If you've ever or never been in a situation where you're hanging from a rope, dangling between life and death and surrounded by a crowd who aren't planning to help, then you know or I'll tell you, it's irritating.
Maybe I've done a lot of horrible things, but you have to know, life hasn't been fair to me either.
Ugh, come on Meffi, break off, try to break off
Can't you see I'm trying, it's not that simple
Do we really have to quarrel in this situation, I need air, your organs need air.
Quick Meffi, try to break free.
In a situation where I find it hard to breathe, goosebumps reminded me my fever was skyrocketing again. My eyes bulged out of their sockets, I could have shouted for help, but my throat was hanging from a rope rendering my speech nearly impossible...who am I kidding, why do I need to shout for help when everyone stood there watching me slowly descent into death.
Trying to help myself which is likely to end in utter failure, my legs jerked irrationally, wiggling to find something to pull unto for a breather, I subconsciously tried moving my hands which were tied behind my back to no avail, I tried all I could but ended up getting myself choking on saliva.
My lips quivered and I felt my sturdily built frame tremble seriously, I was holding a scream, not because I didn't want to scream but because I couldn't. My bulging eyes darted around the crowd whose noise felt irritating to my ears, and there, I saw someone I recognised all too well...the bitch half sister who wanted me dead. We'd done this before, killing each other and now she's doing it again when I should be the one doing it.
Thinking too much with a brain that wasn't being supplied oxygen was too much of a blow to it, dizziness sets in, everything became blurry.
I am losing time
I could feel my heartbeat slow down, I lost all energy to jerk or squirm...am I going to die like this?
I probably won't make it to heaven.....I quickly lost my focus on the surroundings, my insides screaming for air and help...the noise soon started to fade and my organs began shutting down one after the other.
....Bye bye world....
I let the threatening beads of tears drop like they would solve all my feelings. The last thing I heard before my ears, brain and heart could completely collapse was a gunshot, and I think I felt myself fall but that was it.
I opened my eyes later in this world of utter darkness but there's no idea where I am, I tried moving around, it felt like I was walking on air and yet walking on solid path, the wind was slow and solemn with light dark clouds floating around sometimes. I could see nothing ahead and nothing behind....
....is this death?....where am I?.... Does that even matter?...all that matters now is that I got out of that hellish torture.
I suddenly gasp as I realise that I was free, my trembling hands were no longer constricted behind me. Relief washed over me as I gave way to my trembling knees to fall, lowering my head into my palms and venting out my relief in form of tears.
I can't even tell if I felt my palms, but I couldn't care less right now...I finally broke free from that thing called life.
Happy and relieved as I am, beeping sounds came into my head which I jerked up almost immediately, not sure if I was imagining. My brows creased as I stared deeply into the darkness ahead of me listening to be sure of what I'm hearing. They were the beeping of hospital machines, one of the sounds I hated the most and they were getting louder with each passing moment....I subconsciously widened my eyes as a thought daunted past my brain....
....WHAT IF I AM NOT TRULY DEAD?.....
That would be horrible.
Why do I hate life so much?, like I said, it's not been fair to me.
Why?, What happened?, well, my life started getting messy when my baby brother was born, my parents changed their attitude towards me, maybe it was because my brother was better than me?, maybe not. I was probably paranoid and thought they changed....but it didn't truly get messed up until 3 years ago when I turned 16 and got into college.
[Saturday, 13th of August, 2009 – Three Years Earlier]
Time – 8:00 AM
I laid on my bed as my alarm blared beside me, staring blankly at the ceiling with an upside-down smile. A vein on my forehead throbbed relentlessly.
…Yeah. I think it's time I ask for a separate room…
"MEFFI, WAKE UP!"
Elrith shouted as he jumped straight onto my bed, nearly crushing my ribs.
"Dude," I groaned, "why do you keep acting like you're nine?"
"Because you keep getting lazier every day."
My eyelids drooped. I already knew he was about to start lecturing.
"Where did that come from?" I muttered.
Elrith pointed dramatically at the alarm clock.
"Your alarm went off. You woke up. And you still didn't turn it off."
"I'm not the only one using it," I said, dragging myself out of bed and heading toward the bathroom. "You could've turned it off yourself."
"Yes, I could," he replied, following right behind me, "but that would just encourage your laziness."
"Whatever."
We brushed our teeth… or at least, we tried to. The whole thing dragged on for nearly thirty minutes because Elrith kept rambling about the correct amount of time someone should brush their teeth.
I mean… seriously, who cares that much?
"You're done already?" he asked, staring at me like I had just committed a crime.
"Yes. Obviously, I'm done. Why?"
"You didn't even last a full minute!" he said, looking even more horrified.
"…Doing what?"
"Brushing your teeth! Mum said we're supposed to brush for two whole minutes."
'Oh no…' I sighed. "And your point is?"
"You need to brush again. Obviously."
"Why should I do that?"
"Because Mum said so. And we're visiting your new school today. We need to look our best, don't we?"
"My teeth are clean," I said, opening my mouth. "See?"
"You should look in the mirror."
I did and immediately froze. Green flakes of kale stared back at me from between my teeth.
"…What?" I gripped the washbasin dramatically. 'LIFE!!!'
