Recovery

My senses have become useless. Because the nervous system is down. I can't feel anything. It's probably due to the overload of pain or my nervous system is completely destroyed.

I did crash back first. Maybe my spine is gone. All of my bones have been crushed. It's serious. Bone shards are sticking out from some places. It's a speculation.

I can't even move my head. I have tried speaking but it seems that my voice box is gone. Then how am I alive?

Almost 90 percent of my body has stopped functioning. My heart is holding up somehow. I am having difficulty with breathing and my breaths are short.

Maybe both of my lungs are punctured or ruptured. My stomach, it's probably gone as well. Liver, kidney, other organs are all probably failing as well.

Brain, I can't say. Maybe I am having a bad concussion. I am seeing things. Even my thoughts are incoherent.

So, will I meet my end here? In a place where no one will know how I died? Wait, if time doesn't flow here, how will they know that I am dead?

This is loophole. Maybe time is flowing for them but it has stopped for me. Or maybe we are both moving but at different speeds.

Still, I have always wondered. How will I die? How will everyone react to my death? Will people grieve for me or just think of it as normal?

Death is normal. But in my human mind somewhere, I want them to mourn for me. Hazel, Aura, Eden, Fay, Gwen, Aegis, Aera, Doris, Amaryllis, Tiana, Alto, Alyssa, mom, dad, everyone who knew me, how will they take my death?

I can't say. I am pretty sure Hazel, Aura, Fay, Gwen, they will probably angry with me. Maybe even try to bring me back.

Ahh…my mind is seriously sinking. I can't think straight anymore. Can't move, can't talk, can't breathe, can't feel, can't think. So many can'ts. What can I do now?

How will she react to my death? That Samantha, I still don't know her name. I at least wanted to know her name.

It drove me to do all these crazy stuff. I am glad that I did the things. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met my family.

It's regrettable that I won't be able to stay with them. A man thinks of his family when he is on the verge of death. His entire life flashes before his eyes as he recounts his memories with his loved ones.

I guess I am going through that as well. I don't wanna die. Not yet. But it seems to be the end for me.

My sister, she isn't even born. I wonder if she will know that she had a brother. Maybe mom and dad won't tell her. Who wants a psychopathic killer as a brother?

It'll be better for her if she doesn't know about me. I really was reaching for something way beyond my reach.

Without and the support I got from Samantha, I couldn't have done anything.

Meeting Hazel, accepting Aera and Aegis, meeting Aura and Eden, taking Fay captive, all these were possible only because of Samantha. I wanted to repay her for this. I guess I can't anymore.

I can't feel anything but I think tears are rolling down my cheeks. So even I can cry on the verge of death.

Death doesn't scare me. But my unfinished journey, my duties, my wishes, they will remain unfinished and unknown. Like I will disappear from this world and its memories.

I close my eyes and wait for my death. The more I think about it, the more it hurts. Dying isn't hardest part. It's the regrets that make it harder to die.

And with that, my breathing came to a halt and I felt my heart beat its last beat.

◇◇◇◇◇

What's happening? Where am I? Is this hell? There is no way I am going to heaven if that exists. This sensation is weird. It's warm, kinda fleshy, wet and most of all, it stinks.

I am covered is something wet. I am being caressed by something fleshy. And it's almost licking me all over.

Where am I? It's dark, I can't see. But my heart is beating. I am breathing?!

How? Didn't I just die? Or is this another one of the hallucinations?

Suddenly, the movements stopped. I was spat out. I felt hard ground. I open my eyes. It didn't take me any time to adjust my eyes. I could clearly see that I am back to the donut shaped rock.

I can see flames. I…I am alive!? What just happened?

I look behind and see big black fur ball. It's similar to the strange creature which sat on my shoulder. Wait, it is the same one.

"You….saved me?"

It just nodded its head implying yes. I take a look at my body. There's nothing wrong with it. It's back to normal. No, even better. I feel like my body was reconstructed to its optimal state. But, why am I naked?

Of course there's no one around but why am I naked? I am naked in a barren place where there's only flames and no normal animals? Or maybe they are just abnormal to me.

Still, I am alive. A smile appeared on my face. I got the urge to just hug someone and cry.

Maybe I will do that. Once I am back home, I will hug my wives, and cry like a baby. Maybe my daughter will console me. I can live a little longer and fulfill my duties.

I was so lost in thought that I had forgotten about my current state. I am naked and covered in saliva or something similar. It's sticky, it doesn't smell good. I look for the bottomless pouch and start washing myself.

The big fur ball shrunk in size and went to sleep in my backpack. I have washed myself but what will I do about clothes?

I start rummaging through the backpack to see if something was there. I find a plain black t-shirt and a pair of pants. A single t-shirt with a pair of pants? That's odd but I will take it.

I didn't have to wipe myself since I can just use the flames to dry myself off. It feels a bit shameless to walk around naked. I am not an exhibitionist.

I dress up and making a good meal. The meat is still with me so that should be enough. After eating an awful lot of meat, I sit down again and think.

The cave isn't too far from here and I think that gorilla wanted to take over that cave as its territory.

If I want to pass through, I have to kill it. I vowed to kill it. This is a first for me. I never wanted to someone this intensely.

The question is how? My weapons are limited. The most versatile thing I have in my arsenal is the rod given to me by Keith.

I take that out again. I haven't fully inspected it.

I take a look at the dial. It can be pushed like a switch as well. I push is and boom, the metal rod disappeared. It became a glowing light sword.

I take a swing with it and a part of the donut vanishes. It's probably high density plasma sword or even worse, a pure energy sword.

Why didn't I notice it before? I feel like such an idiot!

So, I just have to be careful not to get caught and cut it down. My revenge will begin after I take a long nap.

I may have fully healed physically, my psyche is still banged up. After I get a shut eye, I will move to kill that fucking gorilla.