The Next Day
The clinic lights were too bright. The clinic lights hummed softly, a constant buzz that Elisa couldn't entirely tune out. She blinked up at the ceiling, her body aching. The sheets were too white, the room too quiet. Her last memory was of the woods and then flashes of an unknown woman's face before she found herself in the spirit realm with her parents.
Elisa blinked slowly, her lashes fluttering against the blinding whiteness overhead. A dull ache pulsed behind her eyes.
The sterile smell of antiseptic clung to the air. Her limbs felt heavy, like they weren't hers. Slowly, she turned her head, noting the faint hum of machines, the muted whisper of footsteps outside the door. Her throat was dry and raw, like she'd swallowed sand.
"She's awake," someone whispered urgently. Footsteps scrambled, and the door swung open.
Mira was the first to rush in, her wide brown eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Eli!"
