25 The Bruises

Lil

I sprang from my bed and donned my blue slippers. I could feel the warm sunlight entering the small holes in the ceiling. It was the first time I woke up late in the morning. I knew that I would be late to my class that day. I was so exhausted that I slept for more than ten hours, and I could still feel the pain in my abdomen.

I grabbed my towel from the line. The door cried out when I opened it. I entered and shut the door, hung my towel on the holder and got naked.

I noticed the fist-sized, red bruises on my abdomen and was perplexed as to why they hadn't healed, despite the fact that even a large cut on my hand would normally heal on its own, but why not? Perhaps it wasn't part of my body or anything else about the power that was given to me by the old man. I didn't care about that anymore. What was more important, I was breathing.

My awareness became active when the cold water poured down on me. I wasn't sure how I should feel, whether I should be happy or sad because of what