Multimodal Video

Writing in Visual Arts

https://vimeo.com/77073037

Something wasn’t right. She isn’t one to unload her mind all the time, which is why I listen to her eyes.  Waking up in the middle of the night for us isn’t that unusual neither is staying up for a few hours when it happens. This time was different though. A hug and kiss out of comfort escalated for 15 sweaty minutes in the dark, air-conditioned room. The lack of distraction from the passion that had just occurred was enough to kill a fly in the air faster than the frigid apartment. Lying there at 2:17 in the morning I noticed she was increasingly feeling… “abnormal” . This wasn’t her mood or some trivial argument or dream that had gotten her up , it was health related. She was scared, touching her lips out nervous habit.

“ I don’t feel well” not that she had to say it, I could read it like someone was holding up a sign on the side of the road for mattress sale. It was such a livid feeling that my butterflies were growing and my palms went from small creek in the woods to Niagara falls. Her attempt at hiding her panicked mind wasn’t going so well, I could smell it like it fell out of the air onto my skin and clung to it. Now wasn’t the time to show I was more worried than she was…her strength was apparent even with the inaudible scream of discomfort ringing in my ears.  She took a couple drags and blew out the smoke, which set the bedroom into an eerie stage waiting for the climax. I knew what was about to happen and so did she. And there it was. The first physical sign. It was kind of like somebody had gave her a little electric buzz during a sneeze and cut it short. Her whole body twitched in an unsettling way that sent a tear to my lips. It happened again. Then again. Her phone practically flew out of her hands the next time it happened. It was like watching a clock countdown to the scariest most emotional thing that I would ever experience.

“ Mike, this isn’t good. “

“I…I know”

“Its going to happen”

“ I know”

It was like a switch got flicked so hard in my head I felt like a robot that had the emotional capacity to cry and love and think what was about to happen and what I would have to do. Everything I had read up on in preparation a month earlier made itself present in my head. That moment made me realize how much I loved my girlfriend , how I would do anything I could in my power for her and never abandon her no matter what… no matter what.

I didn’t even realized it was happening when it started. I was sitting Indian style facing her right side in the bed. White sheets and comforter a sea around us. I thought she went to scratch her leg but in reality it was her body locking up . Her mouth was wide open like she was in awe of something she had just seen. Her eyes dilated and looked blacker than the night, like something took her life away. I could hear her body struggling to breathe and relax itself. I immediately turned the light on to see the most painful sight ever.

Her body was convulsing like they do in the exorcism movies, but this was real, and way scarier. Nobody was there to here me screaming or crying for help. Foam and blood was coming out her mouth and her body was shaking so hard I could barely put her into a safe place/position by myself. I called her dad immediately to tell him she was seizing and I was calling an ambulance. The first time ever talking to her father I had to tell him his daughter was seizing while I am crying so hard I can barely see a foot in front of me. I was trying to put her on her side and move her away from the walls and furniture while keeping her on the bed while trying to call 911. I was so angry at whoever picked up, stop asking me fucking questions and just get here so I can have both hands on my girlfriend. I was yelling and crying and screaming on the phone trying to remember the address, my name, her name and what was happening. I managed to hit speakerphone and toss the phone next to me as I kept a pillow under her and trying to pry her mouth open Blood was all over the mattress, her face, my face, my hands and then she just stopped. She stopped seizing as I was swearing at the operator; myself, the Lord and whoever else existed in the world. She looked directly at me so calmly and innocent, and said a single word. She just stared at me, pale, life rejoining her eyes. She couldn’t speak very well or understand what I was saying. The operator said I had to open the door for the police and then let the paramedics in through another door. I was asked to leave her side, the last thing I could ever imagine doing at this moment. I told her to just stay sitting on the bed and she said no, not that she realized what had happened, where she was or anything. But she said my name, she couldn’t remember her own name but she said my name. I had the operator telling me to open the locked door. I pulled my emotions together enough to stand and so did she. She wouldn’t leave me and I held her hand as I walked her swaying body to the couch and let the officer in. As bright as the light was in her room, it was pitch black until she stopped seizing, looked at me and said my name. When she looked at me and recognized me and said my name. You’re not even supposed to be able to recall or recognize anything that quickly and she knew my face and my name the second it stopped. There was light.