EPILOGUE
A doctor in a white lab coat and a blue face mask came out of a theatre with his arms crossed behind his back.
He approaches two parents sitting with a young girl in their midst.
"Mr. and Mrs. Royce, your son is regaining conscience."
They both arose in delight and anxiety.
"But if you wish to see him, it must be done in decorum. So who's gonna go first?"
The little girl raised up her hand. "I'll go first."
"Alright then. Right this way." The doctor directed the young lady into a room.
There, a boy lay on a bed with wires and tubes sticking out of him.
"You have two minutes." The doctor said and departed.
She walked up to where the boy laid and sat near him.
Slowly and steadily, the boy awoke; prior to the sound of beeping machines.
Bandages had covered his body nearly completely.
He turned to his left and noticed the girl sitting right beside him.
"Hi Eric." She greeted.
"Juliet?" he unlocked his eyes, seeing a blurry image of his younger sister.
"I'm so glad you're okay." She said hugging him on the bed.
"Was it all a dream?"
She detached the cuddle and looked at him.
"No, it wasn't."
"It was real?!" Eric startled. "So what happened? Brian's kidnapping, Leonardo's unconsciousness, those hungry wolves... Talk to me Juliet, what really happened?"
Juliet heaved a deep sigh and spoke.
"On that day..."
"On that day?, what do you mean 'on that day'"
"It was three months ago, you were in a coma,"
"Three months!!!" he startled again.
"Calm down, you still need to recover. The doctor said that we shouldn't put you in any form of shock.
"Oh, sorry." He calmed himself and relaxed on the bed. "So what happened?"
"Well, it was around 4am in the midnight when Roxanne and I were alerted. We came out of the house and saw rescue teams, firefighters and ambulances making alarms. We got a closer view and saw them rescuing two idle people from the forest."
"Was that me?"
"Yep."
"Then who was the other person?"
"Leonardo."
"I hope he's alright."
"He's fine. He was said to have a heart attack after encountering a faceless creature in the woods but he had been treated and was discharged barely a week after the incident."
"What happened after you saw me?"
"We found Chloe and Cynthia crying pathetically. They explained how you attacked a wolf and lost a lot of blood. They diagnosed your skeletal system and discovered a slight fracture in the skull and a part of the rib. After which the rescue teams also explicated how they spotted flames which made them rush to the scenario, extinguish Roxanne's car and aid to you and Leo's rescue."
Her narration was so vivid that he could actually visualize what transpired.
"Then what about Brian? Was he discovered?"
"It turns out Brian never left the house. He was in the guest room upstairs watching a movie that's why he couldn't hear us calling. We didn't find out until an hour later, that's why Chloe and Cynthia came out to look for you guys. At twilight, I informed Mom and Dad. They drove over to this hospital and when I met them, I told them the whole saga."
"Are they here now?"
"Yep, they're right outside."
"Ahem." The doctor cleared his throat as he appears at the entrance.
"Oh, I'd better get going. Get well soon Okay?"
Eric responded with a slight nod as Juliet walked away.
But she paused in her tracks as she recollects something.
"Also, Cynthia said that once you recover I should ask if you'll be close friends with her so you'll get to know each other better."
He smiled in contentment and said-
"Okay."
As soon as Juliet left, a Woman came in next.
It was his Mother.
She stood beside the bed admiring his helpless face.
"How are you feeling, Son?" She queried.
Eric looked at his mother in remorse.
"I-, I can explain Mom-"
She placed her finger on his lips preventing words.
"Don't say anything. You need to rest. We'll talk when we get home."
She kissed his forehead and exited.
A grown man entered his room right after.
It was his father.
"Dad, I'm sorry." Eric blurted out as the man came near him.
"Don't be." The man retorted. "It was literally all my fault. I should have kept a closer eye on you. I was so irrational to think you could live all by yourself."
The man slid his fingers into Eric's hair and scattered it playfully.
Eric giggled in response and his father departed with a satisfied feeling.
Thereafter, Eric laid without slight movements.
He just kept staring at the ceiling in tranquility, lost in his thoughts and uneasiness until the doctor killed the solitary moment.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, I guess." Eric answered.
"Good to hear, I promise that by dawn I'll have all those wires and bandages off your body."
"I'll be very happy. But Sir, I have a question that has been bothering me. May I ask?"
"Sure."
"The psychiatrist at my school told me that I had brain tumor and that I wouldn't make it past the midnight I blacked out, so how am I still breathing now?"
"I heard you were suffering from horrific hallucinations, so what if he told you those things so you could face your fears."
"Well then I guess it worked!, because ever since I fearlessly faced that devil and the wolves, I haven't had any nightmares ever since I was in a coma. But wait, how on earth did you know?"
The doctor gently pulled his face mask down to his chin.
"Dr. Lincoln!" Eric exclaimed.
The man smirked in endorsement.
YOU ARE READING
Horrific Times || Completed ✔️✔️✔️
HorrorEric Royce is in a world of hallucinations but everything seems real. A rogue spirit is hunting him down and making his life miserable. Death is whispering his name and he just can't escape it. Perhaps, this isn't actually just an extraordinary illu...
