Letter

"Swish," my eyes flutter open. I see my doctor looking at me.

"Lucy," she asks, "are you awake?" I look at her slightly, but I don't say anything.

"Lucy, are you ok?" she asks, her big blue eyes fixed on me.

I sigh and stare out the window at the dark rainy scene. The dark clouds are covering the sky, the lightning flashes, and the thunder roars.

Well, it's not really a scene. I just imagine it as a scene, just like how I imagine my life when I'm out of the hospital, or if I make it out. I stare at the scene for a couple more minutes, then fall asleep.

I wake up to the noise of my parents softly whispering, "Should we tell her?"

"Tell her what."

"That she has lung cancer."

What? Lung cancer? I have lung cancer? I think. I knew there was something wrong with me, I just didn't know what it was. I clench my fists and try to calm myself down.

I rustle my blankets so my parents know I am awake, and they rush over.

"Sweety you're up. Did you sleep well?" they ask.

"Yes," I say, not looking at their dark blue eyes.

"Well, we wanted to tell you something," my mom says quietly, pushing her blonde hair out of her face nervously.

"That there is something wrong with me, and I have lung cancer?" I say on the verge of tears.

"Yes," my mother says solemnly. As soon as she says this, I start bursting with tears. The tears pour down my cheeks just like a waterfall. The tears just won't stop.

"Mom, are you sure I have lung cancer?" I ask. She nods, putting a hand on my shoulder, her fingers trembling.

"It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay," she says sincerely, but there is a hint of worry in her voice.

"Could you get m-m-me some w-water?" I ask stuttering.

They leave the room, so I start to write a letter. I know that they might not be able to be here when I die, so I decide I should just make sure they will see my words once again. When I finish the letter, I put it in a box, a beautiful box. There is a delicate painting on it of a tiger. I had it because it was my lucky box. I set the box down on a small table, and my parents come in and hand me my water. I drink it down thirstily, the whole water bottle is almost gone.

The next day, I woke up struggling to breath. My dark brown hair is in my face. I push it away and reach for the box. I open it, holding out the letter for my parents to see. I close my eyes and wait for the pain to go away. My lungs slow down until they come to a complete stop.

Joseph and Sadie stare at their daughter's lifeless body, their faces pale, and their eyes welling up with tears. Sadie clutches her daughter's letter, unable to speak. She opens it and starts to read. Dear Mom and Dad, I wanted to tell you I love you, and don't ever change yourselves. I don't want my death to change you. Remember I will always be with you. Love, Lucy. P.S Promise me you will never change yourself.

A couple of days later, Sadie and Joseph look at Lucy's grave. Sadie grasps a small box with a painting of a tiger on it. A beautiful oak tree's leaves covers Lucy's grave with shade, with only slight bits of sunlight showing, but it is enough to see an image. An image of a tiger. Sadie places the delicate box next to Lucy's grave.

Inside the box was a letter.

The letter read, Promise.