It was 1918 when the influenza hit Chicago. It was a time for war. It was every man's dream to go. I was seventeen, about eighteen, when I died...sort of. My name is Edward Masen. This is my life before.
I was sitting outside one day with my mother at my side. We were watching the soldiers march by.
"I don't want you to go. I'll miss you. I'll miss you with every breath I take." My mother said after the soldiers were gone by.
"You don't have to worry right now, Mother. I won't be old enough for a few more months. I want to go. It's what's right," I replied with a brave smile. I looked down into her bright green eyes much like my own and asked, "What are you thinking?" I was very good with people's thoughts. It was easier to help them when I did.
"You don't want to know my son," she said with a smile. "How about lunch?"
"I do want to know what you are thinking. After I go help with the sick. Love you, Mum." I kissed her forehead and walked down the steps.
I was half-way to the hospital when I heard the coughing. I turned and saw a man on the street lying there in the street. He appeared to be dying. Everyone was going around him because of the diease that had been sweeping the city. No one would help him.
"Sir? Sir, are you all right?" I yelled, but he didn't hear me. The hospital nearby, so I ran over and grabbed his arms. I didn't think about what this would cost me, but at that moment, I didn't care. I put one of his arms around my shoulders and put one of mine around his waist. Then I carried him all the way to the hospital.
I laid him on a bed and they gave him all the treatment they had. But it wasn't enough.
I ran home. I didn't want to do anything else. I ran up and hugged my mother. She was so startled that she gasped at first. Then she started hugging back.
"What's wrong, Edward?" she asked
"Nothing," I lied. I didn't want her to be worried.
"Are you hungry? You don't look so good."
"No, I'm not hungry. I'm just going to go lie down," I said. She looked at me worriedly. All of a sudden a wave of dizziness came. I would have fallen if I hadn't grabbed ahold of the table when I did.
"Edward," my mother yelled. "This is not nothing!" I think she said something more, but I couldn't hear the last part for the ringing in my ears.
"Go lay down," my mother told me. "I'll bring you something to eat and..." She had to stop to cough. "Oh no." she said.
"WHAT? What is it?" Now it wasn't just a ringing in my ears…it was a pounding.
"Come on. We're going to the hospital," she said. I couldn't help but be scared. My mother grabbed my arm and tugged me out the door. I couldn't move. My mother was basically dragging me through town. Everyone was looking. Some gasped. I must have looked bad. My head was still pounding, my vision all blurry. I stumbled a lot. I couldn't even see my own feet. I didn't know where we were. All I knew was that it was getting dark… and Dr. Cullen would be there.
"Help! Please! It's my son!" my mother yelled to an orderly. But it was barely a whisper.
"No!" I said. "Get her first! I won't go unless she goes first!"
"Mr. Masen, I don't think that's a good idea-," said the orderly. I didn't even get to hear it all.
I was falling to the floor.
"Get Dr. Cullen!" someone yelled.
"My baby! Someone help my baby!" screamed my mother.
"What is it?" asked Dr. Cullen. It was the last thing I heard.
I woke up…sort of. I couldn't move. I couldn't open my eyes, either. The only thing I could do was hear. I could hear whoever was beside me, messing with the things on the table. I felt something cold touch my forehead. I couldn't tell them to stop or move away. I was stuck with something freezing cold on my face.
"Elizabeth, you shouldn't be doing that. You know you're sick. Quit trying to care for your son. That's my job," said a familiar voice.
"I know, Dr. Cullen," said my mother, "but what would you do if you had a child as sick as him?"
"I don't know, but what I do know is not good. You are getting sicker by the day. Your husband has already passed. Surprisingly, you are far worse than Edward. Were you showing symptoms before and you just didn't want him to know? Scared to worry him?"
What was he saying?
I was trying to wake up. No way I wouldn't have known my mother was sick.
"I didn't want to worry him, Dr. Cullen," said my mother. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "I know what you are. You do anything you have to…you save my baby."
I could hear the determination in her voice. The thing that confused me was when she'd said I know what you are. What did that mean? I listened in more.
"Elizabeth," said Dr. Cullen, "you know it's risky. Also, I have never done it. What if I kill him? Even if I don't he'd be in a lot more pain than he is now." He sounded worried.
"Give him my ring," she said. After a pause, presumably to take off the ring, she added, "He'll need in one day with his good looks. Help me up?"
"Why?" said Dr. Cullen. "You shouldn't be getting up. You are weak and could possibly die any second." I didn't like the sound of that. Her dying. I could feel the chills going down my back.
"I want to hug my son one last time, she said in a whisper. "Because I know that when I lay back down again, I'm going to die. I'm sorry if you don't want to hear that, but it's true."
I felt the bed go down a little on the right where she must have sat down. She whispered in my ear, "I love you, my Edward. I'm giving my ring to you. You'd better choose someone worthy of you. A brunette would do. Have a good life. Live forever…" She kissed my forehead and got off the bed before she added, "You'd better do it, Carlisle. If you don't, I'll haunt you."
"I will," he replied. "I promise."
"Okay. Lay me down." And then came the last words my mother spoke to me. "I love you, my son."
"Edward," came Carlisle Cullen's voice, "I'm so sorry. I don't know if you will live through this. If I can stop. But, I promised your mother. I'll be back." I heard him sigh and then wheels go across the floor. That was when I knew he was taking my mother to the morgue.
He was back in a flash. How did he move so quick?
"Come on," said Carlisle, "no one will know you're gone. Your parents are both dead and your close behind. I can't believe I'm doing this."
The next thing I know is that there is a set of cold hands underneath me, raising me up into the air. Then, we were running. The wind was ringing in my ears. Then it stopped. I smelled pine, grass and smoke. I could hear water running from somewhere nearby. I was laid down on something soft, either a couch or a bed.
"I know it's going to be hard, but try not to scream," said Dr. Cullen. What kind of person would say that? Then everything changed.
It felt like a million bites all at once. The burn was unbearable. How could he do this? How could my mother ask him to do this? I screamed, but it was muffled. He'd put his hand on my mouth. I screamed again. I couldn't help but scream. Every inch of my body hurt. Literally burning from head to toe.
My eyes shot open. I saw him on top of me holding my body still and his hand on my mouth. His face had a tortured expression on it. He didn't deserve that face. He isn't the one in pain! I ended up just screaming, thinking about the pain, the burn.
Then, the pain began to slowly leave my toes and fingertips. The bad part was it was getting worse in my chest. My heart. It was getting worse and worse. The rest of the burn was gone except for the burn in my heart. I screamed one last time.
Then the fire was extinguished…but the thirst it left behind was something that would never be quenched…