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Chapter 6

“You are always going to be my little girl, right?”
“Sure mom.”
She began coughing, just a little at first, but then it became to recognizable.
“Mom! Are you okay?”
“Yeah, sweetie, I’ll be fine. Just a little coughing fit.”
But the coughing didn’t stop. She kept on coughing, each one more violent than the first, until she dropped the book she had been holding.
“Mom! You need help!”
“Go outside, Scarlett. The air isn’t very good in here.”
“I’m not leaving you! Come on!”
Then, the woman collapsed at her daughter’s feet. Scarlett screamed in terror, and dropped to the ground beside her.
“Someone help!” she screamed, but no one was there. “I need the ambulance!”
The girl dug out her cell phone and dialed 9-1-1 with shaking fingers.
“9-1-1.”
“Help! My mom is coughing and she just collapsed!” Scarlett yelled, and told her address before hanging up. “Mom, you have to get up and outside,” she cried desperately.
“I’ll try.” Ella Farthmore weakly dragged herself into her daughter’s arms and they fail a weak attempt at climbing the stairs from the basement and into the light of the afternoon.
“Mom, don’t leave me! We have to get outside!” Scarlett shouted. Again, she lifted her mom, and finally succeeded in pushing her out onto their driveway and onto the grass.
Ella gasped for air, but she still talked.
“Scarlett, I don’t think I can make it,” she chocked.
“Yes, you have to make it!” Scar began to cry, wildly searching the area for the ambulance. “Come on!” she yelled, frustrated and shocked.
Finally, the wail of the ambulance came around the corner, and soon the driveway was filled with about half a dozen paramedics, lifting her mom onto a stretcher and into the vehicle.
“Her breathing is fading, someone get her some oxygen!” a paramedic inside ordered.
It took five endless seconds until a mask was placed over her mother’s face. Even then, the movement of her body slowed, and her eyes fluttered.
“Mom, please,” Scarlett whimpered, taking her mom’s hand.
Then, Ella slowly lifted her free hand and lifted the mask off.
“I won’t make it. Be careful, sweetie. I love you.” Suddenly her arm reached out and cut off the supply of oxygen.
“NO!” Scarlett screamed, and reached out blindly, anywhere to stop Ella. But it was too late. The heart rate on the machine slowed down, and even as they neared the hospital, a paramedic shook her head.
“I’m so sorry, hon. She’s gone.”
“No, she can’t be dead, she’s still alive, I know it!” Scar shrieked, but was pulled back as they arrived and doctors restrained her from reaching her mom as she was rolled away. “No, please! You can’t do this!”
Slowly, everything seeped in, and she slowly went down to her knees, tears streaking her face.
“I’m sorry,” a doctor spoke to her quietly. “I know.”
“No,” Scarlett whispered as he walked away to the room. “You don’t.”
Not caring, she ran through the halls, searching for some sign that her mom was in a room, but then the paramedics an after her. Soon enough though, she stopped at a dead end hall, and collapsed as a syringe pricked her arm.

Scarlett woke up slowly, and realized that she was curled up in a tight ball in her bed, covered in her bed sheets. Closing her eyes, she attempted to chase away the memories of the dream, but to no avail.
It’s the same every time. Why?
Rubbing her eyes, Scar sighed, and then stretched back out into a prostrate position on her bed.

  

“Ugh, new bus driver Scar,” Alex grimaced as Scarlett plopped down beside her on the bus.
“Yeahh. I noticed Alex,” she snorted. “I get on the bus too, remember?”
“Well, maybe you didn’t notice!” her best friend defended. “Anyway, do you realize she turned the radio off? It’s so unfair, I’m going to be so bored on the bus rides now.”
“Gee, thanks Alex,” Scarlett snorted.
“Oh! I meant with the exception of my best friend,” she corrected, grinning. Then, she frowned. “You’ve got bags Scarlett Farthmore. Didn’t you sleep at all?”
“It’s nothing,” Scar shrugged, and Alex nodded, picking up instantly that she’d had her nightmare again.
Just then, the bus screeched to a stop and the doors opened to permit two girls in our grade. As they practically flounced up the stairs, the first girl’s eyes scanned the available seats. When she noticed Alex and Scarlett sitting in the back, she looked back at her friend, sharing a look of disdain with her before they settled down in an empty seat near the middle.
With a look of murder on her face, Alex was just about to greet them with one of her fingers when Scar held her back.
“Don’t, it’s not worth it,” she hissed. “If you get detention, you’re dead and you won’t go to the party.”
“I would give to punch that look off her face,” Alex muttered, but she lowered her arm and turned to face her friend, obviously making an attempt to shake off the feeling. “So, you’re suddenly all happy-go-lucky about going to the party?”
Scarlett shrugged, but spoke when Alex’s eyebrows went up and she gave her a look.
“Okay. Yeah, I actually do want to go. You know, get out of the house. Anything to get out of there.”
“Oh come on, is that it? I bet you want to dance,” Alex grinned.
“Um, no. You know I don’t like dancing all that much,” Scarlett replied, quirking her mouth.
“Uh huh. Me too, but you know, may as well. No one knows each other; do you know how big the Warehouse is anyway? But fine, we don’t have to go. I’ll just hang at your place…” Alex finished with a too obvious smile.
“No. Alex, we’re going,” Scar confirmed.
“You sure? I’m sure we can get some pizza, watch TV with your dad, and-”
“Shush up!” Scarlett exclaimed. “You’re impossible!”
“And that’s how I roll,” Alex told her, and stood up right as the bus stopped in the bus loop outside our school.
In morning classes, Scarlett could barely stay awake. Calculus, though, was where she accidentally dozed off.
“Scarlett!” The voice appeared suddenly, immediately waking her from her stupor.
Scar’s felt her face grow hot as seats scraped on the floor and bodies turned to stare at her.
“Scarlett, you can’t fall asleep in my class. Please escort yourself to the office for the rest of the period.” Mr. Rell, a gentle but stern man, looked down at her over the rim of his glasses.
“Sorry Mr. Rell,” she murmured. Then, she picked her bag off of the floor, took the green slip from his hand, and walked as quickly out of the room as she could to avoid the eyes.