When Time Runs Out

Chapter One {Complete}

Chapter One

I knew that today was going to be different. It wasn't just a sensation that hit you the second you awoke- no, no, no, this was completely different. I knew that this was going to be the worst day ever, for, well, my entire life. I checked my wrist to be sure that this was the exact day, month, and year. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I wasn't ready for this. 

Well, in my nation, the nation where I sadly live, has been 'blessed' with a 'gift' from the Doctors. Like all gifts, it has many pros and many cons. But I bet you could list ten thousand cons with one pro. The Doctors call this gift 'in donum munere mortis at scientiae' which translates to 'The Gift of Death and Knowledge'. Basically, when babies are born, the exact date of their death is stamped onto their inner wrist. People are constantly walking around with pain in their eyes and shadows on their face. The ink finally fades a day after their passing. It is a horrible and beautiful gift. The child could have two weeks, two years, or one hundred. My parents knew how long I had. They have known since my birth, about fourteen years ago. As I looked onto my calendar, and then checked my wrist one last time, as if my eyes were trying to deceive me. But no, my eyes were not tricking my brain. My calendar read, MONTH: JUNE. DATE: 24th. YEAR: 2054. 

My wrist read 6/24/54. And today was the day I died.

It started like any other normal day, but it was horrifying. One con of the 'gift'- you didn't know what was going to kill you. So I proceeded through my daily routine, but with extreme caution. As I walked down the main staircase (extremely slowly) my mother and father saw me. In a flash, I was encased in a bone-smashing hug. Tears were shed from all of us.

"My baby...my  Nia..." My mom spoke in her most vulnerable voice, which broke my heart every time she used it. She had my jet-black hair, hazel eyes, and she was extremely intelligent.

"It's okay mom and dad, it'll be okay." I felt horrible for them, I was their only daughter, I could only imagine what they were going through.

"Honey, don't be afraid. You were meant for this. It'll all be alright." A few tears escaped my father's brown eyes, and he ran a hand through his light brown hair. I've never seen him cry before. I attempted to compose myself, grabbed my backpack, a sweater (so I could cover up my date), gave my parents a possible final goodbye, and stepped outside to walk to summer school.

The day was rough, but I didn't really care. I did my schoolwork without any trace of effort. I floated through the day. Ignored the teacher's lectures. The summer school wasn't because I failed anything- in fact, I was very smart. It was just an extension course, some extra preparation for next year. Not like I would even need it, come to think about it.

I was walking almost blindly; my head was in the clouds. I actually felt okay for a moment. Behind me, somebody yelled, snapping me out of my daze,

"LOOK OUT!"

That's when I saw the car barreling towards me at seventy-five miles an hour. I jumped to the side, but the car ran over my right leg.

+++

I woke up about fifteen minutes later, according to my watch. I lifted my head about an inch, then a foot, then I sat up. I didn't think I had a head injury, but pain was a blunt and non-specific measuring tool. I picked up my right leg, definitely broken. Nothing else seemed to be hurt. I got up with tons of dizziness, picked up a stick and used it as a crutch so I could walk home again. Finally, I reached home without too much more complication. I walked inside, and my parents screamed. They probably thought i'd be gone by now. 

"Oh my god Nia! You're alive!" My parents yelled simultaneously. 

"Yeah... I think I'm going to sleep." I just hope that I would go peacefully.

Little did I know, I woke up the next morning.

<<< Author's Note;

So, she was supposed to die but didn't... what?!

love and survival,

emily rose >>>