Serenity RPG

I blinked. My vision fuzzy as I slowly glanced around the unfamiliar sterile room. My mouth was dry, my lips cracked ever so slightly. As my vision cleared I read the whiteboard on the wall near the foot of my bed. “Astraea Hartwell” my name along with, “Your care team! Dr. Ye and Nurse Rose.”

How did I end up here?

The date on the board seemed off. Did I miss the camping trip? Wait… Oh. My. God.

I must have gasped, or something because a young nurse came rushing into my room, a bright smile attempting to mask the concern on her face.

She was very kind and just a little chatty as she quickly took my vitals. She mentioned multiple times that if it hadn’t been for my friends, I probably would have died.

Nurse Rose kept me sane the first two days after I woke up. I started to get antsy in my room. Not many places to go when you are confined to a hospital room and can only walk short distance before becoming exhausted. Finally, after days of rehabilitation, I was released.

My mother waited for me at the curb with a vase of flowers in hand. She smiled warmly as she wrapped me into a tight hug. Due to infection protocol, visitors were not allowed in the unit I had been confined to.

“Astraea…” she let out a breath that I feel she has been holding for far too long. “You had us so worried!” She released me turning to her boyfriend, Clint.

I stiffened as he hugged me tight. He had never really been my favorite person, but he made my mother happy. She deserves to be happy.

Clint helped me into the truck and they drove me home. Well, to their home. The conditions of my release from the hospital was that I would be under some form of supervised bedrest for the next few days. It was either stay with my parents, or a close friend. Since I did not have any local friends, staying with my mom was my only ticket out of the hospital.

My mother helped me to my old room and Clint set my dufflebag on the floor next to the closet. He quickly excused himself, my mom followed shortly after leaving me in the quiet of my childhood room. A place that once brought so much peace. I quickly shook the thought away as began unpacking my duffle. Placed on one of the shelves of the closet was a journal of sorts with a soft leather cover. No embossing on the front cover, but on the back was a small AH in the bottom left corner. Maybe a gift that mom had forgotten about?

Suddenly, it was as if someone had turned on a light. My eyes squinted trying to reduce the “glare”? No that can’t be right. My light is still turned off. The soft, fine hair of my arms stood on end as a prickly sensation washed over my skin causing me to shiver. The smell of Clint’s Marlboro Red hit as if he was standing next to me with a freshly lit cigarette. The buzz of the lightbulb’s in the hall as loud as an old radio stuck on the wrong channel.

The onslaught of sensations made my head spin. Anxiety welling up. Why was this happening? I dropped the journal and the sensations disappeared instantly. What the hell is this thing?

The moonlight trickled through the curtains of my bedroom window, light landing on the cover of the journal. I blinked. The once blank cover was now branded with a paw print or maybe a hand…the image didn’t seem to want to stay still.

I hesitantly reached for the book once more, sensations flooding through me once again. This time, I kept a hold on the journal and began flipping through the pages. A closed envelope tumbled free from the binding. I swear that hadn’t been in there a minute ago. I set the journal on my lap and inspected the envelope. There was a faint shimmer as the moonlight hit it and my name scralled in unfamiliar writing.