Beeeep-
Beeeep-
Beeeep-
Bee...
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.
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The constant beeping and buzz from the heart monitor had been a constant reminder of a cursed life I am forced to live.
From when I was diagnosed at 3, to the body falling at 14. Forcing me to stay in this god-forsaken monotone hospital for the rest of my life.
How hilarious. I had dreams; I had hope. I had a purpose to live for. Now what?
Am I destined to die in this bed, accomplishing nothing?
"Khekhehe..." A hoarse chuckle left my strained throat as I looked out the window beside my bed.
'I'm hallucinating,' I thought as an endless field of lush grass could be seen outside my window. Almost as if it were inviting me to run onto the field and laugh my heart out.
"Khugh..." I coughed and closed my eyes; I could tell my end was coming. My breathing had got worse over the passing days, and eventually.
I would enter the embrace of death.
'How cruel of you, tempting me with freedom I could never have...' I thought and complained to life before I opened my eyes, glancing down at my lower body, which was slowly crumbling apart, cracks reaching up to my upper body.
What remained of my crumbling legs and waist had already turned into stone.
Something, I wonder.
Why me?
I was only 14 years old when my toes started turning into stone. I had an untold future and potential, and it would never be explored because of this damn virus!
And for a magical reason, I am the only patient in the entire history of humanity to be infected.
How ironic! Almost as if the entire world cursed and hates me!
"But at least nobody will suffer like me," I spoke with a breathy and coarse voice.
If I die, the virus dies with me, and nobody will ever get infected by the same virus.
"..."
I closed my eyes once again, weakly breathed silently.
The doctors and scientists had given all their all to find the cure for this virus, but it was all futile. No matter how much they tried to understand the virus, it eluded them.
Almost magical, really.
I opened my eyes and glanced at the window, wondering if I was still hallucinating.
"Yup. Still hallucinating," I could only let out a weak sigh while leaning my head against the pillow, admiring the beauty of the grass field. The freedom that seems to be contained in that hallucination.
The only reason I think of the grassland outside my window as a hallucination is due to one reason.
I am on the third floor of a hospital, which is in the middle of a massive, bustling city.
The pain flushed and struck up in my body like lightning, causing me to cough profusely in pain. Tears welling up behind my eyes as blood seeped out of my lips.
I weakly controlled my arms to reach for that beautiful grassland, yet I could not.
I had long lost any sensation in my limbs.
"Ah, I wonder if Death will give me a gentle death... Khekhe..." I chuckled at my dark humour, knowing that with the pain I experience daily, it would be impossible to pass away in peace.
"Oh yes. Death will be gentle with you," an unknown voice appeared naturally, and I responded, "Doubt it though, otherwise I wouldn't be suffering like this..."
After responding, I realised that somebody was here! I turned my head weakly in the voice's direction.
They weren't at the entrance to my room but instead standing outside the window. I don't know who said it, but three beautiful ladies were standing on that beautiful, endless field of grass.
"Wha..." My mouth went agape at this, and I started to think I was going schizophrenic while still having the same hallucination.
'What a riot!' I laughed at myself in deprecation, because I may be going insane mentally before I die.
A gentle, pitiful sigh was heard from one of the ladies.
"You aren't hallucinating, nor are you going insane." The same voice spoke to me, seemingly coming from a gentle-looking lady with long blue hair and eyes like the sea.
She wore a blue tracker jacket and black sports shorts, seemingly meant for racing. Upon closer inspection, I could see a beautiful accessory on her right ear...
Right ears?!?!
I stared in shock at her appearance. Not because of their beauty, but their ears weren't like human ears! It was more like a... horse's ear?
"Fufufu," a melodious giggle exited the gentle, blue-haired lady's lips
Hearing her laugh strangely made me feel calm, as if her very presence soothed the world around her.
"She's right, you know. Death will be gentle with you," this time, a free-spirited voice came behind the blue-haired lady.
She seemed to be an energetic lady, with long red hair and a white blaze marking. Her eyes seemed to glisten in the sun like an emerald.
Her skin was distinctly tan compared to the other two ladies, wearing a summer casual outfit with her shoulders bare. She also had an accessory on her right ear, which was also a horse's ear.
Her entire aura almost feels like she is the type of person who would run into the face of death and laugh without fear.
The free-spirited lady's eyes widened as if she had heard something before laughing with a smile.
