The Departure

The scenery outside the window invites me to come. I rise from my seat and walk towards it. If there's no glass layer ahead of me, I would let my body  be carried away by the wind. Standing at edge of the building, I would look up to the clouds and stretch my hands far apart, feeling the air brushes against my skin: fresh, but mixes with the pollution from the heavy industrial factory. The air felt arid suddenly and pit starts to form in my stomach. Down below  are nothing but hot asphalt and a dumpster not  very far to the spot where I could fall to.

 Don't worry, I'm not going to do a suicide.

I still have Alex, Rose and Val - my babies, and I am still alive. Those are the most important thing that matters... the ones that keep me sane up to this moment, and the good thing is there's still a glass layer holding me from doing the worst.

The fingerprint of my thumb is slowly making its mark on the window. Behind me, laughter and squeals of Rose and Val distract me away. I turn to them and realise how lucky Alex and I are. They're still alive, healthy, cheerful and I couldn't ask for more. They have become my reasons to live -- to be brave to face the things that's been happening now, even though I don't really know what's been happening. Even Alex seems like a stranger to me. 

Ch. 16: Love, Anger, Guilt, and Hate Part 2

"You can do it, Marie. The first step is always the hardest."

Her gaze clung to the floor beneath her feet -- dazzling white marble tiles reflected her yellow-bellied face. The first step has been taken, and now she must go through the next baby steps.

Sweating, her left palm shuddered against the concrete wall. The other pressed against her chest, clutching at the thin fabric underneath her white jacket. Unlike the night before when her brain was filled with the thoughts about Rose's survival, she followed Pierre as he carried her in his arms, now... she felt the strength had already weaken.

"Mommy!"

A push from a stretcher against her leg tilted her body aside, concussing her. She blundered and bumped against the wall. The hysterical cry of a child froze her feet. Standing shivering, she watched a hand hung limply over the edge of the stretcher: the hand of a woman... the mother of the child... fingers coated with blood.

The oxygen level in her lungs dropped, absorbed by the thick current of people surrounded the dead body of the woman. Tile floors beneath her feet spun as she sag back against the concrete wall.

"Are you okay?"

A little girl pulled her hand.

Theme Song: Hello by Evanescence

Her eyes: blue, soft, igniting a smile. Little fingers lifted the weight of her fallen body. Even though, covered by a blue hat adorned with a pink ribbon, Marie could see the little girl's hair had all fallen out and her body was  thin...  too thin for a little girl her age.

"It's - It's you, isn't it?" The name hung heavy at the tip of her tongue. "Amy?"

Reaching for the little girl's cheek, her eyes observed closely every round of the girl's wan face. Half excited, half disbelieved, half afraid that the little girl would disappear from her sight, she pulled her hands and held her close.

"I love you, big sis." Marie could hear her soft squeal somewhere nearby. A smile across her face as the wind swept beneath their feet and over their heads. Thousands of lights dispersed and flashed around her small body. Standing in front of her school, her kitty school bag slung across her oversize school shirt. Though some of her hair had fallen out, her pink flowery hat flapped by the wind forced her to grab it and hold it tight, and her body thicken with bones -- pale face dimly lit by thousands of untold pain -- there she was... smiling, still eager to go to her class. And even though some of the other kids ran joyfully in the playground -- so contrary to her standing with exhaustion by  the swollen in her lungs and kidney portrayed by the dark purple below her eyes-- her small feet stepped with large paces she could take...  running toward her, giving her big sister a biggest hug... the biggest hug Marie might never feel again.

The more she observed her, the more she knew her eyes had been deceiving her. "You're not her. You're not...Amy.  Leave! Please leave!"

Turning her back to the little girl, chest pressed against the wall, hands crawling on it, her sweat seeped into the concrete as she felt nothing but guilt. The girl looked hurt already, but she had plodded away with her back hunched -- staring accusingly at her.

