The Fate Of Life And Death

     The Fate Of Life And Death By Tanyah Woodson   

I never thought my life would end up this way. I had it all planned, I thought my life was special, I was going to be a therapist. I understand now that all life ends the same way, in the abyss. We may all die in different ways but one thing is for sure, no one can cheat death no matter how hard they try. I should know I've tried. I guess I should start this story off at the beginning. This story starts with my father. After my mom and dad found out they were pregnant with me my dad started acting odd. He had mood swings and crazy delusions. After I was born he was always paranoid and always ready for someone to harm our family. On my third birthday he left us shortly after the death of my grandmother. My grandmother was very spiritual and was always very kind to me. She never liked my parents and the feelings were mutual. However, after she died my mom and dad weren't the same. My mom raised me alone after that September. It was always normal for me to have dreams of my dad and grandmother. It always started the same in the backyard of our family home, then it morphed into the quiet and still face of my grandmother laying in the hospital bed while my father walked out into the dead of night. Everything always felt so still and lifeless after waking up in those dreams whether it be playing at a young age or listening to my grandmother telling me about the spirits around us. That was until a particular dream after my 16th birthday it seemed more vivid, more life like. It felt more like a warning. My life was never bad. I had everything I ever wanted and needed. but after my 18th birthday my mom got sick. She had stage 3 cancer and even though she was very strong, the cancer got the best of her. She struggled with it for a few months but the inevitable happened. Now I'm at my moms funeral thinking about the past while my friends stare with worried expressions.    

“it's a little odd is what I'm saying” Sam states “stop not right now” Claire says “ I'm sorry man but look at the facts” “SAM shut the hell up” “he is getting hurt from this as soon as he turned 18, all the things he's talked about wanting or dreamed of wanting he has gotten” the room goes quiet no one speaks up. I stay quiet, I know Sam has a point. It is very odd but I stay in my chair staring at the floor. at least until Claire asks “are you okay Sky” I look at her fighting the tears in my eyes. “ Yes I'm okay he does have a point though” I say holding Lix`s hand like he would be sucked into the abyss along with my mother. 

“Babe, talk to us, I know it's hard but you have us in your corner, especially me” Lix says, staring at me, he wants me to talk. I'm trying my best. I start off saying “I know he has a point but I can't this shit is crazy I know what it sounds like” I pause it feels like I cant get my thoughts together. “Just breathe okay, I'm right here Sky. We have to know what's going on so we can help. We know it sounds crazy but this is something that you can't handle alone. you are very strong my love and I know you want to protect us but it's not going to work.” Lix says, trying to calm me down. “You already know everything. I don't know much about my grandma Millridge. It didn't start with her, it was my dad. He was the one acting strange, but where is he? Because guess what I don't know” I stop, what am I doing? Why am I yelling at my friends? Their only goal is to help me. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell” “it's okay love”lix says as he stares into my eyes. I have always admired lixs eyes,when I first met him I wasn't sure what color they were. It took me a while to decide between an icey blue color or a gray color. “love pay attention “ “your eyes always put me in a trance and you know it” “yes love I'm sorry I forgot that eye contact was illegal when shit hits the fan” “haha” I say, which invokes a laughing fit from the whole group.

  Claire and I are very close, she is like my sister. She has long black hair, green eyes, and fair skin. I met her when I was 13. Lix is my boyfriend and I met him when we were 16. He has blond hair and a kind heart. He is my rock and always has been. Sam has been my friend since kindergarten. He has a black wolf cut with pink streaks in it, he said it was his favorite colors. he can be hot headed but he has always had my back. My friends are my family and I know that is rare, I will always cherish what we have. however I know it's risky, everything I ever wanted or dreamed of I got. I got my dream job, college, and dream car, I got the boy and the friends. When I turned 18 my life took a turn for the worse, my uncle got sick and passed away, my grandma got sick, I lost my job, I got sick and when I finally got better my mom died. Now I'm here with my friends deciding who is to fault my dad or my grandmother. I barely have memories from either, unless you count the dreams. the stupid stupid dreams, they always were the same. That was until my 18th birthday. In the dream I was able to see the hospital that my grandma died in but it was in the nursing home part. Sam believes that my grandmother never died and she is still in the nursing home in Florida. all of my friends believe it was a demon deal and I believe that I'm fucked. I believe in spirits, demons, witches and all but I have no idea how to fight or help in a situation like this. all I want to do is to protect my friends but I don't know how.

“baby whats wrong” “i'm just thinking love” I say as I try to fake a smile. “ we have to go to Homestead manor in Flordia sam's right we should consider the dream as a warning.” “Okay let's get ready to demon hunt then” Sam says “ no we are asking questions about sky's dad we aren't doing anything that's going to get us killed” claire states. “we will see” “hey what da hell Lix we are supposed to brave” Sam says jokingly “can we pile in Alejandro now” “you and naming objects” claire laughs “hey Alejandro is part of the family, don't talk shit Claire” i love that Claire can diffuse any situation with a joke or simply talking shit with us. “haha lets go jerks” Claire says walking out the door. “I'm driving first, what are you doing?” Lix asked as I was getting in my car. “i wanted to drive” “no offense man but Lix can drive up there and I will drive back. You are in no state to drive and look at the rain it's already an Hazzard for Lix to drive in it,” Sam says, trying to get me to reason. “fine but don't fuck my car up” I say as I get in the passenger seat “yes Sam I was talking to you” I say with laughter just in case he didn't know. 

