The Post-It List

Rebellion! (David)

      I lay there, not quite dead, but yet not alive. It is rare when I feel, all the pain is just gone, but I can only hear. I can hear Kiaria talking to Conner. I cannot understand the words he is saying to her, but she is being soft, and he is rough. You can call Conner rugged. Bipolar, for lack of a better word. But it seems they are sharing something; something deep. Something like a lovers kiss. A piercing sound of sirens annoyed my body, and made it twitch. Before I heard the noise, before I heard Conner cry, I heard Kiaria help him, and I felt the wind rustle my hair. My body lay there, sluggish, and deciding whether to kill me or not.  The sirens drew closer, and the crowd that I heard had quieted down. Approaching footsteps made my arm twitch as I heard the fence that had trapped us all shake and quake. I heard a saw and my body grew cold. With my last ounce of power, I gasped and my body froze. There was no trace that any warmth had been in its place, and Death stopped at my doorstep. It was like a fall surprise of snow, or a summer surprise of rain. When he stopped by, his cloak was tattered, and I couldn’t see his face. Bony fingers and a scythe were all that I could see. Surprisingly, I asked him for forgiveness, for him not to kill me. Didn’t I want to die? Didn’t I? In reality, death is a nice guy. In a British accent, I asked him to join me for tea, and we sat and chatted. It seemed I was on the edge of life, and on the verge of death, and holding on by a finger. Have you ever heard the theories that when you die, you just, you know, die? They say dying and not knowing it is the easiest. I beg to differ, for while I am dying, I know it. All the experts would say you don’t know when it will come, it will just happen. And they also say it will happen when it happens, you cannot cheat death, said the man who cheated it so many times before. But when you think about it, am I really a man? No, I cry, I shake, I yell for my mom, I hang with girls, I am me. I am human.

     Anyway, I knew death was coming. He was standing in front of me, and he was so nonchalant. But what did he have to hide? Nothing! He is Death of God’s sake. The sirens were blaring. Louder and louder! They were screaming in my ear, laughing in my face. The sirens were a mean child who eats your ice cream! As I say this Death looks at me, and cocks his cloaked head, “You are gonna die, kid.” He pulls a piece of old parchment out of his sleeve and reads my name.

     I did nothing more than nod, and look at Kiaria. If only we did go out. If only I was the tough one.  If only I had the power. If only I didn’t make so many mistakes, after all I am human. Death looked at me as though he had seen a train. I turned around and saw the paramedics, pressing my chest in failed attempt at reviving my body. But I wasn’t dead, I was merely delusional.

     When I turned back, Death was nothing more than a whisper in the cool midfall wind. My eyes opened, and I was reborn. It was a gentle spring day, and I was a newly hatched baby bird ready to soar the skies. Cautiously, I opened my eyes. It felt like a million ton weight was lifted off my shoulders as I saw what had become of my body. I was in a different environment. In a bed. My tingling body was feeling weird. As my crimson eyes (Coloured from medication) opened big, I heard my aunt gasp. My aunt Meloney must have come to collect us. Us meaning Tilly and I. How did my aunt fly out?

     “Davie!!” my sister yelled gleefully. I winced at her shrill voice, but I rejoiced at her smile. Her toothy grin made me smile.

     “Hey, lil red.” Her hair was now a vibrant red, almost… fiery. It was just like her passion, and she was amazing for doing it too. In that way, she is just like mom. I bet when she grows up, won’t remember her, and it saddens me. Just the thought that she may ask, ‘Who is my mommy,’ hurts me, and the idea that I will have to tell the truth, gives me pain. As I glanced at her now, I realized she is just a child, a mere girl. She has so much more to learn. So much more to grow.

     “I got it done lasterday.” In my home, we said lasterday. Not yesterday.

     “What is today?” I asked, timidly. She smiled wide.

     “Saturday. You go to school on Monday.” She did a laugh and the giddiness of her laughter made me smile.

     I glanced at my aunt in disgust and I remembered that I hated her. I mumbled bitch.

     “When we get you out of here, we are flying out.” She growled.

I stared at her, with anger and fear in my eyes. Momma had told me not to ever disobey, but this was different. At first, my voice was a whisper, ‘no.’ but it grew louder, ‘No.’ and I repeated it. It was no longer a fiery hatred for her, rather a rebellion. I may be in a hospital bed, but I still have power. I still shine. I still am a human, she can’t treat me like a dog.

I am not just a kid,

I am a person,

I am an adult.

I am David,

And I have the power.

[C]