It's morning, the day after I woke up from the accident. Just finished breakfast and just as other people have told me, the hospital food does taste like grade A shit.
"Wish I had someone to buy me food from outside. I mean seriously, my budget meals taste better than this."
I then realized how big of an issue I was making about something trivial, so I stopped and thanked the hardworking chefs and farmers who provided me with such a bounty. Afterwards, hours began to pass as I was left with nothing to do. Nurses and doctors came to check one me from time to time, but other than that I had nothing to pass the time with.
"Wish I had someone to talk to." I blurted out as if expecting someone to blast through the door and save me from this boredom. Alas, no one arrived.
"What do you mean someone to talk to? I'm right here Blyth."
Oh yeah, the voice inside my head that I could somehow see but others couldn't.
"Nah, I think I'll pass. Maybe get something to read." I reached for the morning newspaper I'd already skimmed front and back a hundred times over.
"Did our conversation from last night scare you, Blyth? You think avoiding me will mean that I'd eventually just go away?"
He hit the nail on the coffin with that. No sane person could ever believe what he told me last night. Even so, a day has passed and I could still see and hear him. I wondered if I should start taking what he said seriously. Our conversation from last night stuck with me.
~~~
"Uhm… N-nice to meet you too."
I didn't want to seem scared but it was obvious given how shaken up I was that, whoever he was, frightened me to my very core.
"I guess you have a lot of questions right now, so I'll let you do the asking while I get comfortable." He reached for the extra chair and sat as if he was in control of the situation.
No, I needed to find out who this person is and whether or not I've gone crazy.
"Whenever you're ready Blyth. Though, a warning, I'm not the patient type." He smiled in an antagonizing way.
I wanted to yell for the nurses and have them give me a shot or anything that can make me understand this situation.
"Who... or… what exactly are you?" Despite my best efforts, my voice still trembled from all the pressure.
"Getting right to the point, aren't you Blyth?" He laughed as if there was something amusing with what I had just asked.
"To put it simply, I'm you Blyth." He gave an assured smirk.
He's me? That's impossible, maybe… maybe I was going crazy. Oh God, I would probably be shipped to a mental institution at this rate. Just, calm down Blyth. Take a deep breath and think about this. Maybe there's treatment, yeah, like therapy or medication that would help me.
"Yeah, therapy always helps. You pay thousands for someone to tell you things you could just tell yourself, but you're too much of a coward to accept the truth. As if hearing someone else tell you would make it any easier, right?"
What? Did I say that out loud? No, I couldn't have. I was just thinking about it, but how did he know what I was thinking? God, maybe I was going crazy.
He lets out an amused laugh.
"W-what's so funny?!" I sat there perplexed. I had so many questions, and the more I asked, the more sure I was that I was heading straight to the crazy house.
He finally stopped laughing and answered, "You're not crazy, Blyth. Although, you being sent to the crazy house, that is something I'd like to see. Sadly, no you aren't going crazy. I can assure you of that."
"So what is this? What are you? What is happening? You're me, but I'm speaking to you. And… and somehow you can read my mind? How am I not going crazy?!"
I felt frustrated, so many things had happened up to now and I felt as if I was just about ready to explode.
"Listen carefully, Blyth. I am you, to be more specific, I am another side of you. The one you locked away, the one you forgot, the one filled with all the blemishes and dark secrets of your past and present. I am the very manifestation of your trauma and guilt. Everything terrible about you and the things you've done, all in one form."
"Hahahaha, HAHAHAHAHAHA!" I bursted out with laughter.
He then looked at me, obviously annoyed.
"Oh, you found that funny Blyth?"
"I'm sorry, but maybe I'm not the crazy one in this room. We're in a hospital right? You should get your head checked." I couldn't believe I thought I was going crazy. It's just like Kiara said, I just needed more rest.
"Seems like you need a little more convincing. In that case…"
He opened his hand and touched my forehead with his index finger. At that moment, my mind was flooded with all these horrifying instances in my life. Some I knew, but most were completely unknown to me. I was in a dark room, the only source of light was centered on me. There, they appeared again, those three silhouettes in my dreams. Just who were they? Then I heard shouting, a woman, a man, voices of all kind. I could hear them in my head, the painful howls of these people were too much, tears started flowing from my eyes. I covered my ears with my hands but they seem to have gotten smaller. I look at my body and realize I'm back as a kid. The screams have stopped, but what's this? I see adults, they're all around me, murmuring all kinds of things.
"You were always a problem child."
"I knew you were nothing but trouble."
"Don't ever come near my family ever again!"
"You were just as horrible as your father!"
A small silhouette of a girl came near me. She touched my cheek and I felt the cold and lifelessness from her palm. However, this feeling was something that felt so familiar.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I never wanted this to happen!"
Why am I apologizing? Who are these people? Who is this girl? Tears continued to flow from my eyes as I begged this mystery girl for forgiveness. She then moved in to embrace me and whispers to my ear.
"Don't apologize. What you've done, no amount of apologizing can fix your sins. You were nothing more than a disease that killed all of us. A BLIGHT on this Earth!"
The little girl ran away and the rest of the crowd started surrounding me. All chanting that word.
"BLIGHT! BLIGHT! BLIGHT! BLIGHT! BLIGHT!"
"BLIGHT! BLIGHT! BLIGHT! BLIGHT! BLIGHT!"
"BLIGHT! BLIGHT! BLIGHT! BLIGHT! BLIGHT!"
That word stung every inch of my body. I collapsed to my knees and kept covering my ears and eyes. No matter what I did I could still hear them, they continued their approach.
"STOP! STOP THIS! PLEASE STOP!"
The chanting continued as I felt myself getting weaker and weaker.
"You believe me now?"
I opened my eyes and I saw my hospital room. I'm back in my bed, my entire body was sweaty and my eyes were all red from all the weeping. I couldn't believe what I just saw, I looked at this mystery person and somehow, I was even more afraid than I already was. I mustered what strength I had left to ask again.
"Just… who are you?"
He started laughing again in a maniacal way and then responded.
"I'll say it again, and for your sake, I suggest you listen this time. I'm you, the manifestation of your trauma and guilt. The ones you know, the ones you don't, and the ones you've forgotten. Though, I think a name would be more fitting, don't you?"
Pausing for a second he thinks to himself and seems to have thought of something after a second or two.
"Oh I know! A fitting name for your newfound duo! Call me… Blight."