A Year to Live

Time of Death

"Hurry up! We don't have much time!" I heard people call from all different directions. I spun around, but couldn't locate where the noise was coming from. 

"Give me the paddles!" My mother's voice called over all of the others. My eyes widened at the sound, and I had one destination in mind. Wherever she was. I began to run down the corridor of the hospital, but it never seemed to end. No matter how fast I ran, or for how long, I ended up exactly where I started. "We're losing him!" She called, "Charge the paddles to 300!" She ordered. 

I heard the familiar sound of the electrical fields being charged, and when they made impact with whoever they were trying to revive, it felt like the bolt went through me too. My body flailed with the electrical charge, and I fell to the ground. I couldn't move and my body felt like it had just been lit on fire. 

"Time of death 14:56." My mother concluded, "Next time gang." She responded. The sound of rubber gloves snapping off her hands filled my ears, and the room soon started spinning.

"He was so young." My dad said to my mother. I couldn't see them, but I knew that they were there. 

"If only he accepted treatment earlier." She responded. Those words rung through my ears for what felt like eternity.

If only he accepted treatment earlier.

Treatment. 

Graylan. 

My eyes snapped open to the sound of 'Jailhouse Rock.' I checked the time and realized that it must have been going off for a while, because I was awake fifteen minutes too late. I groaned, but rolled out of bed and hopped into the shower.

After throwing my wet hair into a quick messy ponytail, I threw on a grey jumper with some leggings before running down to where my dad was already eating and discussing something with my mother. "You're up late." He noticed without looking up from the sheets he was holding.

After Graylan had left my room, I didn't go downstairs. I didn't want to face him again because I knew my cheeks would only brighten to an unwanted red colour which would closely resemble a tomato. I tried to hear if he was accepting the treatment he was being offered, but all I heard were some mumbled medical terms. "Bad dream." I confirmed, pouring myself a bowl of Lucky Charms and taking my seat next to my mother and across from my father.

"About?" My mom asked, clearly intrigued by my recent statement. She was always really interested in finding out what dreams meant, and tried to evaluate each dream I had.

"I don't remember." I lied, taking another scoop of the cereal and earning a pout from her. I wish I didn't remember, but I did. Each detail like it was permanently engraved in my brain. I never saw who she was trying to save, but I knew in my heart that it was Graylan. And I felt each shock like it was coursing through my own body.

"Time to go." My dad said, grabbing his brief case off of the servery quickly and dragging me out without allowing me to say goodbye to my mother.

After dropping me off at school, I could sense that things were different. My friends were no where in site, and everyone was looking at me like something had died on my head. I tried to ignore them, but the stares they were giving me could literally burn a hole through even the strongest armour. I felt tears well up in my eyes, and instantly hated the fact that it was so easy to make me cry. So easy to make me show weakness, even when I didn't want to. 

And then the memory of what Parker did came back to me. He had ruined my life, and possibly any future careers I was going to have, or could have. Once he posted that fake nude of me online, it wasn't going to go away. I knew that from experience. Right now it wasn't bothering me so much he had done it, but the fact I didn't know why he did it.