seemed to calm me down , it gave the feeling that everything was going to be alright .
When suddenly the nurse poured water all over me and I instantly jumped up . The girl handed me a water bottle and told me to drink .
I drank everything in one full gulp and let out a shaky breath, feeling the cool water soothe my parched throat. My vision cleared, and for the first time, I noticed the faint sunlight streaming through the windows, reminding me that the world outside still existed.
The echoes of that disembodied voice still lingered in my ears, and the heat from 'the box' seemed to cling to my skin like a second layer. But Alice's calm presence began to chip away at the suffocating dread.
I turned to the girl and asked " hey , what's your name ? "
She smiled her smile was soft but steady, her eyes filled with a kindness I hadn't seen in a long time. 'You're safe now,' she said, her tone soothing like a lullaby.It had been so long since anyone had looked at me like that with genuine care, not judgment or suspicion. My chest tightened, but this time, it wasn't fear. It was something softer, something I almost didn't recognize: hope.
" My name is Emma , Emma Scott I was in class when you got sent to ' the box ' ,You're lucky they let you out when they did. That place... it's not meant to be kind."
"Anyway , what's your name ? "
" My name is Maria , Mia for short "
She smiled at me the kind of smile that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside .
Something about Emma felt familiar, like a memory I couldn't quite place. In that moment, I knew this wasn't just a fleeting encounter.
I didn't know it then, but meeting Emma would change everything my time at this school, my past, and the secrets I was yet to uncover.