It's Time |A.I|

07

Chapter Seven

Present Day

Why God, why me? I stood, staring at my physical body lying motionless. My body was oblivious, but my soul knew what was happening; I was dying. Reality finally sunk in, I was dying. "Follow the path and you will know." My Grandmothers' words echoed in my brain more than a hundred times. What did it mean?

My surroundings shifted; everything looked as if I was looking through water after somone had skilfully thrown a rock into it. I was no longer looking at my limp body. Instead, I was staring into the eyes that belonged to the one person I loved; Ashton. His body screamed out in sadness and regret. All I wanted to do was throw myself at him and hold him, tell him everything was going to be okay. Even if it wasn't because that's what you do. You pick each other up in the worst of times. His hands gripped his hair, as creases formed on his forehead; dried tears stained his face.

"Mr. Irwin?" Asked a man with a white lab coat that covered his body whole. Ashton stood, worry woven into every crease on his forehead.

"She's in a coma."

That's all I pick up from the words that tumbled out of his mouth. I guess you couldn't say I was shocked. It would make sense.

Ashton began shuffling his feet slowly against the brown carpet. Inch by inch the doctor lead him onto the plain, white tiles. The three of us stopped. Room twenty-seven. That number will haunt me forever. Ashton's expression changed dramatically as he entered. There was a brown chair in the corner which he gingerly moved to my bedside; the sound of scraping filled my ears. I winced.

All I could do was stare. Stare at his emotionless face. He began to speak, but I could no longer hear a thing. My eyes registered a pale light coming from underneath the closed door. Where there used to be a heavy hospital door, was now a slim, brown one. Something (my insticts I assume) told me to go towards it. So that's exactly what I did. I gingerly twisted the old, rusted doorknob.

"Mommy, do you think I'm going to find my Prince one day?" My child-like voice rangout throught the darkness. Everything was black; I couldn't see a thing.

"Of course, Lemonade. Everyone has their chance to meet their Prince."

The scene unfolded before me. My mother smiled and wrapped her arms around my frail, child body. I was six, a princess coloring book laid out in front of me, along with broken crayons.

I watched in amazement as I saw this memory all play out. My front teeth were missing, making a big gap appear as I smiled wide. My eyes shown with content and happiness. I was so naive, so small and hopeful. What happened?

A knock on the staircase startled me. I remember this happening. However, I'm the one who made the noise; I looked down at my bracelet coming into contact with the wooden railing.

"Mommy, who's that lady over there?" My six year old self pointed in my direction. We locked eyes. Everything locked together in this moment. Death was my destiny.

"What lady, Lemonade?"

I put a finger to my lips. "It's a secret." I whispered.

"Nothing Mommy. Nevermind." My younger self continued to color.

I slowly walked up the stairs, nothing creaked. All was still. There was another ripple effect, everything changing. Small objects were appearing in hindsight. A bed, dresser, pillows. I was fifteen here. Small sobs wracked my body, mouth covered by a small, purple pillow. I remembered this also, it was the first time I ever felt alone. My father had just gotten together with Harry Styles for another job. School had been hard that day. Everyone thought it would be cool to pick on the new kid. I was a social outcast, a nobody. I was lonely. The softness of my blankets comforted me in such a scary place. Even now, watching my old self, I can feel every feeling I had then. They radiated off of the four walls around us.. Well, me.

I heard voices down the hall, so I carried my feet to the end of the hallway. "Smile!" My mother yelled. Her back faced me as I entered. The area behind me shifted to the other half of our fourth home's living room as I walked in. My first prom at age sixteen. Jack Seronin's arms lingered around my waist as she took our picture. I was happy, he made me happy. Jack and I were dating for six months prior to the dance. I remember distinctly what happened that night, too.

"Hey, baby." He whispred, excitement woven into his fascial features. My stomach churned. Michael Bublè's song 'I just haven't met you yet' played through the speakers. "I got you something."

"What is it?"

He pulled out a box from his pocket. My heart started to beat erratically."What's that?" I asked again, shocked.

"It's a hotel key, Adelaide."

My lips took the shape of a circle. "Oh."

"Well, I thought since we've been been dating for some time.... And it's prom, I wanted to.. You know." Jack's eyebrows waggled up and down in a suggestive manner.

"Jack, no." I pushed on his chest, making him back up a few inches. I can't belive he asked me for sex. I was crushed.

"Oh c'mon! You owe it to me!"

"I do not!" I screamed back. Tears threatened to spill. I ran. He only wanted me for sex. I continued to run, I never stopped 'till I was safe in my bed, and I hadn't stopped to talk to anyone.

Flashback and flashback, I literally saw my life flash before my eyes. From when I was six to when I was twenty. My brain was whirling with all the memories I had gained; memories I didn't even know I remembered. What am I supposed to do with this? Why would seeing this be beneficial?

No more came to me as I sat in the blankness. The area was white all around me, a hint of a soft glow blurred the whole area. Everything was blank; non-existent.

"Hi darling."

I jumped at the sound of my Grandma. As she sat next to me, her green eyes, much like my own, shown bright. Mine, however were not. "What's going on? I'm scared, I don't want to die." I sobbed into her chest. My tears staining her satin, purple robes.

"It's going to be alright, Lemonade." She whispered, smoothing out my hair. It was comforting to be in her presence. I had missed her so much.

"But Grandma, what am I supposed to do?" She softly wiped my tear stained cheeks with her thumb.

"You're going to follow your memories. They will take you where you need to go. At the end, you'll know what to do."

I nodded my head, sniffling. "How do you know when it's the end?"

She got up from her former postition. "You'll know."

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I came face to face with Ashton. His large hand was wrapped around our child's smaller one. The way he looked at her made my heart constrict. She looked so much like me. I walked over to the glass pain, only to immediately jump back. Her green eyes met my own green ones. She could see me.

Tiny goosebumps arose on Ashton's skin; he shivered. "I miss you so much." I dragged my fingers slightly down his cheek. I couldn't feel the stubble that coated his chin, I couldn't feel a thing but the aching feeling in my chest. My lips lingered on his cheek; I wanted this moment to last forever. Please don't let me leave him, God. Please.

Ashton's eyes started tearing as he looked straight at me. I knew he couldn't see me, but he could feel me. My heart sped up just a little as I could feel him staring into my soul without knowing it. "Adelaide." The tone of his voice led chills to be present on my pale skin.

And then he was gone. Sucked into a black hole, I could see nothing. And there I sat in the darkness. I couldn't even see my own body. I could no longer hear anything. Is this what it felt like, was this purgatory? My body ached from head to toe. Everything was burning from the inside out. Pure agony was what I was in. "Am I in hell?" I whispered to myself, I didn't understand. I was, overall, a good person. At least I thought so.

No one answered, I was alone.

•Edited•

*1,437 words*