Normal

Amazingly I woke up after the nightmare. It was just another trick of my mind.

When I realized yesterday had happened, the rocking chair was empty, my bed was as warm as me, my chest tightened. There weren’t any tears, screams, or emotions. Life had changed and that was that.

My eyes opened to a slowly rising sun, it felt odd, not like a headache. Like I’d been asleep for days. I raised myself out of bed and nearly hit my head against the window sill as my legs failed to support me, the pain my muscles gave was numbing.

Cramps? Sure I wasn’t athletic, but I must have been moving around a lot last night. I could see my hands caught the window sill, or at least what I thought was the window sill. Everything in my vision was hazy, just opening my eyes hurt. The sound of my door opening broke my confused thoughts and in reaction I turned to see Charlie. A bad idea.

“Oww!” My neck’s muscles seared as they were suddenly used. Charlie darted over and helped pull me up, another painful mistake.

“Oww, dad, not so fast.”

His face flushed red. “Sorry kid, just was worried.” Why was he being so helpful?

Charlie let go and I sat back down on the bed. He looked at me awkwardly for a moment, lingering in the room, then shrugged his shoulders and walked down the stairs.

What’s he trying so hard for? It’s not like his heart is broken. I closed my eyes at the thought of what I’d lost.

He was gone. It was as simple as that.

I struggled out of my room, clumsier than usual thanks to my cramped body. It made sense, I’d been aching, seizing almost, and half dead practically at once, even if only for a day.

I barely managed to pull my gray hoody over my head, gritting my teeth as my arms strained in protest. My light blue jeans were torture. The soreness felt like my body was held together by sticks that when moved out of place hit a raging fire, sending searing pain throughout my body. Brushing my teeth seemed to be reminiscent of jamming an ice pick into my mouth.