Phantom

Bad News

Chapter 1: Bad News

"Hey mom, can you come get the door!"
I yelled into the tattered old screen door of my home.

"Yeah- just give me one minute Anna."
Her normally soft spoken voice sounded chocked up and hoarse. She came up to the door with her head low, and her short blonde hair covered her eyes. As I came in my dog, Maggie, had come up to greet me. She licked me all over in a happy welcome. Mom left the room and went into the kitchen. I would normally just slink of to my room and read a book or something, but I was in a particularly good mood and decided to go talk to Mom. There were gloomy clouds covering the sun and the lights were off in the kitchen, so it was difficult to see.

When she had heard me come in, she immediately got an onion and began slicing it. I sat down at the barstool and watched her. She was sniffing violently, and I could see tears dripping off her face.

"Wow, that must be a really strong onion!"

I chucked. When I said that, she dropped the knife on the floor and broke out into a frantic sobbing.
"Mom? Mom what's going on? Are you okay?"

I rushed to help her up. She had tear stains on her pale face, and her eyes were puffy. I could tell she had been crying for awhile.

"Anna, we need to talk. It's- the doctor- just come with me, please."

She is really upset. I had been feeling sick for awhile now, but not like a cold or flu sickness, but just a weak and fatigued sickness. At first it wasn't bad, but lately it's been getting worse. One night I was constantly vomiting, and mom took me to the hospital. She had thought it was appendicitis. They cat-scanned me, and had said that nothing was wrong with my appendix. I still felt sick though, and the doctor had asked me to leave the room. When we were leaving the hospital that night, I asked mom what was wrong with me. She said that there was a small growth on my lung, but it was very tiny and not at all a threat. "They'll look into it a bit more and see what it is, but it will be awhile. It's nothing to worry about."

Is that what this was about? A million thoughts are rushing through my head, like a river during rain season. Mom sat down on the couch in the living room, and I did the same. She took both of my hands and looked into my blue eyes.

"Anna- oh Anna, I wish I didn't have to tell you this-" tears ran down her face, her deep gray eyes full of worry and sorrow. "Remember the small growth we went to the doctors about? It- it's- they confirmed it; you have cancer. I'm so- I'm so sorry..." She got up and trotted out of the room, with her face in her hands. "What?" I said out loud.

"No, no, this can't really be happening..." The rushing river of my thoughts morphed into a waterfall of fear and sorrow, and I broke down crying. "Why is this happening to me, why, do I really deserve this? It can't really be happening!" I sobbed into the throw pillow of our pale yellow couch. My dog Maggie came up and nosed my face. I looked at her curious brown eyes; she didn't understand why I was upset. She began to lick the tears of my face. I bent down and held her in a tight, loving embrace, and sobbed into her warm, now moist fur.

"What now Maggie?"

{Hello readers!!! Hope you like it so far! If you're enjoying it, be sure to read on and let me know what you think! This chapter isn't great, but I swear it gets much better! Don't stop now!}