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OH MAN---

Im holding the screen of the TV dearly, as a mother would hold her child. I
had been in the middle of watching a movie when this happened. The TV screen
flickered, and soon the movie was gone; lost in the sea of static that now plagues
the screen.

Damn it.

Im growing even more and more frustrated with each second that passes.
Ive shook and hit the TV several times but to no avail. Looks like Ive got no other
choice but to wait this out.

Dejectedly, I threw myself onto the bed and laid flat on my back. After a
minute or two of staring at the ceiling, I figured that this might take a while. I can
still hear that annoying static crackle and a slight lift of my head to look at the TV
screen confirms its presence. Needless to say, I started to grow bored and so I
looked around this dark room for other things to do.

Theres nothing particularly special about this room, except that its dark, I
guess. But then again, thats pretty normal too. Darkness is just the absence of
light; I mustve turned the lights off because I wanted to watch some TV. It is
better to watch TV in a dark room, it just gives this aura that makes you feel like
youre at a movie house, I guess. In a way, you can say that the absence of light
from the rest of the room helps you focus more on what youre watching. With
nothing else to distract you, the glowing light from the TV demands attention. I
guess thats the logic behind it.

Now sitting on the bed, I continue to scan the room for anything that could
keep me preoccupied while I wait for the TV to work normally again. To my right is
a lamp atop a bedside table which has two drawers in it. I proceeded to open both

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 Awry by Justine Faith Melgar
drawers and saw nothing interesting. All there was in it was some kind of paper
with St. Judes Medical Centre written on it. I didnt read what it was about but Im
assuming it may just be a prescription or receipt. Anyways, I cant use it for
anything. To my left is the dresser and when I stood up to open it, I found that
apart from a set of torn-up clothes; the dresser was empty. Upon close inspection
of the torn-up clothes, I noticed that there were red stains splayed all over both
the white shirt and brown pants. Must be blood, I thought, but I know thats silly.
Why would there be blood-stained clothes on my dresser? I remember dressing up
as a zombie for Halloween once. Yeah, I mightve just forgotten that I put it here. I
cant explain why the rest of my wardrobe is missing though.

But, it was weird. Holding those clothes in my hands trigger something that I
could not yet identify. Holding them in my hands makes me feel as if theres
something important Ive forgotten, something Im missing. It feels, weird; to say
the least. But then again, Im probably just overthinking.

Returning the clothes back inside and closing the dresser, I walked over to
the middle of the room and start to look around. I look around intently because
somehow, though utterly silly and ridiculous, I no longer think this is my bedroom.
In fact, the more I think, I cant seem to remember how I got here, or why I am
here. All I remember is that I was sitting in front of the TV and watching a movie.
Before that, I can remember watching another movie, and another, and another,
but incredulously nothing else. All I remember is watching TV, which is weird.

Aside from the things I previously mentioned, theres nothing else in the
room. Since the TV is situated directly parallel from the bed, to the right wall is the
bedroom door. There are no windows in the room, none at all. Light enters the
room only through the crack of the door opened slightly ajar. The TV provides
some light from its glowing screen as well, of course. It suddenly feels weird that
there are no windows and only one door. It makes me start to feel trapped. I
dont even remember ever walking in or out of that door, which again I find
puzzling. How long have I been here? More importantly, if this is my room, how
did I get here?

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 It mustve been a good 15 to 20 minutes since Ive been interrupted from
watching my movie. Until now there is still only static and Ive lost a bit of hope
that the signal would be back anytime soon. If it does, then great! If it doesnt
then, what can I do? But, my previous questions quirked me though. As long as Im
busy thinking or finding the answers for those, I guess the static would be tolerable
for a little while more. I walk around the room once again and saw nothing new so
I stopped my search. Once again deep in thought, my absent gaze fell upon the
door. I walk slowly towards it and tell myself that I figured that surely a relative or
someone would be somewhere outside that door and maybe they can answer my
questions. I grab the door handle.

For some reason, the light on the other side is so bright that it forces my
eyes close as I opened the door more so that I could get through. I had to use my
hands as a shield just so that I could get through. Believing to have arrived on the
other side of the door, I open my eyes and boy, was I in shock.

I see myself back in the room I just left.

