I lay in the hospital bed, seething about the past week. Ghosts? Really? And all it turned out to be was a pint-sized prankster with a penchant for scaring the life out of patients. I couldn't believe I'd been duped so easily.
With a sigh, I grabbed my phone and started texting Miko and Lisa. They needed to hear about this ridiculous turn of events.
Group Chat: The 2 Scholars and the Dropout~ ✨
Y/N: You guys aren't gonna believe this. Remember that creepy little ghost girl?
M: yeah wuts the deal with her
L: Yeah, what's up?
Y/N: She's not a ghost. Just some patient named Sarah with dwarfism who likes to prank people.
M: ur joking
L: Wait, seriously?
Y/N: Yeah, no kidding. She got a kick out of scaring patients. The nurse acted like it was no big deal.
M: thats nuts lol!
L: Wow, that's insane. Are you okay?
Y/N: Yeah, just annoyed I fell for it. And you guys bought it too, don't deny it.
M: hey she sounded super creepy
L: Yeah, we were all worried about you.
Y/N: And here I thought I was losing my mind. What kind of hospital lets patients scare each other like that?
M: apparently this one hahaha
L: Clearly they have an interesting sense of humor. Did you talk to anyone about it?
Y/N: Yeah, the nurse was like "Sarah, stop scaring the patients." Like this happens all the time!
M: lol thats messed up
L: They should really take that more seriously. You don't scare people who are already in the hospital.
Y/N: No kidding. Anyway, I'm out of here today. Can't wait to leave this place.
M: we're picking u up right?
Y/N: Yep. I'll be ready. This place is driving me nuts.
M: cool see u soon
L: We'll be there. Anything you need us to bring?
Y/N: Just your wonderful faces and maybe some real food. This hospital stuff is awful.
M: lol u got it
L: Real food and our wonderful faces. Check. Seriously though, you doing okay?
Y/N: Yeah, just tired of this place. I need to get out of here and back to some kind of normal.
M: i hear ya, hang in there
L: Almost out. Just a few more hours.
Y/N: Thanks, guys. For everything. It's been a weird week.
M: anytime. we got ur back
L: Yeah, you can always count on us.
Y/N: Alright, I'm gonna try to get some rest before you get here. See you soon.
M: rest up!
L: See you soon.
I put my phone down, feeling a bit lighter. Despite the craziness, it was comforting to know I had two bozos who had my back. I closed my eyes, trying to relax and get some rest before they arrived to bust me out of this stupid hospital.
I lay in bed, counting down the minutes until freedom. Finally, a nurse walked in with a clipboard and a smile.
"Good news, Y/N. You're cleared to leave," she said, checking my vitals one last time.
I practically leapt out of bed. "Best news I've heard all week!"
She handed me a stack of discharge papers. "Just sign these and you're all set."
I scribbled my name on the forms and handed them back, not wanting to waste a second. The nurse gave me a once-over to make sure I was okay to leave.
"Take it easy for a while," she advised. "No strenuous activity, and keep those stitches clean."
"Got it," I said, grabbing my things. I changed out of the hospital gown and into my own clothes, feeling more like myself with every passing second. I pulled on my jacket, grabbed my bag, and took one last look around the room. Good riddance.
As I walked out of my room, I kept an eye out for Miko and Lisa, eager to see their familiar faces. I was almost at the elevator when I turned a corner—AHHH!
I screamed. Loud enough to wake the dead. I came face-to-face with Sarah. She wasn't doing anything spooky—just strolling down the hall with a juice box in hand.
Sarah jumped, nearly dropping her juice. "Whoa, calm down, Y/N! I'm just walking here."
My heart pounded as I tried to calm down. "Sorry, Sarah. Your... pocket-sized presence startled me."
She raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Sure, sure. Maybe I should walk around with a bell or something."
I grumbled, "Yeah, you do that."
As I hurried past her, I spotted Miko and Lisa waiting near the exit. Relief washed over me as I made a beeline for them, eager to leave the hospital and Sarah's surprises behind.
"Ready to go?" Miko asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"More than ready," I said, shaking my head. "Let's get out of here before I have another heart attack."
Lisa laughed, opening the door for me. "Let's go to the car."
We walked out into the fresh air, and I took a deep breath, feeling a sense of freedom I hadn't felt in days. Miko and Lisa led me to their car, and I climbed into the back seat.
As we drove away from the hospital, I glanced back one last time, hoping to leave all the weirdness behind.
Settled in the back seat of the car, I unwrapped the sandwich Miko and Lisa had brought for me. The aroma alone was enough to make me realize just how starved I was for real food. "Bless you two for bringing real food," I mumbled between bites. Hospital food was basically torture at this point.
"Thought you'd like that," Miko said, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. "So, what's the first thing you're gonna do when you get back to the mansion?"
"Take a long, hot shower," I said, savoring another bite. "And maybe sew my shirt."
Lisa chuckled, turning in her seat to face me. "Anything else on the agenda? You mentioned the security being terrible. Planning to fix that?"
"Yeah, that might be a good idea," I admitted. "Last thing I need is another break-in and get stabby-stabbed."
Miko's eyes flickered with a hint of concern. "Weird how that happened, huh? Almost like someone knew how to get in."
I paused, swallowing hard. "Yeah, it was way too easy. I've been thinking about setting up some cameras or something."
"Good call," Lisa said, nodding. "And maybe... I don't know, getting a dog?"
"A dog?" I laughed. "You know I'm more of a cat person."
"Well, cats can't exactly scare off intruders," Lisa pointed out. "But it's your call. Just... be careful, okay?"
"Always am," I said, though I wasn't entirely convinced. "I'll figure something out. Maybe a security system AND a big, scary dog."
"Or," Miko said with a mischievous grin, "you could be the dog. Just bark at anyone who tries to break in."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure that'll work. Nothing says 'scary guard dog' like a half-asleep, snack-obsessed girl barking at intruders."
Lisa laughed. "I'd pay to see that."
"You two are hilarious," I muttered, but I couldn't help smiling. "Seriously, though. I'll handle it. And thanks for having my back."
"We always do," Lisa said, her tone serious but warm. "Y/N, maybe take it easy for a while. You've been through a lot."
I nodded, appreciating their concern. "I will. Hopefully."
Miko glanced back at me again, her expression more thoughtful. "You think your bosses will even let you do all this? Set up security cameras, get a dog, and whatever else?"
I shrugged. "I don't see why not. I mean, I technically do everything in the house, and I'm the one dealing with the break-ins. Plus, I can set up the cameras myself. I already have a pretty good idea where to put them."
"True," Lisa said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But your bosses can be... difficult. They might see it as you overstepping."
"I can handle them," I said confidently. "And besides, I'm pretty handy with tech stuff."
"Yeah," Miko said with a grin. "We've always wondered how you know so much about everything. Still confused why you dropped out of college."
I sighed, looking out the window. "It's complicated. I had my reasons."
Lisa turned fully to face me, her expression softening. "We just want to make sure you're okay, Y/N. You've got so much potential, and it sucks seeing you go through all this."
"Thanks," I said quietly. "I appreciate it. Really. But I'll be fine. Just need to get back to normal, or whatever passes for normal in my life."
"We believe in you," Miko said, her tone firm. "Just don't push yourself too hard. And maybe take a break from all the crazy for a bit."
I chuckled. "Easier said than done. But I'll try."
We fell into a comfortable silence, the road stretching out ahead of us. As the mansion came into view, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. The break-in, the weird happenings at the hospital—it all felt connected somehow. And I had a nagging suspicion that there was more to come.