It was raining heavily, but Leah's mind was also weathering a larger storm. She could not allow herself to give in to panic and despair. She had to escape.
She looked in her rear-view mirror and sure enough, a large van was chasing after her small car. She had done all that Lawrence taught her, but it wasn't enough this time.
If only he were here...
Tears streamed down her face, and her body was shaking. If they got her, she was never coming back, she had to focus now more than ever.
She stepped on her already exhausted accelerator, and the car picked up a little speed. However, it was not enough as the van got a lot closer to hers.
There must be something she could do....
At that moment, a strong gust of wind blew, causing a very old tree to crash heavily onto the small road, blocking her path entirely.
In her desperation, she tried to swerve past the tree, but her car skidded off the wet road causing her to lose control of the car.
The car summersaulted onto the nearby woods, and Leah was dazed from the pain.
She did not know how long she was there for, but she heard distant voices of a group of men. They must have been Aiden's men.
"This is bad, we are dead men if she dies." One voice said in panic
"Well then, what are you waiting for, Let's get her out then!"
She was done for.
However, only seconds later, Leah was blinded by a bright light followed by indescribable pain. A deafening boom sounded later, and she felt her body being ravaged.
An inhuman sound escaped from her lips. Her whole body was on fire, and her vision was blurry. She had no time to focus on her surroundings, as the pain overwhelmed her. She had to do something, she could not die like this, she was not willing to. Her heart sank further into despair. More than anything, she wanted to live, but that hope was futile. After what felt like an eternity, she could no longer move, and the pain was receding. She began to see memories of her childhood; things she thought she had forgotten. She saw a memory of herself when she was younger, with her friends on a trip. Their faces were blurred out, but their smiles remained. They were the sincerest smiles that she had ever witnessed, and seeing them made her want to cry, and remember how lonely she was mow. She had no one to mourn her or worry about her. She had cut them from her life herself.
Maybe it was best if she died. All her struggles and effort landed her nowhere but, in more trouble, and her death would not hurt anyone. She was tired and hoped that she could finally be at peace with herself. There was no one left to cry for her or worry that she was gone. Reluctantly, she accepted her fate.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Leah scrunched up her eyebrows, then opened her eyes. It was all white and blurry. Before she could make sense of what was happening around her, she heard a woman's loud cry and someone holding her hand.
"Hurry up and call the doctor! She's waking up."
What was going on? did she not die? That was impossible. The car clearly exploded...
Her vision was beginning to clear. She realized that she was staring at a white ceiling when an unfamiliar face appeared in her line of sight.
What was going on? Was she mistaken for someone else? Or was this someone sent to watch her?
At this point, she could see clearly, and did not recognize the woman at all. She might have been a new employee from the looks of it.
She tried to speak, but her voice came out as a croak, and the woman did not hear her.
"What is it, dear?"
"W-water, I want water."
The woman jumped then began looking around frantically. Leah used the opportunity to try to sit up. She was almost forced back down with the pain she felt in her stomach, but with a bit of effort, she managed to sit up. That was when she realized that there were no burns on her body. She frowned again, very confused. Were the burns not that severe? Was she unconscious for so long that they healed somehow? Was that even possible?
"Here, Hazel, drink up."
Leah's head snapped in the woman's direction instantly. She was about to ask why the woman called her that, but the bottle of water was placed at her lips in the next moment. She kept staring at the woman as she drank, then pushed the bottle away when her throat did not feel like the desert anymore.
"Thank goodness you are awake! You gave all of us a terrible scare. What did you eat that day?"
It seemed her confusion was apparent, as the woman began to frown.
"Hey, Hazel, are you alright? Say something."
"Excuse me, but who are you?"
The woman looked confused.
"What do you mean by that?" She asked as her head snapped to the door. "Where is Alexis? That girl should have come with the doctor a while ago…."
"What's going on?" Leah asked, her confusion growing by the minute.
The woman smiled.
"Oh, it's nothing. The doctor just needs to clear some things up for me."
"Why do you keep calling me Hazel?"
"Because that is your name, dear. Don't you remember?"
"No, my name is Leah Song."
The woman's face turned pale. She placed her hands on her chest with a dismayed expression.
"Child, do not joke with me like that."
At that moment, a middle-aged doctor walked into the ward. There was a young girl behind him.
The doctor stood beside her bed with a gentle smile on his lips.
"How are you doing today, miss Hazel?"
'Why was he also calling her that?'
Leah chose to ignore him calling her that for the moment. She chose to ask another question.
"I'm alright, doctor. What is going on?"
The doctor smiled patiently.
"You suffered from severe food poisoning, and you've been unconscious for two days. Because you were not brought to the hospital on time, your condition got more serious than it should have been. Now that you're awake, everything should be fine."
How did burn wounds heal so fast?
She raised her hand and looked at it closely. It was fair and had no sign of injury. She frowned however when she realized that the tiny heart tattoo on the corner of her hand was gone as well. She frowned deeply, then looked at her right hand, unable to believe that the only reminder of her best friend was gone just like that.
'Where did my tattoo go?'
Her thoughts however were interrupted, when the woman spoke again.
"Uh doctor, did my daughter suffer any head damage? She is acting strangely and doesn't seem to remember who I am."
What was this woman saying? She remembered who she was very well, in fact it was her who was mistaking her for someone else.
Why was no one questioning her?
The doctor shook his head. "She may still be disoriented from the anesthesia, that's all. She will most likely be alright after a good nap."
The woman was doubtful.
"Are you sure doctor?"
"Yes, very sure. Don't worry about a thing. You guys should get some rest now that she is awake. I'm sure she will be lucid by then."
The woman seemed uncertain at first, then decided to listen to the doctor. When he left, she packed a small bag with her belongings and asked her to rest well with a head pat. The young girl, however, was silent throughout, and it made her feel strange somehow. She decided not to dwell on it further as she had to figure out what was going on.
Gingerly, she got off the hospital bed. It took some effort, and the pain in her stomach became unbearable. She gritted her teeth and stood, using the bed as her support. She was in a very small room, and it did not look like there was a bathroom in it. That was fine. There should definitely be one outside. Using the rod that the IV drip was attached to, she slowly made her way out of the room.
After a few minutes of blind searching, she saw a nurse coming out of another room.
She waved her hand and called out to her. The nurse turned and noticed her.
"Excuse me, can you please show me where the bathroom is?"
"Sure," The nurse smiled "Let me help you."
With the help of the nurse, they arrived in the bathroom. She became startled when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She turned to look properly, and she turned pale from shock.
That face…was not hers.