The Side Effects

Prologue

Dear Cassie,

Adeline's voice faltered when she read the line, "Caution: side effects may include..." It's never the thing itself that does the killing, it's the side effects. The medicine itself is just the instruction manual that is meant to be followed. The side effects carry out the plan. "...lack of sleep, severe headaches," as she read her voice grew faint as if she was being effected already. The side effects come in a series of waves, and each one compliments the one before. Funny thing about side effects is that even though they each attack different areas, they are never attacking against each other. Of course how could they when their soul purpose is to destroy. "...hallucinations, dizziness, loss of memory," she looked up at me, and I could see by the crease in her forehead she was beginning to doubt.

I've seen people follow the instructions. I've watched as kids take on the roles of side effects, and in doing so they become this mass of hate that attacks the ones who have already run through a series of tests. They attack the ones who have already dealt with their share of side effects. Every list of instructions all look to accomplish the same goal.

She looked back down at the bottle and her lips formed a popular word composed of five letters, "death." It is only now that the thought has occurred to me that life itself has become its own set of instructions. Adeline and I both had experienced the long term effects of life, and we had watched Cassie endure one too many. It's the side effects that allow the destruction to be seen by those of us outside the walls of destruction.

There poses a question now of how to stop the side effects? I've come up with only one answer to that backwards riddle because there is no cure for this disease. The only option for us is to simply open the book and allow the effects to run through to the last one. That is when we may be at peace. That is where our riddle will end. I didn't see her symptoms though, and maybe that's what started mine because that's one thing I could never grasp. I could never learn to forgive myself. Today is a day 174 days after the first day. That was the day someone opened her instruction manual. That was the day the first side effect attacked.