Guess what? Life happened.

Chapter 3

            “May the odds be ever in your favor!” announced a voice out of nowhere. I looked around frantically trying to determine where I was. Straight ahead of me I saw a huge rocky table with a bunch of provisions lying on it. Behind it there was a deep dark forest which I could see people running towards.

“Giving up so early in the game?” Someone laughed behind me. I twirled around to see a muscular boy with golden hair looking straight at me. He had a familiar face but I couldn’t remember where I had seen him before.

“Cato!” screamed a blonde with a knife dripping blood on her hand. “Finish her off. We have other people to take care of.”

Oh shit! Cato…games…death. I’m in the hunger games. I know I shouldn’t have watched that movie, too much death.

“Say hi to the creator for me.” He smirked as he raised his right hand above his head. HE was holding a gleaming machete that was about to chop my head off. My ears caught the sound of a high pitch screamed before I realized it was my own.

I closed my eyes awaiting my end but instead I felt the floor changed on my back. It was no longer on a soft wet grass but on a hard carpeted floor. When I reopened my eyes, I didn’t see the golden boy with the wicked grin and threatening machete but a pale blue ceiling welcomed me back into my bedroom. At the same time, I felt a sharp pain traveling the length of my spine.

“Which movie was it this time?” questioned a familiar voice next to me. I lifted my head up to see my father standing in front of my door with his arms crossed over his chest and an amused smile decorating his lips. His black hair disheveled mixed with his long gray robe over his pajamas made him look like a homeless person.

“What?” I answered confused.

“You just woke me up from a perfectly good dream with that banshee scream of yours.” He walked towards me then squatted near my head. “I know ninety nine percent of your nightmares are always about those horror movies you can’t stop watching.”

“You call all action movies horrors, dad.” I rolled my eyes as I sat up.

“Did it have people dying in horrible ways?” He quizzed.

“Maybe.” I confessed reluctantly.

“Then it’s a horror movie.” He stated.

“But…”I began.

“Breakfast’s ready.” He announced getting out of my room.

“He cooked?! God, I’m going to die today.” I thought as I bounced off my feet in one move prepared to sprint to the kitchen.

I passed the living room going straight to the poor kitchen. It was probably going to be all burnt up by the time I get there. Odd enough, it was in perfect state when I got there. It was just as I left it last night.

My dad made breakfast and the kitchen was still intact? Something is really wrong with this picture…or not. There was two bowl of milk and cereal set on the dining table.

“Are you going to keep running around like a headless chicken or are you going to sit down and eat the delicious breakfast your father so carefully made for you.” He challenged sitting down on the table.

Before I could even reach the table, I heard a knock on the front door. My dad didn’t even flinch. He continued to drain his bowl.

“I’ll get it.” I shouted even though he was barely an inch away from me.

“Good morning, ma’am. I have a delivery for Mr. Craig,” said the UPS delivery man that stood at my door with a dazzling smile. I blinked at the gorgeous man that stood in front of me with a small box in his arms. I’ve always had a soft spot for man older than me but you won’t ever hear me say it out loud. I didn’t even have the time to fully process the information before my dad came up behind me.

“Go inside, Nicole. I’ll take care of this.” His eyes didn’t leave the poor guy who was now shifting under my father’s murderous glare.

What’s the point of me opening the door if he’s going to come out acting all Liam Neeson who had his daughter kidnapped on them?

I simply moved back a few steps and waited for him to “take care of this.” He acted like package delivery is such a harmful activity.

“Are you Mr. Craig?” The man gulped. “I have a package for you.” He proceeded after my dad nodded.  “I need you to sign here and here,” directing him to the different places to sign on the paper. My dad took the pen and signed the paper but his eyes barely left the man’s.

“Here you go, Mr. Craig. Have a…” My dad took the package and slammed the door in his face before he even had the chance to finish the sentence.

“That was rude and you know it.” I tapped my right foot on the floor feeling like an adult reprimanding a naughty child.

“He looked like a pedophile,” my dad shrugged pass me.

“You can’t judge somebody by the way they look.” I followed him back to the dining table. “What’s in this box anyway?” I questioned him when I saw the frightened light in his eyes as he stared at the object in his hands.

“Results.” He replied simply.

“Results for what? Did you miss your period this month?” I asked trying to lighten the unexpected tension in the room.

He didn’t even pay attention to me. I think he forgot that I was in the same room as him. “Exactly what I was afraid of.” He uttered quietly once he finished reading one of the papers that was inside the box.

“What is it?” I moved next to him to read the paper but he quickly folded it back in the box.

“It’s nothing, Nikkie. Eat your breakfast; you’re going to be late for school.” He no longer sounded like my dad. Sadness was present in all of the vibration of his voice and every movement of his body. The man walking toward the couch seemed more like a zombie than my beloved father.

What was possibly written on that paper to make my father act like an undead?

I had to know. I ran up to him and snatched the box from his hands.

“Hey, Nikkie. Come back here young lady. I’m not kidding Nicole,” shouted my father as he ran after me. I’ve already locked my door by the time he reached it.

“Nicole, if you don’t get out of this room right now, you will be grounded until the day you die.”

I completely ignored the pounding at my door and made myself comfortable in my desk chair unfolding the mysterious white paper with the name ‘Spokane Radiation Oncology Associates’ imprinted in the left corner. Isn’t oncology related to cancer? Why was my father receiving a letter from a cancer treatment center? As soon as I read the first sentence, my heart started to play drums in my chest.

Dear Mr. Craig,

We have finally received the results of the tests you had requested for on Monday, October 17, 2014. I’m extremely sorry to inform you that they were not as we had hoped. According to the counts of your white blood cells, you in fact have Leukemia. Unfortunately, there are no cures for Leukemia but there are treatments that may prolong your life. Although, it is not guaranteed…

                I felt tears streaming down my face. I was aware that my dad was still shouted behind my closed door but the blood rushing in my brain made it seemed like a distant chaos.

            This can’t possibly be happening. This can’t be happening.

            I was never a violent person but in that moment I felt like destroying the universe just like it was destroying my life. I brusquely opened my door, stunning my father while he was still in mid-hit. “You can’t die. You can’t leave me too. You can’t.” I screamed at him. Before he could unfreeze I was already out of the door.

            I needed to run. I needed to get away from everything. I needed to get rid of this tightness in my heart that wasn’t moving. I can’t. I can’t do this again. I just can’t.