It was as if I never left the room, which I know I did. My back is turned
towards the door which also looks like I just came in. I am thoroughly confused.
What the heck is happening? I look behind me and I find the door opened slightly
ajar, just as it had been. I try not to panic but its something thats becoming
increasingly hard to do. Obviously, I just overlooked something Ive done wrong.
Maybe I actually turned around once I got through the door? How can I be sure
that I didnt, right? My eyes were shielded, I couldnt see anything in front of me,
and I couldve easily made a mistake and turned around somehow. It doesnt hurt
to try again, so Ill just do.

I was terribly wrong. Sunken to the ground on my hands and knees, I huff as
I panic. If I wasnt panicked before, I sure am now. If this is a nightmare, someone
wake me now. That door it leads to nowhere. Every time I exit, I just end up back
here again. My mind is descending into a meltdown. Cold sweat starts to form on
 Awry by Justine Faith Melgar
my skin as I start to breathe heavily. My heart starts to beat faster and I start to
hear some ringing in my ears. I feel messed up, frustrated, anxious and confused.
Where am I really?

Not long after that, the TV had stopped showing static. The show is back on
but it is no longer the movie I was watching earlier, which was an action movie.
Now I think it is a drama, considering the setting and the characters that I can see.
For a second, all my current problems are pushed to the back of my head as I
gravitate towards the TV. Upon closer inspection, something about it looks really
familiar.

The camera must be on first-person view as the camera moves around as a

persons head would. This gives the impression that I, the viewer, is there and
witnessing the account for myself. The cameraman stands at the left-side corner at
the foot of the bed where a person lies unmoving. I cannot see his face nor can tell
surely if the person lying on the bed is a boy or a girl. His face is being covered
from the cameramans sight by a middle-aged looking woman who is leaning over
the bed. Beside her, patting her back comfortingly is a middle-aged man, who Im
assuming must be her husband. Their backs are turned on me but even so, the
couple looks very familiar. I feel a headache creeping in as I look closer and try to
rack my brain of who they are. They dont look familiar because theyre actors and
Ive seen them on TV before. No. They actually look familiar as if I knew them,
personally. Somewhere in my mind, I feel a tug indicating that they might even be
people close to me.

On the other side of the bed stand a nurse and a doctor who both look at
the couple apologetically. So far, no ones said a word. The only noises you can
hear are the light sobbing of the woman.

Written on the back of the nurses notepad holder, I got a glimpse of the
hospitals name. It said, St. Judes Medical Center. Thats the name of the hospital
on the paper in the drawer!

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 I quickly scrambled towards the bedside table and opened the folded piece
of paper. The words written on it were chilling, Dont stay here. This is not your
life. Dont be distracted. Leave the room before they start pulling off the plugs.

Just then, the door slams close and the room was filled with darkness. The
only light source now is the TV.

Hes been in coma for 7 years. He hasnt responded at all during that
timeframe. He hasnt moved a muscle nor said a word. Hes practically dead,
the doctor says. Thinking that there is nothing else I could do, but watch; so I do.

The womans sobs grew louder after that and she hugged her husband,
crying on his shoulder before burying her face in his chest. Now able to see the
person on the beds face, I now know that he is a boy. Thin, lifeless and unmoving.
And that boy looks like its me.

He was so young. If only he hadnt been in that accident. He was the only one
who survived and yet he didnt even get to have the chance. It was like he also
died, my mom said in a choked tone as she tried to swallow back her tears.

All I could do is watch petrified. Nothing makes sense, and nothing is clear.
When my mother started to do the sign of the cross and say a prayer, all thats
running in my mind is the reason why I didnt recognize them much earlier? How
could I have forgotten all these things? And have I always had a way to escape this
room and I didnt take it until it was too late?

The cameras view now shifts to the view of myself lying on the bed. This
chilling view gives me full-coverage of what the me lying there would see if he only
had his eyes open.

I start to helplessly bang and scream at the screen. No, no, no, no, no!
repeatedly though I know they couldnt hear me.

Im going to die, thats what I told myself at the same time I asked myself,
Werent you already all this time?.
 Awry by Justine Faith Melgar
My mom puts her hand on my face as my dad puts his hand around her
shoulders. They both look at me and try to smile as if theyre trying to soothe me
in preparation of whats going to happen next. And then there it is. A clicking
sound and I can feel my own heart starting to slow down. I fall to the ground on
my side and as if in slow motion I can hear my slowing heartbeat as I lose
consciousness. With an outstretched hand towards the screen, I try to hold on to
the little strength I have left.

As my vision starts to turn dark like the rest of the room, I heard my dad say,
We love you, Zack.

Then the TV switches off.

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