"Good morning miss!" a maid says, pulling open my heavy satin curtains to reveal the brilliant sunshine. Before I even have a chance to reply, the sun blinds me. "Good Morning, Louisa", I say. Since the window is on the opposite wall as my bed, the sun is shining directly on me. I blink a few times to get used to the brightness.
"Did you have a good sleep, miss?" Louisa, who is now at my bed side, asks. "Of course, Louisa",I say and smile brightly at her. She gives me a hand and helps me out of bed. Even though I'm only twenty, I need help to get out of bed- I can thank the virus for that. If it weren't for my children, I'd just stay in bed all day, eating and reading and watching tv. But, I know my days are numbered,(I was lucky to make it to my 20th birthday) so I have to spend all the time I can with my precious children.
After she helps me dress in an ankle length blue sundress and long sleeved orange cardigan, she sits me down gently at my vanity. "So, how would you like your hair today, miss?" she asks. "Just a ponytail is fine" I reply, vainly staring at myself in the mirror. I look at a picture of myself at fourteen, and sigh sadly. I was so innocent, so naïve, back then. But now, six years have passed. Losing Jenna, Rhine, and Linden, as well as having four children (not to mention the virus) have taken their toll on my mind and body. "Are you sure miss?" Louisa asks, the disappointment showing in her voice. "You've such beautiful red hair it'd be an awful shame to put it in a simple ponytail."
"Alright, I say, picking up the hairstyling book and skimming the pages. "How about this one? I ask, pointing to a bubble ponytail picture in the book. That's more like it, Lousia says, and I see her smiling reflection in the mirror.
After Louisa's done my hair and makeup (she puts on just a little) she hands me my cane (which is diamond encrusted, mind you) and we ride the elevator down one floor to the dining room, where my children are waiting. "Mommy!" they all yell, abandoning their seats to come and hug me. Although it pains me to do so, I bend down and give each of them a kiss on the forehead.
Come and sit down I tell them, holding Celeste and Benny's hands. The maids help them into their seats, and I sit at the head of the table, Ceri (pronounced Suri) at my right and Benny at my left, and Celeste sitting next to Ceri and Bowen next to Benny. This is the same table I sat at with Jenna, Linden and Rhine before they well- you know, died and ran away. Three uniformed kitchen workers roll in a cart of food , and give out mini pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, and fruit to the children and eggs benedict for myself.
As I'm eating I look at my four children. I love them all so much, and I want nothing more than for them to be happy and get to watch them grow up. But, I know I don't have much time , to make things worse, I know that the twins will die at 20 and my little boys at 25. I would give the world in a heartbeat for them to be able live full lifespans.
But, I know that that isn't going to happen. Unless, of course, Vaughn finds an antidote. I sign sadly, and remember Linden. As his 25th birthday approached Vaughn was as frantic as ever for an antidote. We never even saw him,not at dinner or anywhere. And, as Linden fell ill, as we knew would happen, Vaughn began to grow well, delirious.
He had was always so kind to me, he considered me his granddaughter. But during my weekly checkups while I was pregnant with Benny, he seemed so troubled, He looked, well, broken. He had sworn he had an antidote, and two days before Linden's passing, he gave it to him in the form of an injection. But, alas,my sweet Linden still died. I still remember it to this day…
