My Sickly Mate

Chapter 1: The Creature

The painting at the top of the chapter does not belong to me.

 Last Edited 6/29/16 9:50pm

"Avalon, sweetheart, I'll be right back. I forgot your paperwork in your room," my mom voiced as she wheeled me out into the hospital parking lot. I simply nodded silently to her as she pushed me over to one of the benches to the side of the building. Once situated to the left of an old wooden seating area, she came around the back of the wheelchair, bent down, kissed my forehead, and then turned to go back inside and get the papers.

"Be right back Ava and don't move from that spot," she called over her shoulder as she walked through the sliding hospital doors. I did not answer. My gaze was solely locked onto the lively woods surrounding the gloomy old building of the ugly hospital I just had my fantastic stay in.

I ignored everything around me and took a deep breath, inhaling the autumn smell of fallen leaves, fresh dewy grass, and morning fog. I loved fall, it was my favorite season with winter following close behind in second.

I watched as the chilled wind weaved through the leaves and the trees moving ever so slightly back and forth. I gazed at an owl swooping down from a branch and flying into the cloudless blue sky of the morning and then moving my eyes to the graceful, innocent, and healthy baby deer eating some leaves of bushes alongside it's elegant and beautiful looking mother. I switched my gaze from the deer and followed a little white bunny with my eyes as it darted around the low swaying branches of green bushes. I sighed sadly while watching the very much alive forest.

I wish I could be the forest some times or even a creature who lived inside and stayed alive by living off the green pigment filled land. It must be so nice and peaceful. I could feel my fingers twitching against the armrests of the wheelchair just thinking about it and everything I could see while being an animal of the trees.

Looking back up at the deer again to ensure that they both were still there, eating away at the bushes' leaves, I quickly and excitedly reached behind my wheelchair to my blue overnight backpack my mother packed for me two days before. I rushingly unzipped the black metal zipper and pulled out my leather drawing book then zipped it back up once more. Still turned with my back towards the trees, I slipped my right hand into the side pocket of the bag and searched for a pencil. When I grasped one in my hand, I turned back around to face the forest, but only to disappointed.

The beautiful deer had ran off.

"Aw, I wanted to draw it," I huffed aloud.

Sighing again, I looked back at the tree line to look for anything to catch my attention again. I slowly looked in-between the trees from across the parking lot in front of me, but stop when I saw a single green bush move. I left my excitement filled gaze there while I stilled myself, and waited for something to show itself, but nothing emerged for two minutes. Frowning a bit, I glanced behind me at the bland looking hospital doors.

No mom. No nurses. No security guards. No doctors. I turned back around to face the trees.

"Hope I don't get caught," I murmured. Taking a deep breath, I pushed off the chair using my arms and stood up on shaky legs.

I hadn't stood by myself for two days since I had to stay over night again at the hospital for another cycle of chemo. Even before we left my hospital room on the forth floor, the nurses had made me get in a wheelchair with my mom's help to make sure I didn't exhaust myself because my body had gotten used to only moved around a tiny hospital room. I hated wheelchairs.

I swayed a bit when I fully stood up, but steadied myself quickly because I didn't want to end up on the ground with my face in the cement.

I snapped my head back up in the direction of the trees across the parking lot and very quickly got ahead of myself. I was too excited. Taking a step forwards, my legs gave out and I landed on the cold cement, stomach first, with an oomph.