Safe & Sound

Chapter 5

It's been a week since the beginning of school.

Sandy and I hang out a lot, since we are in a lot of the same classes. Owen and I hang out during English, much to his 'friends' displeasure. Owen never hangs out with Sandy and I though, the popular kids can't stand it. Even when he does sit with us in the library during lunch, or if he watches Stranger Things with us after school, one of the kids always find out. The gets heck from them. I ask him why he doesn't just leave them, but Owen always responds saying that it's a lot harder then that.

Today after school I'm meeting up with my doctor for a Anxiety check-up. I haven't had any attacks since the first day- that's a record for me. I've heard Mom over the phone saying that I needed a check-up for some sickness, but I feel fine. I'm actually the best I've been yet.

After school is finished Sandy meets me in the library.

"Hey Sandy!" I call, walking towards the seminar room.

Sandy turns around. "Mack!" She calls, happily. "I've decided that we are going to read a book, then watch the movie!"

"Kind of like a book club." I say.

She smiles. "Yeah! So I've picked out a couple of books, and you can decide which one you like best, sound good?"

I nod my head, and Sandy leads me to a mountain of books. "Here are a couple of the options, The Fault in Our Stars, Percy Jackson, Mortal Instruments, Divergent, The Selection, Harry Potter."

I look to see a small book on the floor, and bend to pick it up. "Bridge to Terabithia." I read off of the cover.

Sandy walks up to me. "I've never read that one. It looks good, want to choose this one?"

I nod, and Sandy and I each sign out a copy. "Are we going to finish the movie?"

Sandy and I watch Stranger Things for a bit, then her mom texts her, telling her to start to get home.

"Got to go." She says, reading her mom's texts. "See you tomorrow!" She picks up her bag, and book and run out of the library.

I decide not to sit by myself in the library, so I go outside.

I've never really been outside the school yet- except walking in and out. There are so many tall tree's and small statues. I notice some picnic benches for students who want to eat their lunch outside.

I find a tree, and put all of my belongings under the shade of the tree. I take 'Bridge to Terabithia' out of my bag and start reading.

I must have been under that tree for at least forty-five minuets, for when I looked up, I saw my moms car waiting for me.

I get up, off of the floor and rush inside her huge SUV. "Sorry I'm late." I say as I throw my bag in the trunk.

"Hurry Macbeth, we have your appointment in ten minuets!" Mom says in a panicked voice from the front seat.

I scramble inside of the car and we head to the doctor.

"How was school?" Mom asks me as she stops at a red light.

"It was fine." I say, drawing little peace signs on my hand with a bright pink pen I found in the trunk. "Sandy and I started a book club."

"Really? What book did you guys decide to read?" She asks me.

I pull the book out from my bag. "Bridge to Terabithia, by: Katherine Patterson."

"You might want to bring it to the doctors office. The wait time is approximately 15 minuets."

Mom was right. I was waiting in the bare doctors office for at least 15 minuets, when finally a nurse poked her head inside of the room.

"Macbeth Choiselat?" She reads off of he clipboard. "Doctor Hannah is ready for your appointment."

I get up and follow the nurse to Doctor Hannah's room. When I walk in I see Mom and the Doctor having a conversation. Mom certainty doesn't look happy though. It almost looks like she was, crying.

"Macbeth!" Doctor Hannah says when I reach the room. "So good to see you!"

I give a slight nod, and sit down in a chair beside her desk.

"Now, today is an important day." She says, talking to me like a teacher to her kindergarten children. "You know why?"

I shake my head, and look back down to the floor.

The Doctor and the Nurse both look at Mom, then back at me. "Okay, well today we will be, um...., taking some tests on you." Doctor Hannah says.

Tests? I don't want them running tests on me! Just as the Nurse is about to take a give me a needle in a vain from my wrist, I jerk my arm away. "What tests?" I ask her.

"Just making sure you are all safe and healthy!" Mom says, from her chair across the room. She attempts on smiling, but it looks really forced. Mom and the Doctors know something I do not. Something important. What is it?

I bring my arm back down and allow the Nurse to give me the needle. The moment the liquid goes through my blood, I feel instantly drowsy. Everything is getting darker, until there's nothing left.

I wake up in a field. Alone. Where is this? Then I realize, this is my safe place. I walk around, and see the main area of the field. The place where my sisters and I built Tepees for each of us to stay in. I walk up to mine, and sit down in it. This is the place where I feel safe. Where I feel nothing will ever hurt me. I close my eyes and rest there for a bit, until I wake up again to go and find something to eat. I pick up my bow and arrow that hangs from a twig on a tree near my tepee and go walking around the field. I'm not going to shoot any animal, I might just practice my aim, or use the arrows to sharpen sticks, which are good for little knifes for cutting things like rope or plastic. I take an arrow and place it along the bow. There is a small bush of moss maybe 70 feet away from me that I'm trying to hit. I pull back the arrow, then when I'm certain that it is perfectly lined up with my target, I let it go. I watch the arrow soar through the air and cut right into the center of the moss. I smile, and go to retrieve it. Just as my fingers touch the arrow, it turns to a mist, and evaporates. I look around to see everything slowly evaporating into the sky. The whole field is being turned into mist, until there is just me left. Me in a dark room. Suddenly I hear a woman crying. Mom. I run towards her to see Doctor Hannah telling her something. Something bad. Mom starts crying even harder. I run up to her to give her a hug, but as soon as I touch Mom's arm, she evaporates. Again, everything evaporates, until I'm suddenly at school. I look around to see Sandy and Owen, and as I run to talk to them, she and everything else evaporates. I feel trapped. An endless cycle of worlds disappearing. I start to scream for someone's help. Mom. Sandy. Owen. Doctor Hannah. Anyone. But no one comes. I'm stuck. I feel bound up by some invisible rope, and fall to the floor. I kick, and scream. But no one comes. Just as I feel that I can't take it any longer, I wake up.

I'm in Doctor Hannah's room. Right back where I was before. I look around to see everyone surrounding me. Mom, Doctor Hannah, the Nurse. They all look worried. And sad.

"Macbeth, we have good news and bad news." Doctor Hannah says slowly. "The good news, Anxiety won't be a big problem anymore."

"What does that mean? Is it gone? Is that even possible?" I ask her.

"Macbeth, we did some test, and we found that you have cancer."