27. IZZY
Where am I?
It was dark, and I could hardly see anything. But I could make out the outline of the stage and the runway where just a few moments ago, my models were showing off my designs.
I’m still here, I realized. But I was feeling weird, as if something wasn’t right. Did I miss something? Where did everyone go? Is the party over now?
The whole place was empty. I tried to look for an exit, but there was none. It seemed to have disappeared for some reason.
“Hello?” I called out. My voice simply echoed against the walls.
Then suddenly, I found myself walking through a corridor that was filled with swirling smoke and a trail of mirrors on both sides. They were closing in on me fast. I began to panic.
Each step I took left behind a distorted reflection, a trail of uncertainty that shimmered in the hazy atmosphere. The air thickened, carrying echoes of distant whispers that teased the edges of my consciousness, their origin elusive among the fractured reflections in the mirrors of my surreal landscape.
“Izzy…” It was Nick’s voice, which echoed across the unending narrow hallway.
“Nick? Where are you?” I cried out.
Then he suddenly laughed. It sounded like an evil laughter, as if he was mocking me.
Pain and fear gripped my heart. But then I heard a giggle and a chuckle. It sounded like Tanya and Dan, but their voices were faint.
“Tanya! Dan! Help me!” I yelled. But only the echoes of my own voice came back to me. There was no response. I was all alone.
”Isabelle,” a haunting voice called out, resonating through the mist.
I stopped walking, straining to see and hear through the thick mist. “Who is it?” I asked.
“Isabelle…” It sounded like my mother, a whisper from the past intertwined with the enigma of the present.
The smoke in front of me curled and twisted, forming distorted shapes that seemed to dance in a mysterious ballet. Shadows whispered secrets, and I struggled to grasp their meaning.
In the midst of the surreal haze, I heard my mother’s voice again, clearer this time, layered with concern. “Isabelle, you must find your way back. It’s not your time.”
Confusion wrapped around me like a shroud. “But where am I? What”s happening?”
The voices multiplied, unfamiliar whispers joining the chorus. “You”re in the in-between,” a disembodied voice murmured. “Not quite here, not quite there.”
Suddenly, the world around me shifted, revealing fleeting glimpses of memories and fears. I saw my father dying. I saw Nick leaving. Every good and bad memory seemed to crush me.
Faces emerged and dissolved, leaving behind a sense of disquiet. Then, a sudden jolt, a disorienting sensation of falling, followed. I awoke with a gasp.
Reality flooded back, harsh and unyielding. I lay in a hospital bed, surrounded by the sterile scent of antiseptic. My mother stood nearby, engaged in conversation with two doctors, their words reaching me like distant echoes.
“Not responding well to treatment…we need to monitor her closely…” one of the doctors explained.
I heard another unfamiliar voice. “Developed a complication…toxic smoke that can lead to respiratory failure…”
My mother’s gaze met mine then, and a blend of relief and concern appeared in her eyes. “Isabelle, you”re awake,” she said, rushing to my side. “How do you feel?”
Questions billowed in my mind, the hallucinatory journey lingering like a phantom memory. Yet, the pressing reality of my situation demanded attention. I mustered a weak smile. “Confused, but alive.”
She embraced me tightly, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m so sorry you went through that, and I wasn’t there to protect you.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” I managed to squeak out, though my throat felt very dry and rough. “It’s not your fault.”
She gave me water to drink, and I gulped down a lot of it. I was still trying to make sense of everything as all the memories from the previous night came rushing back to me.
“You’ll be okay, honey,” she assured me. “You’ve always been stronger and braver than I ever was. So, I know you’re going to be alright.”
I nodded, agreeing. “Of course, Mom. You don’t have to worry.”
But the snippets of her conversation with the doctors worried me. The fact that she wasn’t discussing it with me, probably thinking that it would affect my recovery, also meant that it was something serious.
“Tanya was here a while ago,” Mom told me. “She’d want to see you now. Let me send her a message. She just stepped out for some coffee.”
I wondered if it was only Tanya who had visited me so far. But then, I suddenly noticed all the flowers and stuffed toys and baskets of fruits around the room. Mom also handed me several cards from concerned people—friends, staff, business associates, family members.
“You’re greatly loved, Isabelle. So many people wanted to visit you already, but it’s not allowed yet. We’re only letting in close family and friends for now.”
“I see…did Tanya ride with me in the ambulance coming here?” I suddenly noticed my rapid, raspy breathing. It was like I was trying to catch my breath every time I spoke.
Sweat broke out at the back of my neck and on my forehead. I began to feel hot and tired, so I closed my eyes for a while.
“I’m not sure, honey,” Mom answered gently. “But you can ask her later. She’ll be here in a minute but try not to talk too much. The doctors said you need plenty of rest.”
I fell asleep for a little bit. And when I opened my eyes again, Tanya was there by my bedside. For the first time in a long time, she looked like a mess. It was enough to make me grin.
“You look like hell,” I told her in a weak, croaky voice.
Tanya grinned back at me. “You, too. But I’m so glad to see that you’re awake and well.”
“Am I really?” I wondered aloud. “What happened, Tanya?”
Tanya took a deep breath, her eyes locking onto mine. “I heard that the fire started because of an electrical malfunction. There was almost a stampede, and some people got injured. But everyone’s fine now. The fire had spread quickly, and when I realized you were still inside, I was so terrified. I couldn’t reach your phone again. I tried to go to the backstage, but a firefighter dragged me out. I’m so sorry, Izzy…”
As she recounted the events, the memories rushed back like a relentless tide. The panic in the dressing room, the smoke seeping in, the desperate attempts to escape—it all replayed in my mind. I felt a lump forming in my throat, and tears welled up in my eyes.
“You did your best. Thank you for being there for me, Tanya. I’m just glad that no one got seriously hurt.” My voice choked with emotion.
Tanya reached for my hand, offering a comforting squeeze. “I wanted to ride with you in the ambulance when they finally carried you out of the building, but only one companion was allowed. Dan drove me here, though.”
Confusion flickered across my face. “Who rode with me then?”
Tanya”s eyes sparkled with some mischief and joy. “Nick.”
“What? He came back?”
She nodded meaningfully. “He rushed into the building despite the dangerous conditions. Then he went with you in the ambulance and stayed here the entire time.”
A myriad of emotions swept through me—surprise, gratitude, and a twinge of apprehension. Nick, after all that had happened, had chosen to be by my side during one of the most challenging moments. What does it mean?
I felt a sudden pain in my chest, perhaps brought about by the conflicting feelings in my heart combined with the complication in my lungs.
“But where is he now?” I managed to whisper.
“I…I’m not really sure, Izzy. But I saw him talking to someone on the phone a few minutes ago in the lobby. ”
A wave of sadness and fatigue enveloped me. Of course. Why would he stick around? He never does, anyway. He was just doing his job as my business partner. After all, I’m an asset in his portfolio now.