Reality

Chapter 2. Chances

I sat transfixed staring out into the orange glow of a beautiful Roswell sunset.
It always brought a smile to my face, even though times had got so hard something so simple, something that happens every day without fail... It was just so extraordinary.
Tears began to fill in my eyes, finally spilling over, cascading down my pale cheeks.
Sobbing silently my shoulders rose and fell gently. Life had got out of hand. A couple of weeks ago I was a normal teen, Alex, Liz and I living for the moment enjoying every second of out carefree lives. Not any more. Ever since that day at the hospital I had felt worse and worse. I had Leukaemia.

At first everyone was really shocked, positive but shocked. But not any more. We were all just so tired. I would get so angry and scream at everyone, then I would just cry for hours on end.
Liz had been with Max a lot more lately. I hardly got to see my best friend and I felt so bitter and jealous. She would disappear for hours telling no one where she was going.

"Michael!" I shouted through the crowd of people.
Although I was having chemotherapy I still managed to go to school every once in a while.
He turned to face me, the tension clearly showing on his face. I didn't really know Michael, even though him Isabel and Max now seemed to be Liz's new best friends.
"What!" He said grudgingly to me.
"Where's Liz"
"How am I meant to know"
"Well then where's Max"
I started to feel dizzy the world seemed to be revolving, spinning on all axes.
"He's... Be... Any...Why... Is... You"
I couldn't hear him, his lips where moving but he seemed so blurry then everything went black. I felt strong arms catch me. What was happening was I falling? I felt so light...

Bleep. Bleep. Bleep. "How can you expect me to do that"
"Liz, there is no way we can tell her"
"Max she's my best friend, I love her with all my heart and she is so ill"
"If I heal her... It will leave a mark Liz just like your. Isabel, Michael and I we'll be exposed, how can you ask me to do that"
"MAX"
Bleep. Bleep. Bleep.
"No. Liz I cant. I'm sorry"
Bleep Bleep Bleep.
My eyes opened slowly, the sting of bright white walls greeting my groggy senses.
"What?" I croaked.
Liz and Max Evans stood in the small room with me. The bleeping was coming to some sort of machine I was hocked up to.
"Maria... You're awake" Liz said.
"Liz honey I love you. But I need to know what's going on" I said quietly.
Liz sobbed. Her face tear strained her eyes red and puffy.
"Maria you're sick. The chemo isn't working. The doctors have given you three weeks to live"
Shock. Out of everything Liz could have said to me this was the one thing I hadn't expected. I was going to die. I was 16 years old and I was going to die. I hadn't done everything I wanted to. I hadn't had a proper boyfriend. I never got to be a singer like I always wanted. This couldn't be happening. Not to me. Not to Maria Deluca.
"Max please you have to!" Liz cried.
Max looked so sad. Like he had some terrible secret. Like he could make all the pain go away, yet he couldn't really. The look on his face. I was so sad so terrible it was beautiful.
At the moment Michael came into the room. He chose to ignore me and walked over to max.
"Maxwell lets go. You aint doin nothin here we're leaving. NOW"
"No"
Michael looked furious.
"I won't let her die. I can help her"
"What's going on?" I cried.
I was so tired so terribly tired everything was so faint to far away. I felt like I didn't belong.
Bleeeeeeeep Bleeeeeep bleeeepbleeeeeepbleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Darkness once more filled my tired dying eyes.

The whole world looked so beautiful.
The birds sang.
I was standing in the desert. A long silken night gown flowing softly down my body. I felt so new. So refreshes. Everything I had felt, the chemo, everything... It was gone. I felt... Free.
Michael stood in the centre of the desert. He was sounded by markings, symbols I didn't understand.
He smiled as he saw me coming and gently took my hand. He pulled me into a tight embrace softly kissing my lips, so very gently. I was surprises. I had no idea Michael felt this way about me. He turned and walked slowly away, when I called out to him nothing.
"Wake up Maria" He said quietly, soothingly. Then he was gone.
Now I saw Max, there was no smile on his sad lonesome face.
"Maria, I've done all I can for you. If you don't wake up now... You never will. Open your eyes Maria open your eyes open your eyes. OPEN YOUR EYES"

I sat bolt upright in my hospital bed, gasping for breath. Apart from fear, fear of what, I was fine.
Liz, Max and Michael stood around my bed all with worry on their faces.
"What... What happened?" I gasped.
They all looked at me nervously, it was Liz who spoke first.
"Maria we have no time to explain, but we have to get out of here"
"Maria they are coming, do you hear me if they find you we cant help you. Maxwell healed you, you have a mark on you chest." Michael said quickly.
"Who's coming? What do you mean he healed me"
"Maria you no longer have leukaemia. We have to leave. Please don't tell anyone we were here, our lives depend on it"
At that Liz, Michael and Max ran from my room.
What was going on? Why didn't I feel sick anymore. As I pulled my hospital gown down slightly I saw a silver hand print etched onto my chest just like Michael said. I was so confused just a few hours ago I though I was going to die, now I had no idea what to believe.
"MARIA"
Sheriff Valenti ran in waving his gun. My mom closely following him.
"Who was in here with you"
I looked at him questionably, I really didn't have any idea what was going on anymore.
"WHO MARIA!" He shouted yet again.
"Sheriff that is enough! My daughter is dying have some respect" She said tearfully.
"No Ms Deluca I think you'll fins she is fine now"
"What? That's, that's impossible!" My mom cried.
"Yeah that's what I said." He said walking from my room.
My mom looked at me like I had two heads, she had even less idea of what was going on than I did!
"Maria?" She sobbed pulling me into her arms.

"Hey Maria" Alex walked up to me smiling. That same goofy smile as he always had.
It was two weeks after what happened in the hospital. The silver hand print on my chest was gone. The leukaemia was gone, to the doctors amazement, they were at a loss, had no idea how or why this had happened to me. They didn't find the hand print I was very careful about that. The local priest said it was a miracle, my mother didn't care she had her baby back and that was all that mattered to her. I on the other hand felt weird. What had Max Evans done to me. What did the dream with Michael and Max mean? Why was a miraculously cured after having 3 weeks to live?
No one would tell me. Not even Liz. She, Max, Michael and Isabel had been avoiding me like the plague, but I needed answers and I would find them.
"Hey Alex!" I said hugging my friend.
We walked laughing down the hall like we always had.
My eyes met briefly with Michael as we passed but that's all just a brief glance. But somehow I couldn't get the feeling of his lips on mine out of my head.

I had to find out, I needed to know. What is Max Evans, his sister and Michael?