Part One: "The Incident"
I try to rest, but nightmares and voices haunt me. I couldn't move on, and I never will…
For years, I have suffered from the voices and nightmares.
I just want to sleep—I don't care if it's a deep sleep—I just want peace…
I was born with a serious, incurable illness.
My parents tried tirelessly to find a cure.
Even though my father was a renowned doctor, known for his exceptional medical skills, he couldn't find a solution to heal me.
I will never forget how my mother would always cry beside me, telling me that I would be fine, even though I knew I wouldn't.
My relationship with my father wasn't good—actually, it wasn't good at all.
Did he feel… ashamed?
A highly skilled and famous doctor, with countless achievements and awards, yet he couldn't find a cure for his own daughter?
He always kept me hidden from everyone, afraid that people would find out about his failure.
He forced me to take medications and sedatives so I wouldn't look exhausted in front of others.
Isn't that cruel for a nine-year-old child?
He looked at me with disgust and resentment.
One night, while I was playing with my doll, I heard my parents arguing—because of me.
My father blamed my mother for my condition, while she accused him of being a terrible father who didn't deserve to be one.
Their shouting filled the house.
I felt guilty and asked myself, Why am I not like everyone else?
But after that night, my father left home and said he never wanted to see me or my mother again.
My mother wept as she held my cheeks.
I stepped out of my room and saw her crying. I walked toward her and gently asked,
"Mom… why are you crying?"
Suddenly, without any warning, she pushed me away forcefully.
"Stay away from me! This is all your fault! Why aren't you like the others?! Don't call me 'Mom' ever again, do you hear me?!"
I was shocked and fell silent.
I don't blame my mother for being angry with me…
I was the reason our family was destroyed.
The next morning, I woke up, washed my face, and went downstairs.
I found a woman talking to my mother.
When my mother noticed me, she called out,
"Sarah, sweetheart, come here!"
I hesitated but slowly approached.
For the first time, she gave me a warm smile and said,
"This is my daughter, Sarah, Miss Michelle."
The woman smiled at me and said,
"What an innocent and lovely child."
Then she turned to me and continued,
"Hello there, little one… I'm Michelle—your new mother."
I froze, looking at my mother anxiously.
Michelle continued,
"From now on, I am your mom, okay?"
I fell silent, then nodded hesitantly, while my mother looked happy.
I felt suffocated… because my mother had truly abandoned me and sold me to an old woman.
She packed my belongings and placed them in Michelle's car.
I won't lie—I was a little happy because, at least, I would finally leave that cursed house.
But I was afraid of what awaited me with Michelle.
She took my hand and led me to her car.
As we drove, I watched the scenery through the window.
Michelle asked me simple questions, like,
"How old are you?"
"What are your hobbies?"
And many more.
Honestly, I was surprised.
Shouldn't my mother have already told her these things about me?
She noticed the bandages wrapped around the right side of my body and stared at them for a moment before looking back at the road, as if she had given up on me answering her.
Finally, we arrived, and she introduced me to her family:
Her son, Leo,
And her granddaughter, Aisha.
Aisha approached me and gently asked if I wanted to play with her.
I hesitated for a moment but then agreed.
We played in the garden, and I enjoyed it more than playing with my dolls.
It was beautiful.
That day, I made my first friend.
Years passed, and we grew up together.
I lived happily with them and felt like I was part of the family…
Until that cursed day.
We were on our way to visit Aunt Jennifer.
As we drove, the fog started to thicken.
Leo tried to see through it but couldn't, and by mistake, the car veered off the road and plunged down a hill.
When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital room, with a nurse by my side.
She noticed that I had regained consciousness and quickly called the doctor.
"Dr. Miller! Sarah is awake!"
I looked around, confused, trying to understand what was happening.
Then the doctor entered and immediately approached my bed.
I asked,
"What happened…? Where am I…? Where is my family?"
The doctor replied,
"You were in a car accident, and you're in the hospital now. As for your family… we could only save you and a girl named Aisha."
"What?! How?!"
My mind went blank for a moment, and I felt… lost.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
I tried to hold them back, but I couldn't.
I cried…
The nurse tried to comfort me, telling me that everything would be okay.
I was so tired of hearing, "Everything will be okay."
That was when I realized—
No. Nothing will ever be okay.
Aisha and I finished our treatments, and Aunt Jennifer took us in.
We didn't speak to each other.
We were all broken and exhausted.
Did you think that was the end of my suffering?
No. This was just the beginning.
After the accident, nightmares started to haunt me.
I tried to sleep, but I couldn't.
I just wanted peace, but peace became a distant dream.
I grew up and worked at a pastry shop.
I lived in my own apartment, away from everyone.
I didn't want to talk to anyone.
I lost contact with Aisha and everyone else.
I just wanted to be alone…
But I soon realized that loneliness wasn't the right choice.
I started experiencing hallucinations and constant nightmares.
My health deteriorated drastically.
One day, while working, a regular customer—a tall man in a suit—came in and ordered his usual: black coffee with a plain cake.
He noticed my exhausted face and made an offer.
"You look tired… You're lucky I'm here. I'm a nature retreat organizer. My name is James."
I looked at him.
"So… what does that mean?"
He smiled calmly and handed me a card with his number.
"I can arrange a trip for you to a peaceful town in southern Mexico, away from people. Since you've been working so hard lately, I'll cover all the expenses. What do you think?"
I took the card and looked at him.
"Are you sure?"
James: "Of course."
Sarah: "Alright… thank you."
James: "Call me when you're ready."
He took his order and left.
That night, I tried calling Aisha to tell her what happened, but as usual, she didn't answer.
I sighed…
Then I started thinking… Should I go?
Maybe this was my chance to finally rest, away from the noise and worries.
Alright… But I won't call him today.
I'll call him in two days and let him know.
On Tuesday,
After work, I finally called him.
We discussed the details, agreed on the date, and I set off.
The weather was perfect, and I enjoyed the trip.
The driver dropped me off at the entrance of the town.
I took my luggage out of the car, and he drove away.
As I walked through the town, I noticed something strange…
There was no one.
The town was empty.
I started to feel uneasy.
It was completely abandoned.
I decided to continue to my house.
But when I opened the door—
All the TVs in the house turned on at once, displaying a blue screen.
Then, suddenly, a voice said,
"The game has begun."
The whole place shook for a full minute.
Terrified, I ran inside and locked the door.
I looked at the TV screen—
A sentence appeared:
"Stage One."
To be continued...