You’d Wish You Were Dead

‘Amiyah?’ The man’s voice sounded again. Before that day, I had no idea that the simple act of opening my eyes could be so strenuous. It required the use of something called the orbicularis oculi muscles in my eyelids. At the moment, none of the muscles in my body worked. I tried three times before my eyes opened a slit. Kieran’s face was so close, I could see the tiny hairs on his face. But it felt as if I was looking at him through a funhouse mirror, which distorted his face. It was gaunt, almost skeletal. His cheekbones protruded so much, I was afraid they were going to poke through his skin. He had more than a five o’clock shadow on his chin. ‘I…’ I tried to speak. ‘What do you need?’ He held my hand. I licked my chapped lips. They felt like sandpaper. ‘Water?’ I nodded weakly. His face disappeared from view. But he didn’t leave the room. I heard the sound of sloshing liquid. I stared up at a white ceiling. The only part of my body that could move was my eyes. His face came back in