Wake Me Up

• Amy Xie, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2014

I remember that loud noise that only lasted for a fraction of a second. I remember the tyres screeching to a halt. I remember the insanely tight grip of my mother’s arms around my small body. That’s all I could remember of the crash. That was a long time ago though. I was only seven.
I was walking down the corridor of my school, clutching onto my books as I made my way to class. It was oddly quiet, perhaps I was late. My hand wrapped around the door knob of the classroom door before I felt a prick in my left arm. It was like a needle, causing me to flinch. That pain happened twice a day. It never bothered me though.
Once I swung the door open, a storm of confusion hit me. The classroom was empty. I was certain that my class was here. The odd silence was broken by a sob. It was quiet but I felt as though it was vibrating through my bones, as though it was right beside me. I spun around frantically to try and see where it was coming from, but I saw nothing.
A voice spoke up: “Oh, please wake up.”
I walked to another classroom and opened the door. Empty. “Who’s there?” I called out.
The situation was getting too creepy. I ran around, opening every classroom in an attempt to find any sign of civilisation, and found absolutely no one.
It was when I reached the end of the corridor that I saw a red door, begging for me to open it. As I walked towards it, the sound of sobbing grew louder. The world was growing darker as I stepped closer to the door. The doorknob glowed brightly. I turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.
My eyes opened to the blurry sight of a bright ceiling light. I turned my head slightly to see a person hunched over beside the bed I lay on, her back rising and falling in an uneven pace. She was crying and slowly lifted her head. Mum?
Before I could say anything, her crying grew louder and she blabbered on about how I was in a coma for, ‘such a long time’--which was ridiculous because I was at school just a minute ago.
I looked around the room. I was in a hospital, I stared at the needles that were taped against my left arm. The sudden pricking pain I felt twice a day. I looked at my mum, and her swollen eyes stared back at me as she smiled widely. The sobs and the voice asking me to wake up.
It’s been a few years since that incident. I still feel the pricking of the needles, the doctor said it was nothing so I chose to ignore it.
I was lying in my bed today when I thought I heard my mum cry. I headed out my room and froze as I stared down the hall in horror.
A red door.