The dizziness returned and her body shivered like a broken glass. Even the wall kept bouncing back no matter how hard she tried to press herself against it. It seemed... her efforts to find a soft spot to hide brought her nothing as she had hurt another's feeling. It was so terrible of her -- so terrible that her feet limped, shook, and falling.

"Are you okay?"

A hand shielded her fingers on the wall, squeezing them tight, preventing her from falling, "You don't look so good. ", and then lowering them gently.

“P- Pierre? Take - take me out of here!"

Ch. 14: Fight for Life

The ICU room fell silent. Faces strained. Each one stared nervously at the seventeen years old girl who hardly even breathed. The electrocardiogram showed nothing, but a straight line which they called a flatline and a long beep replacing the erratic ones- calling everyone's attention. 

The nurse turned her head to the doctor stood in froze. Sweat flowed from the doctor's forehead. 

If he didn't - if they didn't - act quickly then the girl's brain would be in damage and they would lose her forever.

"Doctor...!" The nurse broke his solitude, turning his direction toward her.  The clock had ticked several times.

He inhaled. The heel of his palm pressed against the girl's sternum, ready for a compression. With a shove down hard, he attempted one last shot. "Give her one milligram of epinephrine now!"

"Right, doctor." The nurse administered the drugs into the girl's skin while the doctor pressed down the heel of his palm against the girl's sternum. Somehow... he believed- they believed- she's going to make it...  no matter how or even when....

Ch. 12 - A Farewell Part Two

With all the strength centered on the soles of his foot, Valentin clenched his fist. That was easy. It only took a few seconds for him to land perfectly on the ground --covered by white and gray sparkling granites.

He stood up.

As always, the hedge was perfectly cut. Mr. Pivert was known to care so much about his lawn that he often became very upset every time he found kids trying to take his fruits without permission – just like what he was about to do now.

After a few steps to the nearest tree, he looked around to his surroundings. The tension came over him made everything felt so exciting. Mr. Pivert wouldn’t realize that someone had stolen his fruits. He’s too crazy to ever realize that – too crazy with his own ideas of going around the world with the balloon air he had.
 

He stretched out his hands up to the nearest fruit hanging on a branch. He should be in  a hurry now. Rose waited on him on the hill. He would only take a few he could carry with his hands.

Yes.... The fruit  over there looked so tempting.

“They look so delicious right?” a voice was heard.


“Yeah, they are, Sir.” He smiled.

What? O.o.

Ch. 10: The Missing Journal Part 3

"Run, Rose!" 

Valentin exclaimed as he grabbed the man's arms full of force. Rosaline's knees froze, but as soon as she regained a grip on herself, she headed straight to the front door. It wasn't long until she heard him screaming. 

"Val...?" She stopped and turned around.

Through the open door, she could see him inside the living room, locking the man’s arms to stop him from going near or getting a single hair out of her, yet Valentin was only five feet tall back then, so paled in comparison with the man who had become an adult and fully broad shouldered. No doubt that the man could easily shove him, and yes, he did it. He did it twice. Valentin's body was thrown several feet until finally ... she saw him there.... lying helplessly on the floor. 

“Stop it!” Rosaline stepped onto the wooden floor. Tears welled up in her eyes. Before she could reach him, Valentin had managed to stop her from entering the house. 

"Don't! Don’t come near here, Rose! Stay out!”

With the energy he had left, and whilst he involuntary lied down on the wooden floor, Valentin held the man's left foot with his fullest force. "Run!" He ordered. He kept his grip, even though the man was shoving him away.  Valentin's body was being dragged above the floor as the man hobbled toward her until finally..."What do you think you're doing?!" The man's foot struck hard against Valentin's face.

“Stop it! Leave him alone!" 

Rosaline pounded her fist over the man's shoulders, trying to stop him from hurting Valentin. Her actions annoyed the man very much, though it was like swatting a fly as she flew outside and landed harshly on the wild grass in front of the door.

"Rose!"

Seeing her being thrown quite far, Valentin grabbed the man’s foot again.

Outside, touching her back from feeling a sore, Rosaline stood. 

"Run, Rose! I said run!"