Short Stories

Burning Brighter

The day one turns eighteen, it is suppose to a fantastic day. It is the day where one legally becomes an adult. I had my entire day planned out. I was going to go to school, which I didn't mind, and then go out with some girlfriends to see the recently released movie called "The Greatest One of Them All".

Instead, I woke up feeling like I had been struck by a moving vehicle. In my eighteen years of being alive, I had never felt so horrible. It was as if were being bathed in lava. Every inch of my body cried with agony.  My parents looked worried but not surprised . According to them, they had taken my temperature  where it read almost 106.7. I cried in agony as my mother sat beside my bed holding bags of ice to my chest and forehead as I lied in a sports bra and shorts.

I begged and begged for them to take me to the hospital. It felt as if my entire body was melting from the inside out, yet my mother kept mummering to me that everything was going to be alright. I was dying. I screamed to the point my throat was scratchy and it made it even worse so I silently cried as I began to mumble incoherent things. By then the pain was to much and I was begging my mother to end the pain. I grabbed her arms, pleading with her to just kill me and end the feeling of being skinned alive in midst of flames.  My father came in forcing a pill down my throat along with water. Soon afterwards, I woke up three days later feeling normal. My parents act as if nothing ever happened but late at night, I can hear them whispering in father's study lounge.

Since my birthday almost a month ago, I haven't felt such pain. It was if it was an one time thing. I try to ask my parents but they always avoid the question or my mother starts crying so I feel guilty and leave my unanswered questions up in the air.

Every once in awhile, I find myself having heat flashes during the day. I can be standing outside in the coolness of the night and I can feel the warmth spreading from my chest, down my arms and legs like a sickly disease quietly and quickly spreading through a sick mans body. I could go see a doctors because I am an adult but that would require calling and scheduling my own appointment and quiet frankly that is terrifying.

"Edna, stop daydreaming and pay attention." Mariah claps in front of my face snapping me out of my trance.

"What'd you say?"

Abarina chuckles and Mariah sighs flicks her hand in the air motion to oblivion , "As I was saying as you were too busy daydreaming-,"

Bruce laughs and nudges Josiah, "Obviously about Jose over here." Josiah blushes and shakes his head softly with a grin as he punches Bruce in side of his ribs.

"Oh you wanna go? I can kick your scrawny ass into tomorrow." Bruce howls with laughter as he wraps his arm around Josiah's putting him in a headlock.

"As I was SAYING-" Mariah coughs, "There is a party next week-."

"UNCLE UNCLE" Josiah wheezes as he struggles to push off Bruce while trying to breathe as he is laughing to hard.

"That's not the right word, say it-"

Mariah sighs dramatically, "While you two idiots knock it off?"

"Saying it Jose" Bruce grins completely ignoring Mariah with a wink causing her to roll her eyes. I meet Abarina's gaze and she shrugs with a chuckle.

"-Fine, fine! You're the strongest man in the world. Now let me go you asswipe!"

With a laugh Bruce lets go of Josiah, "You bet your ass I am the strongest." Josiah just smirks trying to fix his hair.

"Yet I can still kick your ass in any physical sport or video game."

Mariah clears her throat grabbing all of our attention, " As I was saying before I was so rudly interrupted-" She sends daggers to Bruce and Josiah who just smirk and shrug. "- Maxwell is throwing a party Friday night, it is open to seniors and underclassmen have to pay. Free drinks for seniors others have to pay for that too."