All was dark when she opened her eyes. Not a star dotted the sky; not a voice interrupted the silence. She felt the ground, glass smooth beneath her feet; so black it blended into the horizon.
She had no idea where she was.
She stood up, walking; alone, unsure, her hands in front of her. Every so often she would yell a "Hello!" and listen for an echo; listen for an end, a change. She eventually started running; faster and faster until her heart beat in her chest and she was sweating and crying as she leaned on her own bent knees.
Then, a spot of light lit up on the horizon. She looked toward it, then began running.
Then another appeared. Another, and another; until the sky was filled with stars. She looked toward them, began walking towards one; as she drew closer, the star grew brighter and brighter, until it should have burnt her eyes but it didn't.
Instead, it left behind a sparkling length of dust, shimmering like the milky way. She took a step onto it; it seemed to have no more texture than the ground she was on, but it was change; and to her, that was all that mattered.
She felt the spark of hope, and allowed herself to be guided along the starlit path as around her the sky lit up with tiny dots.
---
"What happened?" asked the man, looking down at her.
"It was an accident." replied the doctor, still in surgical scrubs. "She's stable, but..."
The woman in question was nearly hidden by all the bandages swaddling her face. She was hidden under the covers of the hospital bed. From her arms and mouth protruded various tubes.
"But?" asked the man.
"Well... she's in a coma. There is no way to tell when she will come out."
Author's Note: I had a hard time with this picture. Oddly enough, my inspiration was not the woman herself, but the darkness surrounding her. Huh.
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