The lines were like black lightning, streaking through the vast, flat plain. The raised areas were the uniqueness of it. You could see the hills…valleys…the villages. This was the Other World. I could see the people walking around, going about their daily life. I could see their chattering if I concentrated hard enough. I could almost hear them. All of this in a ceiling. As I lay in this hospital bed, I think about a lot of things. Things I have never thought of before…now I could truly see what I had taken for granted. Talking for example- I couldn’t even do that. Moving- I was completely immobile. Singing- my gift and yet I couldn’t even force a single note out of my closed mouth. How I longed to sing again. How I wished to dance and sing and laugh… How I wished to simply be again. I could only hear, think, and see. I had been here so long I couldn’t really feel myself anymore. I had long since abandoned the need to blink. It was all painfully familiar and monotonous. My mind wanders often. Hey, there’s not much to do when you’re in a coma. Yes, I could still hear and see and think. I wasn’t totally dead to the world. But it coulda fooled me. Everyday my friends would come. Everyday I would hear them talk. About me and some other random junk. How I wished to be apart of that again. To talk about dates…to talk about the concert…to talk about life. If I ever got out of this coma, I swear that I will never take anything for granted again. Today was different. I could feel it. Something was gonna happen today. I could hear the door creak open as my friends entered the room. I could hear their shuffled footsteps as they quietly fought for the chair. But I could feel their presence. My best friend bent over me, so I could see him. Of course he was not aware that I could see or hear him, so he was oblivious to my silent screams, my desperate pleas. He stared down at me sadly. What was he thinking? Was he pitying me? Was he missing me? What? I wished I could’ve said, “Hey it’ll be alright…” but I couldn’t. I couldn’t make a sound. “How long is this gonna last?” “When will hell pass over?” “Why him?” That’s what I usually thought. Why me? I was good, wasn’t I? I never did anyone harm…maybe I did miss a few autographs, but that wasn’t a crime, was it? So I did play practical jokes. Did that make me a target of this silent padded cell? I was a prisoner of my own mind. My hands longed to reach out and touch my friend’s presently pale skin; to reach around and hug him tight. I forced everything I had inside; everything to do that simple action that I took for granted…yet still I couldn’t. Would I be able to ever hug my friends again? “C’mon J…you can do this. The world needs you. WE need you…our sound is nothing without you. Your parents…they miss you. Your fans…they cry for you. The cards…too many to count. C’mon…please pull through…please?” My stomach churned fiercely, listening to his words. They needed me…I needed them… I could hear my friends stand as they prepared to leave. “Guys?” “Hmm?” “How bout we sing one. Just for him?” They agreed. I was ecstatic. They were going to sing for me! It had been ages since they had sung…forever since I had. I tuned my ears in to them, awaiting their harmonious voices to grace them. Their quiet, rhythmic snapping could be heard before they started… Oooh…ooh, ooh, ooh. Oooh, ooh, ooh, ooh… Ooh… She was my once in a lifetime… I swear I felt tears in my eyes. It didn’t sound right. They needed me… Oh I guess I should’ve told her I thought she knew… Their sound was empty…incomplete. They needed me. I needed to sing. I had to… So many words left unspoken Now that we’re through… I’d sell my soul to let this side get spoken Oh I thought she…I thought she knew… I tried to blink…tried to sing…tried to live… I thought she knew my world revolved around her My love light burned for her alone But she couldn’t see the flame… Only myself to blame… I tried to sing with him ‘I should’ve known…’ I forced my insides to make the sounds…but I couldn’t. The mountain still stood towering above me…daring me to attempt a pass. I thought she knew my world revolved around her My love light burned for her alone But she couldn’t see the flame Only myself to blame… ‘Just sing the damn song!’ I shouted at myself…at my voice box. But the mountain was still there…my voice wasn’t. She was my once in a lifetime A happy ending come true Oh I guess I should’ve had told her Oh I thought she knew… I thought she knew I NEEDED to sing…I HAD to sing…for me…and for them. Ooh, ooh, ooh… Oh I… Thought… She… Suddenly my world erupted as I pushed myself to the limit to sing ‘you…’ And I did! To my shock and delight, I did! Despite the fact that it came just above a whisper, I DID IT! “Oh my god, are you awake?” “J?” “J you awake?” they asked frantically. I saw someone move to go get the nurse, but couldn’t see as I could barely move my head. To my relief, it was easier to force out words now. “Hey…guys…” Their eyes shimmered as they stared back at me, watching my every move and struggle. “Thank you…” I whispered, my strength returning fast. “What did we do so special?” my best friend whispered. “You helped me…in so many ways…you made me come back…” “*NSync isn’t *NSync without you,” Chris said softly, a tiny smile gracing his thin lips. “It’s nothing without…any of us,” I replied. “You’re back.” “Better than ever.” “I thought we lost you.” “You’ll never lose me,” I smiled. “I love you guys.” “We love you too J,” he whispered to me. “We’ll be here no matter how long it takes…” “We are…*NSync,” I smiled. JC smiled as his salty tears trickled down his cheeks, choking out his words through his happiness, “Yes we are, Justin…we certainly are.”                                                                  Feedback