Six
“Snowflakes dance in the winter air, A magical sight, beyond compare. Christmas lights, a twinkling gleam, Filling hearts with a festive dream.”
In the distance, the sound of a choir singing hymns from the nearby church wafted in an echoing manner through the air. The choir's voices blended together into a soft, otherworldly hum that seemed to float through the air. The music was like a gentle breeze carrying the voices of angels, a comforting and uplifting sound.
"Jolly old Santa, with a sleigh so bright, Delivers gifts with all his might. Children gather, eyes aglow, As presents under the Christmas tree grow."
As Florence's gaze adjusted to the darkness, she could see nothing but the inky blackness that enveloped her surroundings. Suddenly, the world seemed to freeze around her while there was this strong and painful ringing in her ears and a bit of confusion in her head. Snowflakes danced in the air, swirling and twirling above Florence’s head. Her breath was visible in the frigid air, a stark contrast to the warmth she craved.
"Carols fill the air with cheer, As families gather, year after year. The spirit of Christmas, warm and bright, Fills our hearts with joy and light."
Ahead, blinking lights seemed to dance and flicker while people were pulling one person out of the cars which were hit by the truck as their glow distorted through the haze of her vision. The screeching sound that had jolted her awake once again as she was slipping into unconsciousness and then waking up.
The painful screeching sound lingered in her ears, a haunting echo of the terror she had experienced. Her vision was strongly blurred, and her head throbbed with pain. It was as if her senses had been overwhelmed, but her heart was beating the heaviest and the loudest, which was leaving her completely disoriented and confused.
Her ears hurt. They hurt a lot. Florence's ears were throbbing with pain. The discomfort was intense, causing her significant distress.
“My dad… my mom…” Florence muffled in confusion as she held onto the arm of the emergency personnel for support while she was on the stretcher. “Where… Where are they?” She breathed heavily, almost heaving, as if she had no voice. The nurse was now putting on the oxygen mask on her face. “My brother… Where is he?” She asked them weakly and worriedly as the nurse was inspecting her and her blood pressure.
As she continued to struggle with the aftermath of what happened, the sound of sirens pierced the frigid air while there was absolute panic and chaos on a beautiful silent night. Emergency vehicles, their lights flashing brightly, raced towards the scene. The piercing wail of sirens filled Florence’s ears as it was becoming more and more muffled, adding to the chaos, the confusion and the pain. Ambulances and police cars arrived, their crews rushing to assess the situation and provide assistance with the victims of the scene. As the emergency personnel worked to stabilize me being injured and at the same time tried to gather information, Florence was overcome by a sense of relief and gratitude, but still she was so confused about what just happened and how she got out of the car.
In the midst of the chaos, it was comforting to know that help was on the way.
From a distance, the faint strains of a Christmas carol drifted through the air, a melody that seemed to echo the peace and quiet of the winter landscape. Florence could imagine a young girl, from afar, standing at her window, her gaze drawn to the distant church. The carol grew louder, filling the air with a sense of joy and anticipation. The young girl could possibly imagine the warm glow of the church’s stained glass windows, the smell of pine needles, and the cheerful faces of the congregation.
A smile crept across the young girl’s face as she listened to the familiar tune. The words of the carol seemed to resonate with her in a special way, bringing a sense of comfort and hope. While Florence was struggling to process the whole thing that was happening while at the same time experiencing pain in her ears, head, and almost all over her body. The soft strains of the Christmas carol slowly drifted away, carrying her back in time. Florence pictured myself standing between her parents, a small child at a festive gathering. Her older brother Frederick stood beside their father, and together, their small family of four sang the familiar tune of Christmas Carols, their voices blending with the cheerful chorus. The scene was a snapshot of childhood joy, filled with the warmth and magic of Christmas.
The distant singing of the Christmas carol was a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there was always going to be a glimmer of hope. Always. It was a testament to the enduring power of music to bring people together and fill their hearts with joy.
But was there really hope now?
The last sounds that Florence heard were the familiar strains of Christmas carols, their melodies filling the air with a sense of peace and joy but it was getting more muffled. As the music faded into the background, with the people who were frantic, her consciousness began to slip away, and she was enveloped by a comforting darkness.
How could such a season, once a time of joy and wonder, be so cruel and unforgiving?
The world was a blur of colors and shapes by the time the sixteen year old Florence had woken up from being unconscious. She had no idea how long she was asleep, but she felt tired and felt this dull ache throbbing in her head, a constant reminder of the pain that had brought her here in this place right at the moment.
Slowly, her vision cleared, revealing the sterile white walls of a hospital room. Hospital. She knew that she was in the hospital due to the strong scent of medicine and that distinctive hospital scent that she always hated. A soft, rhythmic beeping filled the air, the only sound breaking the oppressive silence. She tried to move, but her body felt heavy and unresponsive. A wave of panic washed over her as she realized that there was nothing but silence.
Weird. Florence thought to herself.