I ended up brushing my teeth again. Worse still, Elrith forced me to finish at the exact same time he did — around 8:25 AM.
And bathing was even worse.
I told Elrith to shower first. Once he got in, I finally had some peaceful time to myself, so I booted up Warzone.
Absolute bliss.
That lasted… until Mum called us for breakfast.
'Breakfast? At this time? Isn't it a little too—'
My thoughts stopped when I checked the clock.
9:20 AM!!
"WHAT?!"
I sprinted toward the bathroom and grabbed the handle, trying to force it open, to my horror, it was locked.
"ELRITH!!! ARE YOU STILL IN THERE?!"
"Yes" he shouted back "Stop screaming!! Jesus, you nearly scared my soul out of me"
"What are you still doing in there?" I snapped.
"What else would I be doing?"
"You're wasting time. Hurry up!"
Time – 9:27 AM
"ELRITH!!!"
"Meffi, why are you shouting?" Mum called from downstairs.
"Uh… nothing, Mum!"
A few moments later, Elrith finally stepped out of the bathroom looking pale, like his body had absorbed half the water supply. The corner of my left eye twitched when he flashed me that glorious teeth smile of his, but I didn't have time to nag him, I rushed straight into the bathroom.
When I came out, it was already 9:40 AM and Elrith was nowhere to be seen.
Despite my panic, I paused for a moment...Okay… that's suspicious. He spends nearly an hour getting dressed… unless…
He went to tell on me to mum
…Yeah. That sounds like something he would do.
Luckily, I had wrapped a towel around myself before stepping out of the bathroom, I had barely finished checking the clock when Mum suddenly burst into my room.
"Meffi, we're supposed to catch the bus by 10. Did you see the time?"
"I'm literally looking at it right now."
"Then why are you so late?"
"You should ask Elrith why he took forever in the bathroom. If you'll excuse me."
"Sure," she replied calmly.
You could say I set a world record for getting ready that morning.
I rushed around the room, grabbing anything that looked important. I threw on my shirt but didn't bother buttoning it. I yanked on my trousers, leaving the belt dangling loosely around my waist.
Did I care?, absolutely not.
I reached for my body cream when I suddenly felt water dripping down my back.
I froze.
Two seconds, that was all the time I gave myself to investigate the source which turned out to be my hair, still soaking wet. I dashed back to grab a face towel and hurriedly dried my hair while sprinting back toward my dressing table. It barely dried half of it.
I slung the towel around my neck and pulled up my trousers, which were now threatening to fall off. I didn't have time to buckle the belt properly, so I just zipped my trousers and hoped for the best.
9:45 AM
I grabbed my cream, smeared a generous amount across my forehead, and dashed out of my room, buttoning my shirt as I raced downstairs.
Mum and Elrith were already seated at the dining table.
"Are you okay?" Mum asked, eyeing me carefully.
"Yes, Mum. Where's my breakfast?"
"You're going to eat… looking like that?" she asked, gesturing toward me.
"To save time? Yes."
I shoveled large spoonfuls of scrambled eggs into my mouth while finishing the last few buttons on my shirt. I took a massive bite of bread, then used the leftover cream on my forehead to rub across the exposed parts of my skin.
Once I finished, I gulped down my tea in three huge swallows, only then did I notice the silence.
I looked up.
Mum and Elrith were staring at me like I had suddenly grown two extra heads.
"What?" I asked, finally buckling my belt.
"Are you okay?" Elrith repeated cautiously.
"Mum, did you see the time?"
"Yes," she said, standing up. "We should get going."
Mum grabbed her purse, phone, and house keys while Elrith and I followed behind her. I continued trying to dry the rest of my hair with the towel as we walked from the dining room to the front door. Once outside, I carelessly tossed the towel back into the house before Mum locked the door.
That towel would be resolved when we get back.
Honestly, this was how some of my weird mornings usually started.
After leaving the house, we half-walked, half-ran toward the bus stop. Luckily, we arrived just before the bus pulled away.
We climbed aboard, and I dropped into a seat behind Mum and Elrith.
That was close I told myself
After relaxing a little, I decided to text my friends. That was when a harsh reality hit me like a truck.
"Oh no… I forgot my phone," I muttered.
"What was that, Meffi?" Mum asked.
"I forgot my phone, Mum," I admitted, slumping in defeat.
Yeah… I think it's high time I get separated from that little devil.
"This is all your fault, Elrith."
"Me?" he asked, looking offended and innocent at the same time. "Why would I hide your phone so you'd forget it?"
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
"Did you hide my phone so I would forget it?"
"Not exactly."
I leaned back against my seat, slowly nodding.
"No wonder, Elrith… no wonder you got dressed so quickly. You always find new ways to annoy me, don't you?"
"I think the word you're looking for is 'amaze,'" he said proudly while tapping his backpack.
I forced on my best fake submissive expression, though I couldn't shake the feeling that my phone wasn't actually at home like I thought… but inside someone's bag. I'd have to get it back.
But how?
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.
Oh my God!!!.
I haven't even introduced myself yet.
I slapped my forehead.
This was supposed to start as an introduction, not dive straight into how my life began falling apart.
Oh well… quick introduction it is.