"Hahahaha! You're quite right about that!" She lunged over the window and sat on the ledge with a wide grin, staring back at me.
"Eh? Did I say that out loud?" I said, not noticing that my voice no longer hurt or was hoarse.
The free-spirited lady's wide grin slowly transitioned into a gentle smile as she leaned against the window wall.
"But we aren't lying. Death is really gentle with you," she hummed as she pushed herself away from the window.
"What did you mean?" I asked in confusion, to which she replied.
"You're not suffering anymore."
"Not..?" I replied in even more confusion, until the free-spirited red-haired lady grabbed my hand, consequently pulling me out of my body effortlessly.
I yelped as I expected to fall from the collapse of my remaining legs, closing my eyes for the expected gravity.
And yet, I didn't.
I slowly opened my eyes downward, and there were my legs. My legs. They weren't petrified anymore.
My eyes widened as tears threatened to come out. All the years of pain and suffering I had to undergo just vanished like a dream.
My legs were back to normal.
"Wha... Is this a dream?" I muttered in shock and hope; it would be amazing if all of her suffering and pain were a dream.
Then, the last third lady stepped forward, hopping over the window with ease and staring at me with those diligent, stern amethyst eyes.
Her style is significantly different from the other two; her two-toned brown and black hair was extremely short in the way you typically see in the military.
She wore a yellow military-style outfit and had a scar across her left eye. A crown accessory could also be seen on her right ear.
"Do you want to be free?" She said with her strict and gruff voice, her arms folded behind her back like a military sergeant.
Her presence was no joke; I could feel my heart skipping a beat, almost as if the answer I gave would affect my entire being.
'This isn't right. They're my schizophrenia... I must be going insane if I feel like this,' I thought, before gritting my teeth.
'So what if this may be my fantasy, only made up in my mind? It's way better than reality where I'm stuck in bed forever!'
I stared back into those stern purple eyes, peering into mine. 'I want to be free! I want to run! I want to feel the wind brushing my body as I move! I want to feel the solid ground as I kick the ground. I want to be free.'
The short-haired lady stared, unperturbed by my reaction, peering deep into my heart before huffing and smirking at me.
"Good, that's why I like to hear. Look behind you," she gestured to me to look behind me, and so I did.
What I found was a sickly body on the hospital bed. I could tell that she wasn't breathing anymore.
A constant beep was heard from the heart monitor as tears slowly left my eyes. I knew this sickly corpse.
It is me.
That is my corpse.
"I am... dead?" My voice was a mix of shock, sadness, and a hint of acceptance.
Then, I felt two arms from behind hugging me. I could feel tender warmth from the hug, sinking deep into my body.
I slowly turned my head toward the lady who had hugged me. It was the blue-haired lady who was smiling at me with a gentle and motherly smile.
"See? Death was gentle with you."
Tears continued to fall from my cheeks as laughter escaped my throat.
"Heh... Ha... Hahaha! You're right!" My voice sounded delighted and joyful because it meant I wouldn't have to suffer anymore.
I clumsily wiped my tears away; I almost forgot what it was like to use my limbs once again.
The red-haired lady then pulled me away from the blue-haired lady with a massive grin.
"Of course, and now you are free!" She laughed with a toothy grin while pulling me out of that monotone room and stepping onto the vibrant, beautiful grass field.
I didn't even register when the windowed wall had somehow disappeared.
I can feel the sunlight hitting me, the gentle breeze brushing my ankles, and the scent of grass.
"It's warm..." I could only laugh in happiness and sadness; only in death could I experience such freedom. After experiencing such happiness, I wonder.
I wonder why they were going this far for a corpse?
The red-haired lady responded to my thought, "Isn't it obvious, filly? We're here to give you a second chance at life!"
She spread her arms outward, as if to hug the world and me.
"Eh?" I spoke, surprised. I had heard of reincarnation or rebirth before, but weren't they exclusive to Buddhism or something?
This time, the blue-haired giggled at my thought process, making me even more confused. The red-haired lady only scratched her head while shaking her head.
"Well, not really. There are many goddesses and gods, and they have their own domains and worlds." She tried to explain to me, but in the end, "Argh, it's too complicated, okay? Let's not delve into the nitty-gritty of divinity and divine territories, okay?"
I could only nod; from the gist of it, they are goddesses, and they can reincarnate a soul of their choosing, although rarely.
She stepped forward while pointing at me, humming, "Don't be afraid! We're giving you a second chance at life!"
