"Ilana has always been a special girl. Special in our hearts, and forever in our minds." The preacher spoke with remorse over the hospital bed. Alas, no one would feel more remorse then her parents, Richard and Stacy. 18 years felt wasted and gone. Although Ilana's heart was medically alive, her brain was gone. Richard held his weeping wife, just like she held onto the belief her daughter was still in there. Stacy has always believed in what her husband and daughter called 'nonsense'. Spirits, the afterlife, and such on. She considered herself a median of some sorts. Whilst her husband, raised in a strict abusive church, has strayed away in such things. He considers himself a man of science, or what he would call 'sane'. Ilana has been in this state of coma for 8 long months. Her brain slowly withering away, like the state of her room. After 5 of those months, her parents slowly stopped going into her room, places she loved, updating family members, and even the hospital. Some people of course understood this. I mean, how could someone watch there child decompose? Others were angry and hateful. I mean, how could such 'loving' parents not visit their own child? Not update people? Pull the plug? How could such 'loving' parents, give up? Richard sighed, "Honey, maybe we should go, its getting late." Stacy whimpered trying not to spill more tears, her eyes almost dried out. "I can't leave her." He held her tighter pausing, "She's already gone dear, we can come back tomorrow, ok?" The aching mother lightly nods. "Yes, we can." She takes the bright blue bag off the hospital couch, Ilana never was a 'girly' girl. She preferred blue, and dirt, and other things people deemed 'boyish'. Her parents didn't mind, it was her preferences anyways, not theirs. Stacy carefully pulled out her child's old bear. Placing it beside her withered child. She gave her a soft kiss, whispering "I know you're with us. Please, pull through Ilana, pull through." The sorrowful mother looks at her daughters face. Ilana's eyes began to slightly move, but only for a moment. Stacy quickly looked at her husband. "Did you see that? What if she IS still with us!" The mourning husband sighed deeper, "Honey, she's not, she's dea-" The mother shouted interrupting him "NO! She's not, she's there, she has to be, I know she is." Richards impatience grew. All these 8 months with his hope fading away day by day he was tired of hearing she might be ok, theirs still a chance. He put his hand on Stacys shoulder, "She's not. We have to go. The guest hours are about to be over, only one pe-" She once again cut him off. "Then I'll stay, I don't want to be around someone who has given up on her anyways!" Taken aback, he stared. Then made a slight nod, and walked out. The mother began to sob.
Opening the quiet, cold house door the father steps into his home. Or what used to be their home. He lightly closed the door and began walking to his room. Passing Ilana's room. Before he did, he stopped. Looking at the name written with thick sharpie on a piece of cardboard. Stickers of dinosaurs and various animes he never could understand. Looking at the doorknob he reached his hand out. Slowly twisting the knob he opened the dusty room. His legs were frozen, but he treaded forth anyways. Sitting on her bed Richard held the photo of his loving daughter. Why? Why did this happen. What could have happened? Why did she have to go out that night. Why did they convince her? Why didn't we stop her! For the first time all day, tears streamed down the sorrowful fathers face. He stood, with the picture in hand. Walking towards his room he began searching through his drawers. The silver gun he got for Ilana's birthday in hand he sighed. "Ilana, if you're really out there, would you tell me? A sign, maybe?" Nothing. The wisp cold air blew lightly. Even in such despair and hardship he smiled. "Ah." Pulling the gun to his head he sighed once more. "Why?.." BOOM.
A loud bang, and a bright flash.
"Dad?.."
"DAD!"
Richard opened his eyes, seeing a blur of someone he knew. "Dad! Get out of here!" His breathing becoming more heavy. "Ilana? Is that you? What's going o-" a loud explosion in the distance goes off. Hot. He feels hot. He can hear booming and the sound of guns. Standing up, he looks at his daughter. She looks older. Wiser. Confused he walks to her, "Ilana, what the hell is going on?"
His daughter looking distressed, "Well, it star-"
