Prologue: An Azure Prelude

ScreeeeeEEE...

Crrrch

The air in my stomach exploded out of my mouth, a flash of crimson blossomed in my vision, the world tilted around me as lances of pure agony assaulted my body. A final dagger-sharp pain sliced into my back at the base of my neck as my head finally hit the hard, concrete ground. As my vision of the cloudless azure sky slowly faded to black there was only one thing came to mind;

[Why me? I've already lost so much...]

*****

A white ceiling was the first thing to enter my view. I felt like I was floating in empty space, it also felt as though something was missing though it could have just been my groggy, half-awake mind. My first thought;

[Am I in heaven? Or did I somehow miraculously survive?... With my luck its probably the former, and just because the Fates hate me, the waiting room for hell.]

"He... n't hear... it... it would... ly mak... worse."

I heard the obviously distressed voice of my mother, although it was almost a whisper. As I attempted to solicit meaning from the faint scraps of words that I could make out, my thoughts were cut off by an interruption--

"He's awake; time to go see how he's doing."

The voice was rich and deep and laced with an accent I could not quite identify. Shuffling could be heard then a quiet squeak of a door opening, preceded by a small tap of it shutting; it almost seemed foreboding. A quiet sound of approaching footfalls then a stern ebony face with clear brown eyes, that seem to see right through you, slid into my sight from the left. For some reason the eyes seem to express a slight sadness.

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"Graham O'Neil" He began -- I knew what was coming -- "You have been in an accident. You were in critical condition and have been comatose for 4 months. Now that you have stabilized and are conscious, what do you remember?"

I thought back to the "Accident" I had been on my morning run, nothing out of the ordinary until a small out of control sedan -- which was in itself odd considering the current capabilities of self-driven cars -- started to careen towards me as if it were a heat-seeking missile. I had barely any time to react as it hammered into to my abdomen.

"I remember it all...", I croaked making use of my rusty vocal cords that felt as if hey had not been used forever. The man's eyes urged me to continue,"The car... the passenger's horrified expression... and the clear azure sky...", my voice wavering as I spoke.

[How do I remember so much I should have hit my head against the ground... the only way I could have reduced the head impact would be--]

I paused dreading the consequences, yet all the pieces fit; the dagger-like pain at the base of my neck, the floating feeling that made me feel as though something was off, the sense of foreboding, the doctor's sad eyes. I tried to move my foot; nothing happened. Next my leg, then my finger, my arm, my shoulder-- Nothing!

[No no nononno NO! This cannot be happening. This CANNOT be happening]

Almost to the point of tears I said "Doc.. I can't feel anything below my neck."

Prologue -END