Cured

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The metal chair was ice cold under my legs, causing a faint tingle to fade from my hips to my toes. My eyes stared straight ahead, locking with the familiar brown eyes of my best friend Belle.

It was her, but at the same time; it wasn't.

Her once glowing and affection filled eyes were now dulled by the garish red that replaced the whites and was now spreading down her cheeks to mix with the blood that was pouring from her crooked and broken nose. The seizures had caused most of the vessels and capillaries in her face and chest to burst from the pressure, so her skin held this blotchy bruised texture making her almost unrecognizable. The thump of her body hitting the plexiglass wall brought my attention back to her face. Her mouth was open in a snarl that showcased her chipped and broken teeth that she sustained from the constant bashing of her face on the glass in her attempts to reach me.

My hand burned in reminder of the first time I faced her, the grooves in my skin from her teeth were still leaking a steady stream of blood that I made no move to staunch; I knew what came next, so there was no use prolonging the inevitable. Standing on dead legs, I took slow steps towards Belle-it- and raised my hand to the glass. The blood on my hand left deep red smears on the glass that she instantly locked onto; her bashing became more aggressive as she fought to break though. I longed to run my fingers through her thick curly hair, I was always so jealous of her hair even though she always said she'd prefer to have my pin-straight blonde locks.

"You deserved better, Esabelle." I whispered, my voice tight with regret.

With my final goodbye hanging in the air I stepped backwards towards the metal chair again, the backs of my knees hitting it first, the cold metal shocking me once again. Memories of the last four years flashed through my head, now tainted by the screaming from the exam rooms around me. Death was all around me, and now it was my turn.

My head lolled back so my eyes were facing the harsh fluorescent lights, and my mind dulled as the screams of my friend blurred in with the screams of those dying around me.