When we make it to the nursing home Sam is the first to talk, “man florida sucks ass.” “For real though it does” Claire agrees. “This nursing home looks like a prison” I say. “It does look like a prison not to mention it smells like ass here but what's our game plan?” “We go and see if we can get mildreds or your dads records and see if they have any” “I can go in and ask yall want to stay here?” lix asks. “No you aren't doing it alone, I am, this is my mess.” “Not to be blunt dude but you didn't know about the demon deal and you still don't.” “obviously dip shit.” “Guys,” Claire says with a warning voice “all three of you need to behave and stay in the car. I'm going to ask a nurse for the records and I will come back and we will go from there." Then she leaves without questions. “What's taking her so long?” “Sam, you have to be patient.” “I want to go home. I'm sorry but the energy is off. Does anyone not feel that?” I sigh, “I know I feel it too.” “hey Claire texted me and told me to go in” lix says I can feel his pulse racing, something is wrong. I let him leave despite my feelings, I waited an hour before I got impatient myself and went to find Lix and Claire. as I walk in the building I instantly feel the change, this isn't going how we expected. However, I know I won't know how bad it really is until I find them. I go up to a nurse who looks like Katniss Everdean and ask where to find my friends that came in here earlier. I know there was a possibility she wouldn't know who I was talking about but apparently she did know Claire and Lix because she led me to this room at the end of the hall. As I walk in I don't know what I'm going to find. I'm very nervous, I can feel the negative energy radiating from the room. I know everything will be okay as long as I still have my friends. 

So I try to calm my nerves as I brace myself before I fully enter the room. When I walk in the room, everything changes. “Grandma,” I say, gasping like I have been running for the past hour that Lix and Claire were gone. “sky leave” Lix and grandma both say with warning tones but I chose to ignore it. if they are in trouble I want to help. “sit down sky” Claire says in an odd tone “what's wrong with you claire?” “claire?” she asks laughing “Claire is gone baby love and she has been gone for a long time” “what are you talking about.” “Sit down and I will explain, damn you impatient boy.” I'm confused and scared. I know what Claire is trying to say but I don't want to believe it. “Babe, seriously she isn't Claire, she isnt a she, it's an it and it has no business talking to you like that.” It was an easy snap, but it was a risky one. all of the sudden Lix cries in pain. I gasp “stop what the hell are you doing” “everyone will shut their mouths while I talk” suddenly the room goes quiet. I try to talk but nothing comes out,what the hell? “You know you're smarter than I thought but you did fall right into my trap. you thought i had your best interest in mind” she says giggling as she stares at me. this can't be happening “you all were so confused and trying to blame it on your daddy” she rolls her eyes “ you see when your grandma was younger she met a girl named claire too and she wanted her family's life to be a dream. I told her it would cost her” she says, shaking her head. “She thought she could cheat death by those protection runes but nothing is as strong as I am. I stayed for the long run and decided to play around a little. I knew your grandson will lead me right to you. I was promised two souls first yours” she says pointing at my grandma, “and yours” she says pointing at me. After she says this Lix goes crazy he screams but we cant understand him because he is still under her spell. He tries to plead but this just opens a negotiation. “Little boy do you really want to talk” then lix starts spilling like the damn idiot he is “please take me dont take him I will let you please, please don't kill him he is the only boy who has ever loved me please. I can't live without him." "I'm sorry boy but it's not up to me right Jonathan?” 

I truly thought that this situation couldn't get worse but then my dad walked in the room. “Let Sky choose Claire. He dug his own grave just as his grandma did. the deal wouldn't have worked if he didn't want to.” he says sneering. “I didn't know about it, how was I supposed to choose? And any day I will choose to kill me then I won't have to see your ugly ass face, me and mom was better off without you." "I can talk now. I wasn't sure if I could before. All of this shit is clouding my head. What the hell is happening? “wrong choice kill the boy” “which one” claire sneers “both” “what no let Lix live please dad please if you ever cared about me at all please let him live” “shut up bitch” then claire punches me and pain radiates through my body. “nooo please just kill me please it will be worse on him to make him live” “lix what” “im sorry my love but you are strong you can live without me, you have a lot of potential in this world. you can make a difference ""stop the chit chat” Claire says with a sigh. you can hear her anger in her voice.“Enough, leave these boys alone,” grandma Millridge yells as she attacks my father. She tries to choke him but then Claire whispers a spell that makes Lix start coughing. “What's happening? stop please he is going to die” I'm crying uncontrollably. I can't lose Lix too, I have lost too many people. He was my rock. It doesn't matter anymore, especially when I see Lix`s head turn and snap the same way my dads did when my grandma twisted my dads neck till it broke with the force. she never listened to my pleading cries” I look over to Lix as I see his life leave his body and his color slowly fades as his beautiful gray eyes shut forever. “I love you Lix” I say in-between sobs “I always will” “enough emotions”Claire demands “you know I love when you make my job easy,” Claire says to grandma Millridge as she stares at her. Claire moves very slowly to Grandma Millridge.”this is what you get for trying to cheat fate” then Claire kills grandma Millridge. I've lost my grandma before but It does not make it any better the second time. Claire turns to me and says "Your boyfriend has a good idea so have a fun life being alone.” and then she disappears without a trace. I walked out of the nursing home with a broken heart. I try my best to explain what happened to Sam but I can't get the words past my sobbs “I'm sorry Lix and Claire are gone” “what what happened to them” and just like that our lives will never be the same.