'But why me?' I thought in reply, which she said.
"Because your very spirit craved to run, craved to be free. That same spirit had managed to call us three." She then turned around, apparently acting like the strict-looking goddess.
"But do not be afraid to reincarnate, do not be afraid of failure, do not be afraid of sadness. Be brave; that is my greatest advice to you, filly."
After that, the imposing, strict goddesses walked up beside me, glaring at the red-haired goddess who was acting like her moment prior, before sighing.
"Do you see the horizon?" She pointed at the horizon of the endless grassland.
I nodded, wondering if there was an end or anything.
She huffed and pushed me forward. "My only advice for you is to keep running. No matter how bleak the future seems, no matter how much you are disappointed by others. Just keep on running. "
From her push, my legs softly kicked off the ground. Feeling the fresh ground beneath my feet. The very ability to move made me very giddy and happy as I ran toward the horizon.
"I'll keep running, no matter what! I promise!" I laughed as the strict goddess nodded in satisfaction.
Then, the blue-haired goddess ran beside me with a motherly expression.
"I hope you won't have to hate; I hope you can love others; I hope you can share your love with others; be kind, be happy, and be thankful. That is my wish for you," she smiled at me.
Then, like a blur, red and brownish black streaks ran by me and ran ahead. I could hear the red-haired goddess laughing while running against the strict goddess, who was grunting in annoyance at the red-haired goddess' antics.
'How beautiful...' I thought, I want to be able to run like that. I want to be able to have fun with others while running.
At some point, the red-haired goddess stopped running and faced toward me. She waved at me with an open-mouthed grin.
"Come on! Run!"
And just like that, I began running without realising. The blue-haired goddess was running beside me and spoke with her melodious voice.
"Do not hold yourself back. Be free. We three will be your very blessers. I hope you can have a joyous time running in your next life."
I can feel the blood rushing throughout my body; I can feel each pump of my legs pushing away from the ground; I can feel the wind caressing my skin with each sway of my arms.
I took in the fresh air before laughing sincerely from my heart; I had never smiled this much before.
"Hahahahaha!" At some point, the three goddesses ran beside me, clearly holding back their speed as I ran toward the horizon, feeling the freedom.
The blue-haired goddess was the first to speak; her voice echoed in my mind. "Filly. Go and run to your fullest desire."
After speaking, she ran at her fullest speed, going ahead of me.
Then, the red-haired goddess clapped the back of my body while running; her voice echoed through my mind while carrying the same wide grin.
"No matter how disastrous life can end up, no matter how lonely life can be, be brave and keep running forward!"
She then sprinted ahead, letting out a roar to catch up to the blue streak on the grassland.
Then, only one goddess was running beside me.
"Filly. Keep on running. I can promise you one thing: effort will never betray you." She then sprinted ahead while speaking.
"So run, filly. For you have been blessed by your feet and us. So run, filly. Run!" she shouted resolutely before catching up to the red streak.
And so, I ran. Chasing after them, I didn't care if I would not catch up to them; I didn't care if I would lose. I just wanted to run.
"How beautiful... How glorious..." Without realising, my body began to fade away like the wind. I could feel my body becoming like a cloud, flowing and bouncing on the ground.
I laughed and twirled in happiness, feeling the freedom that my feet carried me.
And when I was almost faded away, the three goddesses spoke at the same time in my head.
"Be free, filly. Run to your fullest."
I laughed while waving my arms as I ran, "Of course I will! Watch me keep on running!"
And in that moment, my soul had faded away to my next life, and my voice echoed through the grassland before fading away.
Until there is no part of me remaining.
The goddesses stopped running and glanced at the area where I had disappeared in silence.
.
.
.
After some time, one of them spoke.
"I hope she will love her new life." The blue-haired goddess smiled with relief.
This led to the rest of the goddesses responding.
"Gaah~ I just hope she can experience life to the fullest, you know! It was such a shame that a pure spirit like hers got held down by her crumbling human body." The red-haired goddess exhaled before stretching.
"Let's visit her from time to time. I hope she can enjoy running through all the obstacles she will encounter." The strict goddess smiled in satisfaction.
The three goddesses glanced at each other before running against each other toward the horizon.
"I'm gonna win!" the red-haired goddess shouted with a grin.
"Sorry, but I will win." The blue-haired goddess replied.
"No, I will win." The strict goddess rebutted before all three of them laughed together while running.