How do we distinguish the reality from fantasy? How will I know that everything is just a dream?
I folded the white handkerchief and tucked it in my purse. It's just a dream. It's just a coincidence. I believe that this belongs to a nurse or to a doctor.
Focus on the reality, Aerith. Focus on Blair.
I looked at my sister and she's still in deep sleep. Please wake up, Blair. You can't just leave me like this.
I heard the door open and saw Blair's nurse come in to check her vital signs. "Good morning," she said looking at me. I'm surprised to know that it's still morning. I might've slept for only a few minutes.
"Good morning," I answered while trying to stretch my legs.
"It's a relief that you finally woke up. We almost believed that you followed your sister," she said while writing something on a clip board. "You should eat. You've been asleep for almost a day now."
Wait what? For almost a day? I fished my phone out of my pocket and hurriedly checked the date. It's already the 29th of September. It's really been a day. But is it possible? To be asleep for 24 hours?
"Is there a problem?" the nurse asked.
"I was asleep for a day? Is that… normal?"
"Oh, don't worry. It's just that you stayed awake ever since your sister was brought here that when you finally slept, it took longer than the usual," she mumbled before finally leaving the room. She's right. I was tired and sleepy. I was so stressed.
This is not connected to the dream that I just had. Which reminds me that I need to eat. That might distract from that weird dream.
Outside Blair's room, the halls are extremely quiet. Just like the time when I met that guy. What was his name, again? Cyd?
I ate at the restaurant right beside the hospital. Hunger finally kicked in and I inhaled the food placed in front of me. Looking around, as expected, almost every customer is either with a family or with a friend. I'm the only one alone. With nobody to talk to.
I miss Blair.
We grew up raised by our lola, our grandmother. We didn't experience growing up with our parents. Grandma said they died but I don't believe her. I know they left us. I know that they didn't want us. They don't even have a grave. Why would I believe that they're dead? That's why it hurts more.
Nothing is crueler than abandonment. Not even death.
Grandma died right after Blair went to college. We became orphans. Blair started working part-time jobs until she finally finished her studies while I decided not to go to college. Which is why Blair is all I have. She's the only family left. She not just my sister. She's my whole life.
I went back to hospital and noticed the crowd of people at the reception area. Most of them are men in black coat. They looked like body guards.
"Excuse me," I said. They're all outside Blair's room. "Do you need something?"
"Are you Aerith Salazar?" one guy asked. They really looked like body guards of someone important, like a government official or something.
"Yes, why?"
He looked at the other guys and they suddenly pulled me away from the door. Some of them went inside Blair's room.
"Hey! Let me go! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Please, calm down. We already talked to your sister before she went into a coma. This is part of our agreement."
What agreement? Blair didn't say anything about their agreement. They rolled Blair's hospital bed out of her room. "No! Where are you going to take my sister?! Let me go!"
I lunged forward and quickly sprinted towards Blair. I tried reaching for the railings of her bed but one of the men caught me. I noticed his tattoo of a small, black and white sunflower behind his left ear. That's when I started throwing punches. The first punch grazed his chin. The second hit his throat, though very faint, it made him choke for air. I know it's not enough to bother him because right after that, he pulled my hair so hard it felt he lifted me up.
"You should've played nice, young girl," he said, menacingly. He then threw me on the floor so hard I felt the impact on my back. He's so strong. I won't stand a chance even if I have a knife.
He held me by the neck, as if he's going to choke me, and said, "Be a good girl and shut your mouth. We're just going to borrow your sister."
I felt a hard slap against my right cheek and started tasting blood. Everything started to blur. All I remember seeing is them walking away from me… with Blair.
Blair…
As soon as I closed my hands, I felt someone holding my hand. The hard floor turned into a soft bed. I no longer feel the cold air of the hospital. From this point, I know that I'm back. I'm dreaming again.
The first person I saw is her. Aria.
How do we distinguish the reality from fantasy? How will I know that everything is just a dream?
For now, I think I'm in between.