I’m Not Mexican nor a Catholic…So Why? by Fatima Chaudhry
The students were tasked to consider HALLWAYS. Fatima takes us through some that might even give the horror/fantasy writer Stephen King the chills.
My head hurts. I wake up confused. I don’t know what happened to me. My vision is blurry, and I’m blinded by these strong white lights.
I sit up and notice I’m in a hospital bed. There are so many machines connected to me. I’m confused. I can’t remember anything. I sit alone for a few minutes to see if anyone notices I’m up. But no one comes to check on me. It’s lonely in here. I try to speak but the words won’t come out. I get scared thinking I lost my voice. I try again and this time I am able to speak. I said, “Hello, is anyone here to help me?” I noticed I could see my breath. I was confused because I’m not cold, so how could I see my breath if it isn’t cold in here? There is a mirror placed right in front of me. I look at myself. I’m pale and I look like I just came from the dead. I get up and open my room door. The hallway is pitch black. I was scared to go out; it looked like the bottom of a long well. I just stuck out my head to see if I could see something. When I stick out my head, a light turns on. I realize the hallways have motion-censored lights. Every time I move under a new light it turns on and the other turns off.
I walk out of my room looking for someone to help me. I walk for a few minutes and realize this hallway never ends. In the middle of darkness, I can’t see what is in front of me nor behind me. I start running forward to see if I reach an end. I run for a while and get overwhelmed. I don’t know where I am nor who I am and why is this happening to me. I curl up on the floor and start rocking myself. One of the lights turned on. I’m confused. The lights only turn on by movement but there is no one else there. I ask if anyone is there and no response. I see a door and go inside. It’s a stairway.
I’m relieved to go upstairs to the second floor; the stairs would only take me up. Once I’m in the second-floor hallway, I start looking around for people. There’s no one. I start looking for an exit but these hallways all look the same. I turn to the right, it’s the same thing. I turn to the left, it’s the same thing. It’s an infinite hallway maze. I try opening the doors, but they’re locked. I start desperately trying to find an exit but can’t find one. I again get overwhelmed and lay on the floor with no hope.
Then I heard something. At first, I thought someone was here to help me. Once the figure started getting closer to me, I noticed it was her…La Santa Muerte. She has come for me.
I was so confused because I’m not Mexican nor a Catholic. Why would she be here for me? I tried to run away from her. I wasn’t ready to die. I wanted to keep living. I don’t know why, but I just ran the hallways…but she was just peacefully walking behind me until she spoke. “Stop running,” she said. “I’m here to help you. It’s time for you to let go and find your happiness.”
I was so tired from running, I gave up and dropped to the floor. She came over to me and hugged me. I asked her why she was here and where are we. She said, “I’m here because your father sent me to help you and we’re in your head right now.” I asked “My father? I’ve never met him.” She tells me since I’ve been in the hospital, he’s come to visit me and pray for me from time to time. I asked her, “What do you mean hospital? What happened to me?” She tells me I got into a bad accident and almost died, but the doctors had hoped that I could recover. But I’ve been in a coma for 6 months now and it’s time for me to let go. I ask her how. She tells me I have to forgive and let go. She grabs my hand and picks me up from the floor, taking me to the doors that wouldn’t open. She tells me to try to open it.
I open the door and it takes me back to when I was little and the last time my father was in my life. I tell her I don’t remember this, and she says it’s because you were too little, but you have to forgive him and everyone who’s ever hurt you to find your peace. I do what she says.
She tells me, “The last thing you’ll do is say your goodbyes.” I asked her how. She said, “I’ll take you to the living world; you get to see them but they won’t see you. You’ll basically be a sprite roaming around.” I do as she says and I tell her I’m ready.
We’re back on the first floor. All the lights turn on and I see infinite hallways. She holds my hand. As we walk towards the light together, a white door appears in front of us. She opens it and tells me to go in. As soon as I walked in, someone hugged me tight and fast. I couldn’t see who it was at first. It was Geovanny. I was finally reunited with him after so many years. I see everyone I have lost over the years and finally find happiness, while others remain suffering in the living world.
Fatima Chaudhry
11/10/2023