9 Lives

Day 2

I sat still in my bed. We had arrived home late the night before but sleep had been beyond my capabilities. I had been up most of the night, catching a few winks of sleep here and there. I needed to faint again, I needed another clue to save my life...and bringing myself closer to my death in the process. Why was life so complicated?

I got out of bed and looked out my window. I had only nine days to live. I had to faint again to know how to--survive. This was so weird.

I moved away from my window and got my clothes on. I brushed my hair and traveled to the kitchen. I looked in the cupboard and found some cereal.

After I'd poured a bowl, I began to eat. I looked at the clock. 6:45? Why was I up so early. No wonder the sun wasn't out. I hurried and ate my food.

I grabbed an encyclopedia and looked up diseases. I searched...nothing. Sicknesses...nothing. Syndromes...nine lives syndrome?

A syndrome where someone faints nine times and and perish on the ninth faint. Any cures that there might be for this syndrome, have not been discovered so this syndrome is deemed untreatable. Not contagious.

"Untreatable," I repeated. "Other people have had it?"

I opened my laptop and searched, Nine lives syndrome. Nothing pulled up but a few Wikipedia articles that told me to same thing I had just learned. I clicked on one more link. I skimmed through the article and something caught my eye.

It has been said by people who have had this syndrome, that they would have a dreams when they were unconscious telling them how to cure the syndrome in form of a poem. But this "cure" has yet to be confirmed to actually work.

I wasn't just imagining it! It was real! I needed to confirm this cure. I needed it to work! I set the laptop down and stood up. I just needed to faint again.

"Anitha?" My dad said, coming down the stairs.

"Other people have had nine lives syndrome! They have had dreams like me! This may be the cure!"

"Anitha...stop this. Your mother and I just want to enjoy these nine days with you. We want to spend quality time with you. I don't want you trying to fix this the whole time we're with you."

I looked at him. "I don't want to die."

My ears rang and my vision went dark. I was sinking again.

I was where I was a day before. A barren beach, with blue sand. I stood up and searched frantically. I needed to find the journal! I stood up and searched my surrounding frantically. The brown book came into view and I quickly picked it up. I flipped the journal open.

If you have arrived here, somehow,

You must know this right now

That and the ninth day when consciousness you lose

It most certainly will be you doom.

But if you do some things.

Although this time of yours does sting, and quite quickly it does wing

But in time you may find, that three rings you'll see in dreams will lead you to the right things that will help you in your quest right before you go to rest...

My vision was going black. Right before I emerged into the real world, something gold shimmered. I quickly grabbed and I was back in the real world.

***

I woke up in my bed. My parents were seated beside me. I looked around. I took me awhile to register my surroundings. There was something cold clutched in my hand.

What...?

I opened my hand. There was a ring in my hand. A ring? I thought for a second. I rejoiced. This is the ring! The ring that will give me clues! I jumped out of my bed.

"Anitha! Sit down you might get dizzy again!" my mother said, grabbing me. "Drink some water." She handed me a glass of water.

I did as I was told and sat down. I took the water and took a sip. I set my water down on the table.

"Hey!" I say holding up the ring. "This is a ring I saw in my dream when I fainted! It's supposed to help me find out how to survive."

"The ring you saw in your dream?" my father said, holding out his hand.

I reluctantly drop the ring in his outstretched hand. He lifted the ring closer to his eyes and carefully examined the ring or a moment, my mother peering over his shoulder.

"Where did you get this?" my father asked. I rolled my eyes.

"I already told you. I found it in my dream."

My parents looked at me with a worried.

"The dream I had after I fainted." I continued, looking at them expectantly.

"Why aren't you telling me the truth?"

I examined them in disbelief for a moment.

"You don't believe me," I said quietly, almost in dismay. I looked at my feet.

"Anitha..."

I jerked my head upward. "You don't believe me!" I exclaimed.

"Anitha!" my mother said back. "Stop this at once! You are scaring us!"

"You should listen to me!" I snatched the ring from my father. I ran to the bathroom and slammed the door. I locked the door, sat on the toilet and dropped my head in my hands.

"Anitha!" I heard my father's muffled shouts from outside the bathroom door as his knuckles rapped on the door. The loud sound intruded my obstinance and immediately, I felt the tears fall and wet my hands. I felt the ring that was pressed to my cheek heat. I sniffed and pulled my hands slowly away from my face. The ring was slowly growing more and more red, heating up as it did so. The hot ring singed my hand and I dropped it onto the ground.

As it hit the floor an image flickered up from it, like a projector. A face

"If you are seeing this, you have developed a disease called nine lives syndrome. This disease that you have currently, causes you to have dreams every time you faint, telling you that if you do certain things, they will save you from your doom and indeed they shall. I will tell you more when you come to see me."

His head disappeared. "Come to see you?" I wondered aloud. "Where are you?"

I picked up the ring and went out of the bathroom. I looked at my father who was standing there and went to bed. 

Hey, everyone! Thanks for reading! I will be entering this into a contest, wish me luck!