*This story is a continuation of “A never-ending 2020 (part 3)” so if you haven’t read the previous part click the link to catch up before going on!

I heard the word that the voice said ring in my ears over and over again…forever.

“How do I pass the test, I need to pass the test?!” I asked with tears falling down my face.

“The only thing I can tell you is that you need to forgive and forget by Easter morning, then you will be sent here, and we will send you home.”

“Easter?! That’s a week away and I don’t even know what I need to forgive and forget! That’s not fair!”

All of a sudden the ropes on my hands and feet were untied and I could finally stand up. As I paced around the dark room, I realized that the voice was gone and the screen shut off making the room pitch black. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and when I opened them I was back at my house in my living room as if nothing had happened…yet still alone. All I could think about was Charlie and how he was doing. I imagined him reuniting with his family, eating nice dinners, and probably smiling from ear to ear. I wish I was too.

A few days went by and I still couldn’t think of what I needed to forgive and forget from last year. The whole year in general was completely awful and there wasn’t a single thing that went right. I rarely went to school, I didn’t see my friends, and on New Year’s Eve I remember wanting to forget about everything that had happened. What could possibly be wrong with me hating the whole year-

“That’s it!” I said with excitement.

“I have to forgive the year by remembering all the good memories and forgetting the bad in order for me to not be angry and appreciate my friends and family so I can start again!”

Right after the thought came to my head I sprinted upstairs to my room to grab tons of pictures of all my favorite memories. I grabbed my keys and headed out the door to all of the places I wanted to go. I went to the amusement park, the movie theater, several restaurants, all my friends houses, school, work, the beach, and finally back to my house. At each stop I took a picture by myself in the exact same pose as the pictures I held in my hands with my friends in order to be completely happy. I took a deep breath, let everything bad from the year 2020 leave my mind, and finally I felt free. Suddenly, the sky seemed a little brighter and the sun shone down on me, then the voice appeared again.

“Well, well, well, look who finally figured it out, and even with a few days left to spare,” the voice said calmly.

“Can I go home now?”

“Yes, I will send you home, but I want to warn you that you might not like what 2021 has in store for you. It’s not particularly…convenient,” the voice said.

“Wait, what does that mean-”

All of a sudden I was back at my house and I saw my family all huddled around a bed. I began waving my arms and screaming their names, but as I ran up to them my hands fell right through as if I was a shadow.

“Why can’t I feel them? Can they even see me? Mom!? Dad?!” I screamed.

As I approached the bed wondering what they were staring at, I noticed my mom was holding someone’s hand that looked very similar to my own.

“Is she gonna wake up anytime soon doctor?” my mother said with worry in her eyes.

“She is getting better but it could take days, weeks, months, even years for her to wake up from this coma. I am so sorry, let me know if you need anything else, and I will check in again tomorrow,” the doctor said.

I looked closer while leaning into the bed in complete disbelief. I am in a…coma?

To be continued…