Ellen walked away from the bus stop, her mind filled with thoughts of the strange woman who had sat beside her. The meeting left her feeling uneasy, with a strange chill sticking aroundlike the woman’s words were still in her thoughts.
Why had she said something like that? And how had she known her name? Ellen pulled her coat tighter around herself as if shielding from the memory, shaking her head in disbelief. It felt so surreal, and yet every word had felt disturbingly intentional, like it was meant just for her.
The sidewalk stretched on ahead, and she joined a small group of people gathering at the crosswalk. Ellen tried to push the woman’s words out of her mind. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself.
Suddenly, a sharp pain struck her chest. It was so unexpected that she gasped, her hand flying to her chest as if to clutch the pain away. Her knees went weak, and her vision blurred as she stumbled, lowering herself to the ground. The pain only intensified, radiating through her chest like a burning fire, crushing her with an unbearable force.
"Oh my god, are you okay?" A woman’s voice called out. Ellen could barely make out the figures moving around her, but she heard the panic in their voices.
"Is she having a heart attack?" someone else gasped, and she could feel the crowd’s concern growing.
"Call 911!" another voice urged, louder and more frantic than the others. Ellen tried to focus, but the pain seemed to drown everything out. The world around her faded away until everything went black.
**
When Ellen opened her eyes again, she found herself staring up at the bright, white ceiling of a hospital room. She could hear the low hum of machines nearby, along with the soft beep of a heart monitor in the background. Her body felt heavy, like she was dealing with an exhaustion that wouldn’t go away. Blinking slowly, she tried to piece together what had happened.
It seems they managed to send help. The irony wasn’t lost on her—back in a hospital again, barely a month after she’d managed to escape it. She couldn’t help but let out a soft, bitter laugh at the thought. What was that all about? she wondered. Did I actually have a heart attack? The idea was absurd, and yet the memory of the pain was way too clear to ignore. She knew stress could lead to strange things, but this?
Still, she felt a deep exhaustion that made her eyelids heavy. She closed her eyes again, drifting off while barely noticing the soft footsteps coming her way.
A voice interrupted her peace. "God, Mason, why didn’t you eat again?" The sound was both familiar and distant, pulling her from the edge of sleep. Her eyes fluttered open, and she blinked as her vision focused, her heart skipping as she recognized the figure standing by her bed.
Gerald? Ellen’s breath hitched as she stared at him. She blinked again, half-expecting him to disappear. But there he was, standing right in front of her, very real and very much alive.
"Gerald?" she whispered, barely trusting her own voice.
Gerald’s head snapped towards her, his eyes widening in shock as he met her gaze. "Ellen!" he exclaimed. A smile spread across her face, a small, trembling smile, as if she couldn’t believe she was actually seeing him.
Without another word, Gerald bolted from the room, his voice echoing down the hallway as he shouted, "Mason! Mason! Ellen’s awake!"
Ellen watched him go, a quiet laugh escaping her lips as she felt tears well up in her eyes. She hadn’t expected to feel so much joy just from seeing Gerald again. I’m back. I’m really back
The door opened up again a few moments later, and she could hear Gerald’s voice again, breathless with excitement. "I swear, Mason, she opened her eyes! Ellen’s awake!"
A sigh of frustration followed. "Gerald, are you really pulling a sick joke at a time like this?" Mason’s voice was low, laced with a barely contained anger that made Ellen’s heart ache. She could imagine the toll her absence must have taken on him.
"No, I’m serious!" Gerald insisted. "She really opened her eyes. She’s awake, I saw it!"
Ellen opened her eyes then, and her gaze fell on Mason, who had Gerald’s collar gripped tightly in his fists. She saw the disbelief in his eyes, the heartbreak that he tried so hard to conceal. It was as if he couldn’t allow himself to hope.
"...Mason," she called softly, but it was enough to make him freeze.
Mason’s grip on Gerald loosened, and he turned slowly, his eyes wide as he looked at her. The shock in his eyes faded, giving way to a wave of relief and something much deeper. His hands trembled slightly as he let go of Gerald, who was now smiling proudly, as if he’d won a battle only he had known they were fighting. "See? I told you!"
Mason took a slow, hesitant step toward Ellen, his gaze never leaving hers, as if he feared she’d disappear if he looked away. He crossed the distance between them and lowered himself by her bedside, his expression filled with a vulnerability she had never seen before. He lowered his head, pressing his forehead gently against hers, and they both closed their eyes, enjoying the closeness and the moment.
Ellen raised her hand, resting it against his cheek, her fingers tracing the familiar lines of his face. Her touch was soft, cautious, as if she needed to reassure herself that he was really there, that this wasn’t all in her head. Her heart swelled as she felt his warmth. It was real, he was real.
Mason took a deep, shaky breath, his arms wrapping around her in a gentle embrace as he held her close, as though afraid to let go. Ellen felt her own tears slip down her cheeks as she was filled with joy and relief all at once. This was real; she was finally back where she belonged. Mason trembled as he said, "You’re here. You came back to me."
She leaned closer, her lips near his ear as she whispered, "I’m home, Mason. I’m really home."