Another short one. Been hard at work on something else, so this concept popped into my head, I got it out ASAP so I can keep chugging right along.
I dreamt that I was running through the Savannah, keeping pace with the Cheetahs and Gazelles. I knew they were mortal enemies, but around me, they knew their place and kept stride with my every step. The sun was warm and welcoming, filling me with an elation I had only felt once in my life. I was the undisputed master of all that lay around me as I ran up a great hill. And as I crested it, I saw what I was looking for: Yazoru Falls, a great smooth stone waterfall that was easily a 50 foot drop into the clearest, most delicious tasting water you could ever find. I sprinted as fast as I could towards it, watching my companions fall away as they collapsed in exhaustion.
As I reached the mouth of the falls, I paid no heed to the danger. These were my falls. This was my land. And as I leapt over the edge, I freefell through the misty air, readying myself to swim into that beautiful lake below that I named after my wife, the love of my life and my soul.
My angel.
Lake Angela.
I plummeted towards the waters, ready to swim in my love's namesake.
I was free.
Then I felt the impact and screamed to wakefulness. Once more, I had the running dream and had fallen to the floor, hard. My body screamed as my voice broke. The tears immediately came as I laid there paralyzed, both literally and figuratively. I did the only thing I could.
I screamed out for my wife.
I heard her feet stomping as she came, as quick as she could, soon bursting through the door. I felt her arms around me, and soon felt myself flying as if I was being assisted by a member of the Heavenly Host. And as I placed on the cloud that was my bed, I reached and grabbed her hand as I opened my eyes.
And there I saw her. My angel, still in her workout clothes. Her golden hair framing her face and draped across her massive shoulders, her monstrously muscular body still feeling the pump. Her right hand holding a glass of water resting by our bed as her left held my hand. I could feel the pill she held, and the calluses from her years of hard work since the procedure ended. My little angel having gone from a frail woman of 4'11 and 87 lbs. to a supreme Seraphim of 8'2 and well over 1000 lbs.
"Shhhhh," Angela hushed at me. "It's okay. I'm here."
She stroked my hair as I took my pill, gently holding the water to my lips to wash it down.
"Was it the running dream?"
I looked up at her, sorrow etched on my face as I nodded.
"I'm sorry," I said, my voice cracking. "I'm supposed to be taking care of you, and here I am, needing you to help me. I feel so helpless."
A year ago, I would still have believed I was. Before the building I was working on collapsed on top of me, I had it all. 6'5, I worked out 6 days a week, my construction company earned me far more than enough to live comfortably. I took care of all my workers, my wife wanted for nothing. I always tried to live a good and honest life. Then while doing a final inspection on a building set for demolition, one of my guys had a seizure, and the rig he was controlling knocked an important support to the structure. And before I knew it, I pushed the men I was with and Angela who chose that day to visit me at work out of the way of the debris as it fell. And when I came to, I was in the hospital. Most of my body was crushed, rebar puncturing several vital spots. I had been in a coma for 3 months, but woke up in a Hell I never thought I'd experience.
They told me I'd never be the man I was again. To put it bluntly, I was a mangled mess. Permanent nerve damage, severely weakened body, most of my bones were crushed. I'd probably need to use a walker or a cane for the rest of my life if I ever got my mobility back. I fought for every inch of ground I could, regaining the ability to walk. But it was like they said, I could never be the man I was. That was when Angela was approached by some suits about joining a program. Volunteer for The Titan Experiment, and they'd make sure she'd never have to worry about my care for as long as we lived.
Naturally, she agreed. And a week later, I was left in the care of professional caregivers, as my Angel vanished into the night.
The entire time she was gone, I was inconsolable. I barely ate, I barely slept. I just lay there, wasting away as I wallowed in misery and pain induced depression. I had evaluations, more therapy. But I didn't know where my wife had gone. I was filthy, unkempt and an absolute wreck. Looking back, I'm surprised I didn't get any bedsores. A year later, I was truly beginning to believe that she had left me. Unable and unwilling to face the nightmare I was facing.
By the time I was escorted by the military to a secret location, I had withered away significantly. I was scarily thin, my face gaunt from lack of food and exercise. They dosed me on plenty of painkillers before I was taken into the facility. They didn't tell me anything, except that they "had a surprise for me". As I was wheeled into a hangar, I saw this gigantic... thing on the far side, dressed in a light blue outfit. Whatever it was, it was tall and impossibly built. Then I saw it grab this massive engine with one hand, like it was nothing. Then using both hands, it began to crush whatever that thing was. It wasn't until I heard the woman evaluating her progress say something that I realized what was a diesel engine. I immediately froze in place.
"W-why am I here?", I asked.
"For her," one of the men said. "Titan 24-B! It's time."
As the giant turned, my heart practically stopped.
"My angel," I said. "Is that you?"
I tried to run to her, but quickly fell. So I tried dragging myself, mumbling her name over and over as I crawled in agony. Soon, I felt these gigantic hands on my body as my wife picked me up off the floor. I look her in the eye to make sure it was really her. Tears ran down her face as we truly saw each other for the first time in a year.
"I missed you so much," she said, gently shifting her hold on me and hugging me. Naturally, I burst into tears myself, wrapping my arms around her neck as I sobbed "my angel's home" repeatedly. Within a few days, she was released from the experiment and sent home. For her part in the program, we were given a home fit to specs to house someone like my wife, as well as written into the military funding so that we wouldn't have to worry about anything again.
All we really want to do is get better. My goal is to eventually be able to walk without assistance. Angela, meanwhile, has become obsessed with working out. She loves the way lifting keeps her focused, and her current goal is to beat her personal best at squatting 2300 lbs. And with the military budget keeping us cozy, we're pretty sure we can overcome this hurdle. If I'm able to swing it, I'm thinking maybe a trip to Africa to celebrate our 6 year anniversary.
If it's not possible, at least I got my powerful angel to help me fly. In her arms, I can be free for at least a little while.
