I walked into the hospital and headed to the front desk to check-in. “Please take a seat right there ma’am and fill out your information”, the receptionist said as she handed me a clipboard. “Do you need a pen?” “No thanks”, I smiled. I spotted a comfy-looking spot and went to sit down. Any prescription medications? I checked yes. If yes, write down the name. Albuterol Sulfate, I wrote. I sat there checking off boxes and writing things out and soon I finished. I looked up and around. Thud the door opened to reveal a mom and her young child walking out. He had dropped his bottle. She kneeled down to pick it up for him. “See you next time”, said the doctor who was letting them out. “Have a good day”, the child laughed. “Carry Brant” the doctor called, glancing around the room. “Right here” the woman next to me stood up and made her way over. 

I was so tired, I’d been up since 6 a.m. I  guess I nodded off because the next thing I knew I woke up in a completely different place. Well, it was the same place. It just looked...changed. The ceiling was damaged and the seat cushions were torn. The walls had long claw marks and the floor tiles were cracked and dirty. The bright white lights had been replaced with fluorescent yellow ones. There was no one in sight. Was this a dream? “Hello!” I called loudly and listened for a response but there wasn’t one. I looked around for any sign of sunlight. Not one window was in sight. I pinched myself in an attempt in an attempt to wake up. “Hello!” I called more desperately than the last time “Anyone here!?” I waited a few seconds, no reply. I began the way I came in. The door I had entered in was no longer there. It was just a wall like the rest I’d seen. There was a substance on the floor here though. I knelt down to figure out what it was. Just as I did a rat scampered by, I leaped back. It ran straight into the liquid and I witnessed a horror that I cannot describe. To think that could’ve been me. 

I strode into a room almost identical to the room I’d just been in. “Is this a joke?” I yelled, now getting frustrated. This was a messed-up joke. Suddenly remembering I had a phone, I took it out. It blinked on. No service, ugh. I lifted my arm holding my phone as high as I could. I did this for some time to no avail. In this case, prevailing would’ve been wifi maybe. I didn’t even know what I planned to do. There was nothing here. I walked and walked into room after room. They all looked the same though some were completely dark. When I walked into the dark ones, the lights would start blinking and I’d take out my phone flashlight. Now my phone was about to die and so I put it away. I didn't want to be fully disconnected. I kept walking. I no longer thought this was a dream. I was really here, in this place. Was this a new world? 

I was walking continuously looking for a way out. I turned left this time instead of going right. I stepped into the room, it was a dark one. The lights began to blink. I saw something in the corner. Or was it someone? I began to walk toward it. They were not clothed and their hair was shriveled and thin. I exhaled deeply, finally someone. “Hey, hello are you okay?” I asked. The person ignored me. They were probably sleeping, I didn’t want to be rude. They were just kind of caved into the wall so I sat beside them and waited for them to awake. Gmm the person grunted from deep within their throat. “Hey” I repeated myself. They slowly began to face me. As they turned they revealed parts of their face. It was… bloody? I scooted away a tad bit. There was a gash on their shoulder. “What happened to you?” I exclaimed. They kept turning slowly not trying to speed up. Whatsoever. As they turned I saw a tear in their cheek. I’d never seen something like this. They were so hurt. And finally, they turned all the way around, it seemed to take all their energy. Their mouth was ripped from ear to ear. One eye was swollen. I don’t think this was even human. I stood up and backed away. The creature looked up “Where are you going?” they asked in a scraggly voice. My ears started pouring out blood. “AH” I screamed, it stood on three thin legs and as I tried to run, it pounced on me, sinking its teeth into my arm. “AHHHHhhhhh…”. “Hey, are you Fa-ma-fati- fatoumatiyou?” I heard my name being pronounced wrong. “Yes” I looked up, the doctor had shaken me awake. “It’s your turn” I stood up and followed him into a hallway where we walked to my hospital room. “You were in a pretty deep sleep”, he laughed. “Yeah long night”, I said with a wince feeling a sharp pain in my arm. “So it was real”, I said aloud. “What” the doctor frowned. “Oh sorry, nothing” he looked away confused “Ok we’ll be in room #10”, he opened the door and we walked in.