Dare Kings

Chapter 35: Carnival

A week later

"Muuuuffff..."

"Mmmuffff..."

"Blaaaggfh!"

"Brrrugh!"

Wiping my mouth, I seated my fragile body on the floor, sighing before catching some breath.

It felt like something was reawakening inside of me, but not in a good way. The headaches grew more excruciating, the urge to sleep became relentless, nausea struck more often than I could bear, and I found myself lost in thought or saying indecisive things unintentionally. Sometimes, my brain simply refused to function, leaving me in a fog of confusion and despair. The loss of appetite was relentless, too.

I couldn't remember the last time I had a proper meal. Fruits and water were my meager sustenance, and even those were a struggle to consume.

Then there were the new symptoms, the ones that filled me with dread. Three seizures had seized hold of my body, leading to four rushed trips to the hospital. They wanted me to stay for chemo, but I refused. There seemed to be no point.

Doubtful perceptions and confusion clouded my mind. Mood swings became a part of my daily existence, something my doctor had warned me about.

I shouted and raged, emotions erupting like a volcano. Sometimes, tears flowed without reason, except for the looming fear of death that hung over me like a dark cloud.

My friends understood it was all part of the illness, but they gave me space while continuing to visit my bedroom, trying to inject moments of joy into my life while I still had strength.

Sadly, Tristan and I hadn't spoken since the day we swam in the lake. It wasn't personal; I kept my distance to shield him from the reality of my sickness.

I missed him terribly, his touch, the memory of it etched into my mind. The sheer ecstasy, passion, and delight of that night were impossible to forget, even in the midst of my suffering.

There was a soft knock on my bathroom door, jolting me back to reality. "Honey, the tea's here," my mother said gently, standing at the doorway, holding a cup of tea.

I hadn't asked for tea.

"Mom, why are you bringing me tea?" I rose from the floor, observing as her face fell, her eyes clouding with concern.

She averted her gaze from me, her unease palpable.

She looked at me, biting her lip softly. "So, you're not in the mood for tea at all?" She asked softly, and I shook my head.

"Mom, are you okay?" I inquired, sensing something amiss.

She let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. "Yes, sweetie, I was fine. I am fine because you are. I'll just... see you downstairs, darling," she said before leaving and clearing her throat.

Why had she been acting so strangely? Just a few minutes ago, when she brought me my medication, she had seemed fine and less troubled.

I supposed it must have been because of my illness.

Well, that was her concern. At that moment, all I needed to do was sleep. It was the best course of action with this pounding headache.

I crawled onto my bed, lay down, closed my eyes, and soon, everything faded to black.

***

The doorbell rang, and my mom went to answer it while the girls and I continued our conversation.

"The surgery is the only way, so when it's shrunk and slowed, it will be better and life-threatening," I explained, and they looked at me, nodding.

"So, is the surgery risky?" Ashley asked.