Seven The world was silent in the year 2019 for Florence Emry.Florence paused, her breath catching in her throat. A wave of panic threatened to engulf her, but she fought against it, forcing herself to remain calm even if there was a voice in the back of her head that kept asking her how she was going to remain calm? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, as deep as she could, while she was trying to steady her nerves and her fast heart beating that was pounding inside her chest. With renewed focus, she listened intently, straining to hear any sound. The silence was deafening. No matter how hard she tried, she could not detect a single noise. The world around her seemed to have been muted. And a silent world was… terrifying. Her gaze shifted to the beeping machine, its rhythmic pulses a stark contrast to the eerie quietness that she was hearing. It was functioning normally, she thought, its electronic voice a constant presence in the room where she was in. Yet, even its fam
Eight Florence’s face was a mask of confusion and bewilderment, whatever the nurse was telling her, she heard completely nothing. Not a single whisper, word, squeak, breath or gasp. Her eyes, filled with more tears streaming down her cheeks, darted back and forth, searching for a familiar sound that never came. Her lips parted slightly, as if she were trying to form a question, but no words escaped from her lips because she had a lot of things in her mind that her mouth could not keep up. Her brows furrowed, and her expression grew increasingly distressed. It was as if she were trapped in a silent world, unable to comprehend the information being conveyed to her through the nurse’s moving lips.A wave of panic, so similar to an overwhelming strong earthquake, began to engulf Florence. The realization that she might be trapped in a silent world sent a chill down her spine. A glimmer of hope flickered in the back of her mind, a desperate wish that this deafness was merely a temporary
NineThe doctor continued to write, his notes a lifeline in the silent world they shared in Florence’s hospital room. “You were in a coma for five days,” He informed her with the written words in the note while her heart was still thumping inside her chest, waiting to know about what happened to her. “We initially thought you might not wake up soon since your heart rate was low. We are very thankful that you survived and you fought.”Florence’s heart swelled with a mix of relief and gratitude as she read the words on the page. The revelation that she had been unconscious for five days after the accident sent a wave of astonishment and bewilderment through her body. Five days? It seemed impossible, a stretch of time that defied her perception of reality. Her mind raced faster now, trying to process the implications of this unexpected discovery. What had happened during those five days? Who had been by her side? The questions piled up, each one more pressing than the last. She longed to
Ten The revelation of her deafness was a devastating blow, a wound that refused to heal. Florence could not accept it, could not reconcile herself to the thought of living in a world of silence. Her heart ached with the pain of loss, the realization that a vital part of her had been taken away. But the pain was amplified a thousandfold by the news of her family’s tragic demise, especially finding out about it on Christmas Day was more heart wrenching.The loss of her mother, father, and brother was a crushing blow, a weight that threatened to overwhelm her. The realization that she was alone in the world along with her grandmother who was also terminally ill, bereft of her loved ones, was a source of immense sorrow. The pain of their loss, coupled with the devastating news of her deafness, created a perfect storm of grief and despair.Florence felt as if her world had been shattered, a fragile vessel that had been shattered into a million pieces. The loss of her family, combined with
ElevenIn 2023, the morning sun painted the sky in hues of gold and pink as Florence approached the small, modest chapel. The air was heavy with a palpable sense of grief, the quiet murmur of mourners a stark contrast to the usual bustling energy of the place. Florence took a deep breath, steeling herself for what lay ahead. As she pushed open the heavy wooden door, the sight that greeted her was a gut-wrenching blow. Three coffins where her mother, father and older brother laid, draped in somber black cloth, lay side by side, a stark reminder of the tragic loss she had suffered. Tears welled up in her eyes, a silent waterfall cascading down her cheeks. The sight of her family, cold and lifeless in their own coffins, was more than she could bear. Her heart ached with a pain so deep, it felt as if it were being torn apart.She approached the coffins, her steps hesitant and unsteady, so slowly as she was taking one step forward and two steps back. As she stood before them, she reached
TwelveThe trauma of losing her loved ones in a single day had irrevocably changed her perception of Christmas Day. The once joyful season had become a truly somber reminder of the tragedy that had befallen her. The sight of snow, a symbol of peace and tranquility, now filled Florence with nothing but absolute horrifying dread, a haunting reminder of the loss that she had endured.“Why had it been my family? Why had I been chosen to suffer such a devastating loss? Why was I the only one who survived? Why did I not die that night with them? Why did I have to live? Why did I have to keep living without them in it?” The questions echoed strongly in her mind, a constant source of torment. She would never wish such pain on anyone, yet she could not help but feel a sense of hopelessness and confusion. “Why had it been me? Why has my family been taken from me through such a cruel death?”The weight of grief was always heavy for her for years now, as if it was a burden that she will forever c
“For those who crave a scandalous love story set in a fictional world, this book is for you. Please note that all names and places mentioned in this story are entirely fictional. This allows for complete creative freedom and ensures that the story is not tied to real-world events or people.”OneOnce upon a time when we were children, our world was a playground of endless possibilities. We were young and naive. We were consumed by the joy of toys, the thrill of games, and the excitement of exploring our surroundings. The complexities of adulthood seemed so distant, so irrelevant to our carefree existence. We never gave a second thought to the responsibilities that lay ahead, the pressures of work, the pressures of status in life, the insane headaches of bills to pay, the debts, the stress of commuting, or the anxiety of running late for work and the in-betweens. Our days were filled with laughter, imagination, and a sense of wonder that seemed to permeate every aspect of our lives.Bu
TwoFlorence lowered her head, her shoulders trembling as silent tears streamed down her face. Desperate for a moment of respite, she reached up to remove her hearing aid from her right ear. The world immediately grew quieter, offering a brief reprieve from the cacophony of her thoughts and emotions.Every year, as the anniversary of her parents’ and older brother’s passing approached, Florence would find solace in the familiar embrace of alcohol. It had become a ritual, a bittersweet tradition that marked the occasion. Though she had begun drinking at a young age at sixteen, it was in these moments of grief that the habit truly took hold. The drink offered a temporary escape from the pain, a way to numb the ache in her heart. It was her attempt to cope, to reconcile herself with the harsh reality of their loss. In the intoxicating haze of alcohol, she could pretend that everything was normal, that her parents were still by her side, that her older brother Frederick would still find