[Year 2000]
When Persey was nine years old, she was extremely sick for most of the year. In the summer, she had a really bad chest cold, and once she got over that, she came down with pneumonia. Persey rarely went out of the house around this time, and all of her 'friends' started to drift away from her. Despite being sick, Persey seemed to enjoy her new solitude, so I gave up on trying to help her.
My parents also registered me for a private high school. Because I never had been to a school that required uniforms, it sparked a bit of a rebellious phase in me. I wanted to 'express myself' beyond the limits of my dress code, so I grew out my hair and pulled it back into a pony tail, and I got industrial bars in both of my ears. I got sent to the principal's office a lot for my appearance, but eventually they took me less and less seriously. As long as I was doing my work and not causing trouble, they really had no reason to punish me.
I met my old best friend, Mike, in geometry class. He sat next to me and looked me up and down, especially at my long hair and piercings. Then he started tapping on my shoulder when I wasn't paying attention.
"Hey. Did those piercings hurt?" he said.
"Uh..? Um, yeah, I guess..." I said. I was never used to people coming up and talking to me.
He nodded. "They're cool. Wouldn't get them myself, though. My uncle has like eleven ear piercings, and he says that all the cartilage ones are a pain in the ass. Did your parents let you get those?"
"Well, they paid for them. They don't really care too much about ear piercings. As long as I get them safely, then it doesn't matter," I said.
"Lucky bitch," he grinned. He held out his hand and gave me a high five. "I'm Mike."
"I'm Zander."
"I think I've seen you around before, Zander," he said. "You never really hang out with anyone. An outcast, huh?"
"I wouldn't really say that," I said. "I guess I just like to be alone."
"Well, ya better get used to me, cause I'm not going anywhere."
Mike was tall and thin, with scruffy blonde hair and acne covering his face. He wore blue rimmed glasses, and he liked to take them off and flail them around while he talked. I took a great liking to him, he was one of the only people I've ever met that wasn't afraid to be himself.
After school, we hung out at my house.
When we walked in, Persey was in the kitchen, eating a Hot Pocket. When she saw Mike walking in with me, she frowned slightly and made her way upstairs.
"Is that your sister?" Mike said.
"Yeah," I said. "She's really shy, she doesn't like to talk to people."
"Good thing she's getting home schooled then," he said.
"I don't know if it really helps her though," I said. "She was bullied before, and she doesn't really have any friends."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'm just kind of afraid that she's gonna grow up to be completely antisocial. I mean, it's one thing to like being alone, but she's been rejected by almost every one. She didn't have a choice."
"Eh, I'm sorry man," Mike said. "But maybe she'll grow out of it."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
We played video games for like half an hour, until we heard very violent coughing upstairs, followed by a crash. Without thinking I bolted into Persey's room, and Mike quickly followed. Persey was crouched next to her bookshelf, wheezing and struggling to get off the floor.
"Oh my god, Persey - hold on!" I said, running over to her desk and grabbing her rescue inhaler.
"Z - Zan..." was the only word she could get out before she broke into coughing again. Her lips were turning blue, and the muscles in her neck grew tighter. Her dark eyes whirled in panic.
I held her head and helped her breathe in her inhaler, but it didn't seem to do anything. After a few minutes, she was still struggling to breathe and couldn't even speak in full sentences. I tried to stay calm, but I was starting to panic.
"Zander? What's happening?" Mike said.
"She's having a really bad asthma attack," I said. "Call 911, we need to get her to a hospital."
My family and I were used to Persey's asthma attacks, but this was her first deadly one. They gave her a few shots that were supposed to open up her airways, and then they made her wear a facemask. Eventually, they had to hospitalize her for the night. I was immensely distressed for her.
Mike ate lunch with me the next day, when the hospital released Persey.
"Hey, how's your sister?" he said.
"She's fine," I said. "She had to stay the night at the hospital, but she's better now."
"That's good," Mike smiled.
"The thing is.... she's been sick for most of the year," I said. "Maybe it's stupid to think about, but I can't help but worry she'll only get worse. But... I don't know, I'm just a little paranoid."
"Don't worry, she should be fine," he said. "Besides, what's the worst thing that could happen?"
"Yeah, you're right," I said.
YOU ARE READING
Through the Acheron
Ficção Geral[Formerly Persephone's Death Wish} Zander was seven years old when his little sister Persephone was born. A few weeks later, he had to go to his first funeral. His first experience with death left him mystified and overwrought, fearful that when h...
