Ember Ten

Can you keep a secret? I'll tell you what exactly happened to me, on the worst day of my life. But only if you can keep a secret. 

The day started like any other. I slowly crawled out of my twin bed, didn't even think about making it, pulled on a nice tank top and a gray pair of shorts. I had a go pee real bad but my sister was in the bathroom. I'll just wait. I walked across my bedroom and got the pair of socks that I wore yesterday. They have ankle socks and have Pirates of the Caribbean on them. That's my favorite series. 

I have a small brush in my room but I can’t brush all of my lucush, black hair with it. It would just take too long. I check to see if my sister is out of the bathroom, she is. I run to the bathroom, pull down my pants, and let the pee flow out. 

“Breakfast is ready” my dad yells at us from downstairs in the kitchen. I see my three younger siblings run downstairs. I casually walk down the stairs. I could smell the bacon cooking on the pan. I took a big whiff of the bacon smelled the air. Ah, how I love bacon. My dad was cooking bacon for breakfast today because today is…

”HAPPY BIRTHDAY” everyone screamed as my foot hit the last step of the stairs. I just smiled then said, “Thanks.”

The crowd dispersed and everyone went to the dining room table to eat breakfast. I could see twenty slices of bacon on a round plate and 10 pancakes. One pancake for everyone and two pieces of bacon. Yes, that is a lot of food, but when you're feeding two parents and 8 children, it all gets eaten. 

I sit down at the table and the twins sit down next to me. Once everyone gets their food, I see my dad stand up. 

“Everyone this is a very special day, it's not only Ember's birthday, a teenager now. Happy 13th Birthday!” 

“Thanks, dad, your words of wisdom are very inspiring,” I say, teasling. 

About 10 minutes into breakfast the timer to go to school dings from in the kitchen. 

“I guess it's time to go to school now,” I say out loud. 

My mom starts to pick up the dishes, while all of my siblings that go to high school file into my blue Subaru. Luckily, there's only four of us that go to high school, so the car isn't crowded. I'm the oldest so I always drive everyone to school.

As soon as everyone got in, we were off. We turn right out of our drive eBay, then a left about a thousand feet down the road. Our house is in the middle of nowhere, so it takes about 25 minutes to get to school.  

In the backseat I see my sister, the same one that was in the bathroom, texting on her new phone. 

“Who are you texting?” I politely ask her. 

Quinn responds with, “none of your business, dummy.” 

“ OK then, “ I say quietly underneath my breath. 

The rest of the car ride was silent. Nobody said a word which was kind of strange because usually, the car is blaring with people talking. Something was going on here, something very strange. 

Once we pulled into the school parking lot, I got out of the car and was followed into the building by my three siblings. We each go out separate ways. Quinn to meet up with her boyfriend, Leo to go straight to class and Cora to go sit in the hallway with her closest friends. 

“Happy birthday.” Aqua, my best friend jumps on my shoulders. I’m strong enough to support her weight, but now for long. I quickly let her down then she wrapped me tightly in a bear hug. We’re both on the swim team together so Aqua is extremely strong. I can’t get out of her bear hug. 

“You're officially a teen, how do you feel?” she asks me. 

Once I break free of the bear hug I say, “I feel the same, Aqua.” 

She bumps my left shoulder, takes my hand and we walk to class together. Aqua and I have 5 out of the eight classes together. First period, art, we have together. But before I go into the class, I start to get a little dizzy. I blink my eyes a few times, but that just makes it worse. It feels like the light in the room is moving in a circle. I slowly fall down against the wall. 

“Ember, are you..” Aqua's voice gets quieter and quieter with every letter. My head falls back and my arms go numb. I can barely see Aqua rush over to me. Someone comes running from down the hall, but my eyes are too blurred out to see what it is. 

“Ahhhhhh” I cried out in pain. It felt like my heart was getting ready to explode. This was the worst pain I have ever felt. Here, in the middle of the art hallway, surrounded by Aqua and other random people I couldn't quite make out. 

A black shadow crouched down beside me and picked my arm with something. It was like a shot. 

I felt tired, drained, and I slowly closed my eyes. 

***

Beep. Beep. Beep. I could hear what sounded like hospital beepings. I slowly opened my eyes, to be blinded by the bright ceiling light. It was very gorgeous, brass with sparks of blue on it, but the light was blinding. I cover my eyes, then see two nurses rush over to my side. 

“Ember, honey. Can you hear me?” One of them asked me. I looked at her name tag and it said, Dr. Jamie Denver. 

I didn't speak but nodded my head instead. 

“Your family is on their way, Ember. But there is something you should know.”

The only thing I had in mind is, “What time is it? I have swim lessons tonight.” 

The two nurses nervously looked at each other. Dr. Denver tucked her short, blond hair in her ear. 

“Ember, you have been in a coma for a very long time.” 

What did that mean? A very long time? 

I slowly lifted the covers off of myself, that's when I realized how long I have been in a coma, or how many years. 

I went straight to the mirror in my room. Once I got there I could believe what I saw. I was tall, at least six or seven inches from the last time I saw me. My hair was cut short, probably to help the nurses. But my breasts, they were there. When I was thirteen I had a flat chest, now anymore. They were of average size, but I had breasts!

“Exactly how long have I been in a coma,” I said to the two nurses, turning around. 

They never got the chance to answer because my mom and dad came bursting into the room. They looked so old. Mom had streaks of gray hair and dad was almost bald. 

“Oh my god Ember,” my mom said in between her tears. 

She ran across the room and gave me a great big bear hug. My dad hugged me after my mom was finished. She didn't want to let go of me, but dad made her. 

“Sweety, I thought I'd never see you again.”

I looked straight in the eyes of my mom. This was making me nervous. What happened to me? The last thing I remember is the pain in my stomach in the art hallway at school. No. I looked down at the newspaper that dad was holding in his hand. No, that's not possible. It can't be, it can't. The date is November 10th, 2009. That magazine says April 9th, 2019. That means. 

I’ve been in a coma for ten years.