Go inside the mind of a patient whose heart stops for 10 minutes, which gives the patient the chance to make a shocking discovery that reframes their life. Include supernatural elements, but do not dare use the phrase “the light flashed before their eyes,” or any other near-death experience tropes.
The steps down to the beach were comforting, she knew that the sand, soft, warm, forgiving would greet her naked feet as old friends hugging after many years apart. The first tentative step from the concrete step onto the sand was blissful, looking ahead the turquoise sky, yellow sand and the grey sea was a landscape painting, where the artist decided to ignore all life.
The sky had no birds, the sand no footprints and the sea was still. She understood, life attracts life, and she was no longer alive. She thought, well, that is not too bad, a beach for eternity, could have been worse. She smiled, and felt her back, the bed sores were gone, those pressure ulcers that made each breadth and movement painful had left her, hurrah, death is a sweat deal. A small skip, she skipped for the first time in years, the smile broadened, as a girl going to school, how she loved to skip. The expanse before her darkened, why had she stopped skipping? She half walked and half skipped, trying to expel the question before it had time to sprout a memory. The question repeated, why stop skipping, it is magical, her eyes turned to her feet, watching them kick the sand in a dance, the feet looked young, much younger than the rest of her.
1… what was that number, what did it mean, she was now 5 years old laughing with her younger brother, he was trying to skip, and tripping over his massive shoes
2…. Now 6 years old, the two siblings race to the swing, only one swing left, the winner takes it all.
3…. 7 years old, they are fighting, he always cheated at ludo, why was he such a brat
4…. Her 8th birthday party, Victoria sponge cake, 8 candles, he was dressed as clown, he had learnt to cartwheel for her
5… 9 years old, on the beach, alone, no fighting, no skipping, no cheating, no laughing
she is woken up, staring at the ceiling, he’s gone, how could she forget