First Encounter
Trapped Within Darkness Part 3 | Choice 3 - Nothing is better than a friend that you can count on
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The Chosen Path - “Call best friend Oliver for support”
Trapped Within Darkness
Part 3.3: First Encounter
"Oh, you're finally up!" a woman's voice exclaimed from somewhere in the room.
"Wha-?" was all I could manage before she silenced me. The nurse was behind me changing the IV bag that was connected to my arm, she squeezed my shoulder in an effort to calm me.
"Shh, relax, you're at the hospital. You're a lucky one, hun, you know that? If those officers hadn't gotten to you within moments you wouldn't have made it here fast enough,” she said, matter of fact. “When you came in we almost lost you. Fortunately, the officers found the bite and researched it beforehand for us."
"You don’t say..." I trailed off and felt the bandages covering my neck. Unbeknownst to the nurse, my mind was not even concerned with the bite. It was preoccupied with something a little more worrying – the darkness.
"Nasty things, but somewhat common here. It bit you right where your jugular vein is. A very unfortunate spot, because the venom went straight to your heart. If you had not received the anti-venom in time, you would have most likely died from shock. Good news though is that you are A-Okay now!”
“That’s…great,” I said, fighting fleeting feelings of constriction that threatened to plunge me back into a nightmare.
“We tried to reach your mother, but unfortunately she hasn't answered after a dozen or so calls. We did find another phone number in your wallet though, I’ll send him in. By the way, as soon as you're done sucking up that IV bag we can discharge you. You'll be fine, just don't find yourself in the same place as that spider anymore!" she joked as she left the room. Not in the mood for jokes.
What did I do to deserve all this? A question I should not have posed to my lovely inner voice.
You were born.
Yeah, no shit.
You deserve all of it.
Thanks head, for being my no. 1 supporter.
"Hey man, how you doing?" a familiar voice asked me.
'Huh? God damn, hey Oliver! What are you doing here?" I managed to ask in an excited, yet weak voice.
"Oh nothing, just taking my daily stroll through the hospital? You know I just love the smell of sick, decaying people and antiseptic.." He chuckled, "How did your dumb ass manage to get bit by a black widow?"
"Oh shove it dude, you know that shed is crawling full of them." I argued back.
"The hell were you doing in the shed? I thought you couldn't stand to be in there?" He asked curiously.
"I can't, but my bike lock was stuck and I needed something to break the chain. I would have just walked if I knew this was going to happen." I said, sounding defeated.
"Well you couldn't have known, man. The important thing is that you're alright so I can keep fucking with you." he said smiling. Oliver always knew how to cheer me up. He knew I didn't want anyone's pity, just that I wanted someone at my side, and that is what he has always been. He really is the best friend I could have ever asked for. "Hey, so I kinda did something without asking you first."
"Oh god, what did you do this time? I'm not going to let you push me in a wheelchair again, if that's what you're insinuating." I joked.
"No, no man, nothing like that. I know you're moving away tonight, and once you move we will hardly ever be able to see each other because of the distance,” He muttered, pain licking at his lips. “I know you don't want to go, and I don’t want you to either, so I kinda asked my parents if you could live with us until you graduate next year. They are fine with it as long as I stay at the house after I graduate this year, so they aren't left alone with your stale ass,” he divulged.
"What?! No way! Bro, I would love to live with you. Especially if it means that I don't have to live with my mom anymore. That's like a dream come true. Thank you, that means more to me than you'll ever know." I said, in disbelief still. This is just the kinda thing I needed. I could have a real chance at being happy for the next few years, with my best friend and dad right down the street.
"I thought you would jump at the chance. Don't mention it man, what are brothers for?" He said, with a big smile on his face. Brothers. He is the closest thing I have ever had to a sibling, and it's what I imagine it would be like to have one. We have known each other since I was in 1st grade, and he was in 2nd. We’ve been inseparable since. "Why don't we get you discharged so you can get home and get your shit over to my place?"
"Sounds good to me, brother." I responded, accentuating the word as it seemed to mean more than it ever did.
Even after I explicitly said no, he still somehow got me to sit in a wheelchair so he could roll me to the front office. On the way he popped 3 sick wheelies, nearly hit a few elderly people walking the halls and knocked over a tray of food for some patients' dinner. Classic Oliver.
After being discharged, I found out they had left my bike, meaning I had no way to get home. After arguing with Oliver for 10 minutes about letting his mom give me a lift home, I gave in. I hated asking his parents for favors, as much as I loved them. It made my family feel more worthless than it should, specifically my mom. A single missed call from my father lingered in my notifications, but I didn't have the courage to return it and let him know that he was bitten for nothing. I’ll catch up with him later.
I was feeling so much better than when I initially woke up, but still a feeling of unease stayed with me – the darkness. I could only hope that it was one and done, because I'd rather not experience that evil again. The logical side of my mind comforts me, telling me that it was only the spider’s venom. Oh, how wrong it was.
Kolt finally gets to take a breather, but how are things going to go when his mom finds out he is not moving with her? Your choice may have dire implications for Kolt’s future… Find out what your choice means in the next part of Trapped Within Darkness!
This would not be possible if not for your choices made, so thank you for helping me create this terrifying horror story! Keep on choosing and see where this story goes! Trapped Within Darkness will return after the next issues of Expedition Epsilon and Perthro: The Rune of Mystery. You could earn a free premium membership if your refer 3 people, and you will have access to the character sheets! I hope you have a great week, and as always — Choose Fiction!
Great story line!!! I'm intrigued...