Haunted

Chapter 6: Changes

I had been nervous up until the point that they administered the medicine that would put me to sleep, and then I just didn't care. I didn't care that my new house was haunted. I didn't care that I may have brought it with me to Chad's. I didn't care that Billy was sitting next to my bed staring at me. I didn't care that I might not be able to do hair again. I liked not caring.

I hadn't realized that I had even fallen asleep until I woke up and saw bright lights over me. I could see the different things in the surgery room reflecting in the shiny, silver light covers; nurses, me, the doctor. But what caught my eye was what appeared to be a young woman standing above my head next to one of the nurses. I knew she didn't belong here because she had on a dress, not scrubs, and her hair was hanging down around her face, not up in a hat like everyone else. My happy medicine had left me and I was filled with terror. 

I jerked my eyes up to try to see the woman standing by my head, but I only saw a nurse. 

"She needs a refill," I heard the doctor say. "She's waking up on me."

I brought my eyes back down to look for the woman's reflection again, but instead of finding her reflection, I found her. She was standing by my bed, leaning over me so that her face was just above mine. It was the same drawn face I'd seen last night at Chad's. Her hair was a mousy brown and looked like it hadn't been brushed in . . . well, ever. Her eyes were black and her skin was a pale white, almost grayish color. Her mouth was open like she was screaming, but no sound was coming out of it—I had a feeling that at this moment, I looked a lot like her. I wanted to scream, but when I opened my mouth, nothing came out, which was probably a good thing, since the doctor was still working on my arm.

As the nurse gave me a refill of my sedative, I felt myself returning to the same careless state I had been not too long ago, making the fear that had tried to consume me subside. I shut my eyes, welcoming the drugs to engulf me, but before they took me away, I heard a voice. It was soft and weak and sounded like it was whispered right into my ear.

"Help me. . . ."

My eyes flew open to find that the horrific looking zombie-woman I'd just seen looming over me was replaced by a sad, defeated looking girl. She looked to be about the same age as me, but she looked hard, like life had been cruel to her.

"Please."

As my medicine pulled me away from her pleading stare, something seemed familiar. I knew this girl; I'd seen her before. Before I could figure out where I knew her from, I was gone.

I woke up in a recovery room with my arm heavily bandaged and throbbing. The doctor was supposed to fix me up, but it hurt worse now than it ever had. I was afraid I would be sick when I woke up, but thankfully I felt okay, just thirsty. As I stared up at the lights over my bed, I started to remember how I'd woken up during surgery and was glad that they noticed enough to knock me back out. I remembered how he'd said I needed a refill on my sedative . . . and how the room was bright and smelled sterile . . . and the way everything reflected in the silver light covers . . . and. . . .

Her. 

I quickly sat up in my bed, causing my head swim. When I was finally able to open my eyes back up without feeling like I was going to be sick, I saw that I was alone. Had I dreamt it? Maybe it was the medicine making me hallucinate.

"Oh, you're already sitting up," my nurse boasted. "I thought you'd still be asleep after that second dose we had to give you."

"Can I have some water?" I asked as I laid back down. 

"I'll get you some ice chips first. If that sits well on your stomach and doesn't come up, you can move up to water." Ice was fine with me. My mouth was so dry that I'd probably lap water out of a puddle. "I'll be right back," she said as she walked out.