The Ultimate Sacrifice

Prologue

Prologue

"Time for bed," I thought to myself as I swung open my bedroom door.

The hinges creaked, breaking the long silence that graced the night. Without even stepping into the room, I could feel the muggy, humid air that hit my skin. Our AC broke just last week, and it would be another three days before the repairman came. "He better come in time," I muttered, knowing from past experience that you could only play the game of chance so many times before things went too far.

I threw my purse on my desk, taking off my shoes at the same time. Without turning the light on, I kicked them off to the edge of my bed. So much had happened that day and I was too lazy to bother changing into pajamas; so I began to walk to my bed.  

"God, it feels like a sauna in here. Can barely breathe," I mumbled to myself.

I realized then that I had a habit of talking to myself in the late night. It was quiet, and I was left alone to my thoughts. Instinctively, I began to recount the day and go down my mental checklist of what I had to get done.

Just as my hands reached the mattress, I remembered I had forgotten to take my contacts out and swallow my pills. I turned back around, heading into my bathroom. However, right as my foot reached the line where my bedroom carpet met the tile of the bathroom floor, everything became blurry and I started to feel dizzy.

"No, c'mon. Just let me get to my pills," I mutter to myself.

I continued to walk, but as I did I felt my lungs seize up and breathing became even more difficult than before.

"Fricken. humidity," I grunted, trying to push forward.

One more step and my legs turned into jello beneath me. Quickly, as everything spun into havoc before my eyes, I reached for the counter for support. My right hand held my body steady as the other snaked up the wall, finding the medicine cabinet and opening it.

"Ah!" I gasped in pain, clutching my stomach.

Determined to get through this episode, I took the prescription in my left hand and tried to open it, still using the other hand for support. Struggling, I felt a drop of sweat slide down my noes; the cold sweats had now begun to take effect. I continued to fumble around with the cap until it flew off, causing the pills to pour out with it. In a panic, I scrambled to catch them all. Soon, however, it was clear I exerted myself too far and my panting became too much for my lungs to bear; time was running out.

"Just swallow the pills," I thought to myself, trying to see through my blurred vision as the sweat continued to roll down my face.

I wiped my forehead with my right arm, which was also covered in cold sweat, big mistake. Unable to balance unsupported, my legs collapsed underneath me and I slipped on the tile. Without the slightest ounce of control, I was unable to stop my skull from hitting a sharp corner of the counter, and I winced out in pain. Soon the rest of my body followed until the back of my head made its final rest on the cold bathroom tile. The room was now out of focus entirely and all I saw was stars of colour being swallowed by blackness, like when you sleep out in the sun and then rub your eyes too hard. I knew time was limited to swallow my meds when all I could hear was the panting of my breath. Then everything turned black; and that's when I woke up.