Sheer Coincidence

Prologue: Peaceful Pain

Edward's POV

I woke to a loud silence. There was a ringing in my ears that was unceasing. Jumping out of bed, I walked to my mirror. I had had a dreamless sleep. Come to think, I had not had recallable dreams in a few months. Did it mean something?

I was ordinary looking, except for my bronze hair. I took after my mother in that aspect. My bright green eyes were usually compelling, but this morning they gave off no light. This morning, they looked dead. I shook the thought out of my head. I forced the word "dead" out of my mind. I was lucky to be alive. My mother and father were taken to the hospital in the middle of the night. Spanish influenza. The scientists hadn't yet found the cause of the sickness. Hopefully they would find a cure soon. The illness was sweeping through two continents last I heard.

I prayed God would help all of those poor people in the hospitals. The sickness was known to cause pneumonia. What suffering those people had to experience! It was known to be a slow death, as well.

My watch now read 5:30 . I should get ready for school soon. But I had to wait till Katherine, our maid, came back from visiting my parents at the hospital. I needed to see what the verdict was.

The tree outside my window blew, and the leaves scattered. The wind forced a branch to thump against the glass.

All of a sudden, my head whirled. What was happening to me? I never got sick. I'd always been healthy. An abrupt pain impaled my forehead, and the next thing I felt was the floor underneath me.

"Master Edward!" A faint echo of a voice called from somewhere. I identified it, through the thick fog my mind had become, as Katherine. "Oh no, not you too!"

Then, I slipped into unconsciousness. Blackness speared through me, swirled around me, and engorged my being.

After what seemed like a millennia in darkness, my awareness was given back to me. I had awoken to silence once more. A beeping sounded from my left. A machine lay next to me… where was I? And, from the smell of disinfectant, I realized I was in the hospital. Somewhere I had never been to before, except maybe, at birth.

Silvery rays of moonlight beamed across the window on my left, and I stared at it. Was I going to die? Miracles did happen, certainly. People said that before you died, you would see your life flash before your eyes. I experienced no such feeling. The only emotion that existed within me was a very specific one at that. It was the emotion of thoughtfulness. Like on a rainy day, when you stared at your window, pondering life and meaning. Was this my way of having my life flash before my eyes? I dreaded the feeling that was inevitable now. I did not want to die. I did not want to have my life flash before my eyes. I had reason to live- for my family and for school- but what else? I never knew what I wanted to do as an occupation. I never got to figure out what my purpose for existing was. Maybe now I never would find out. Even now, possibly in my deathbed, I had no idea. What had I lived for? Was there some truth, some deep meaning, some hidden answer buried under the surface of the obvious? Was there more than just day-to-day life, living for my family and for school? And now, those reasons would be taken away from me. My family would be taken away. Somewhere deep inside of me, I felt like something was missing.

A shrieking startled me. On my left, a woman was screaming. I hadn't even noticed I was sharing a hospital room!

She was writhing in pain, in the shadows. I couldn't see her face, yet I felt so close to her. Then, as she turned to her side, screaming fading- she seemed to be asleep- the moonlight, for one moment struck her face. A bronze hue flashed in the moonlight. She had bronze hair. My mother?

"M-mother?" I asked. It came out as a cracked whisper.

Miraculously, she heard. She turned around in her bed with difficulty, her arms dragging her. I wanted so much to help, but as I tried to sit up, my body froze and collapsed back into the cushions.

"Mother!" I said, gaining strength in my voice, though it was only a feeble whisper.

"Edward?" She surmised.

"Yes, mother! It's me!" I clarified.

"Oh, Edward! I was so-" She let out a raspy cough. It looked like she was having trouble breathing. The pneumonia! "I was worried."

"Don't worry, mother, I'm fine," I said. Then, I couldn't help but ask childishly, "Mother… am I going to die?"

She looked like she was about to answer, but then she broke into an uncontrollable sob.

Something grasped the edge of my consciousness.

"Mother, where's father?" I asked, though I knew the answer deep inside already.

That only caused her tears to escape, and she covered her beautiful face with her hands.

I tried hushing her, but I began to cough as well. Putting my hand to my forehead, I gasped. I was burning. My forehead was blazing hot.

"Edward." I snapped out of my trance. She was urgent. "I know a way. I know," She broke out in a coughing fit, and was hyperventilating.

Despite my exhaustion from my condition, I wanted to help. The sound of her heavy breathing woke me up. But I couldn't stand. I couldn't sit. I couldn't move.

"Edward," She said, recovering temporarily. "I know someone who can help."

"Who?" I managed to say, but I was beginning to grow dizzy. My body was an anchor, pulling me down into the blackness of nothingness.

I heard her say something- a name- but at that moment, sleep engorged me once more.

Through my coma, I felt the presence of my angel. There were times when I thought I was awake, and she was always there when I opened my eyes, smiling hopefully.

How could I forget? She was the one and only thing that I had to live for.

Her pale skin glistened in the moonlight. Her chocolate brown hair enveloped her face, which was wet from crying. Why was she crying? Angels should be happy. My angel should be happy.

Her name was Lily Andrews, and she attended my school. We were wooing each other. But it was more than that. We loved each other. She was always there for me. I loved everything about her. Her poise. Her grace. Her smile. Her laughs. Her singing. Her music. Her, her, her. Lily, Lily, Lily.

But she was divine, somehow. She was human, but divine.

Then I remembered something. I was sick. She was there, because of me. She was there, in that hospital that wrecked of death, for me. She shouldn't be here! She didn't deserve to be in such a horrid place! She couldn't be here.

Was she sick? The pain I felt now increased at the very thought of her life being threatened. I needed to protect her.

Through my delirium, I once asked her in a tired voice, "Why are you here?"

"Do you want me to be here?" She asked, and pain tinged her lovely voice.

"Yes!" I said, frantic, desperate. "Don't leave me."

She chuckled. "I won't, silly."

I think I smiled, content. I didn't care whether I died or not. As long as I was with her…

"Edward, dear?" She called. Her voice sounded far away, but I felt her hand on mine.

"Yes?" I whispered, for a whisper was all I could manage.

"I love you."

"As I do you," I said. Then, I asked, "Are you ill?"

"No."

"Good," I said, reassured on her part.

Then I was swallowed by the darkness, again. However, to my utter relief, this time it was more of a peaceful drift, her hand in mine.