Countdown (completed)

A New Thought

Ruby will die today. Don't know when exactly. But today. And tomorrow - no more Ruby.

Sammy brings me breakfast and I push it around my plate, never actually eating it.

"You need to eat up, or you won't get better," says Sammy in her kindly voice.

"I know... I know.." I moan.

Sammy comes and sits on the chair next to the bed and says, "What's bothering you honey?"

"Just Ruby..."

"She's out of I.C.U. remember... Maya isn't yet but..." stumbles Sammy.

"Wait, what?" I ask, trying to make sense of things. How can that be?

"Ruby is out of I.C.U. but Maya is still in." Repeats Sammy.

I quickly eat the food, even though it is disgusting, just so Sammy will go. I mean, she's nice and everything, but I really need time to think.

I just don't understand it. Ruby is the one that's going to die, so why is Maya still in I.C.U? Suddenly, a sickening thought dawns on me. What if they both die? My only two friends... gone. But then strikes another thought..the signs. What if we were wrong? What if the signs weren't for Ruby, if they were for Maya? The skull would be a perfect symbol for her, seeing as she is a Morsten.

I tear a piece of paper off the notepad next to my bed, and scribble the numbers 1 - 10. My mind is churning as I write, alive and buzzing with thoughts.
10. The tunnel

Maya wasn't there but I remember her mentioning to me something about street art.
9. Chip box
8.Bench
7. Phone
6.Selfie
5. Book
4. Drums
3. Banister
2. Crash?
1. Files

I all fits perfectly. Maya was always there, or linked too it. But now what am I supposed to do. Maya won't know it's her the symbols are for. Won't know they are for her! Then a thought strikes me... Morstens are immortal.

The ward is dark. Silence stretches through it, occasionally interrupted by a cough. I fidget nervously with my fingers. I can't sleep. I need to know who It is.

I look around. Everyone is asleep, cloaked by blankets. They look like death shrouds, and I'm beginning to feel creeped out. That's creeped out though. That's nothing because when suddenly a blinding white light bursts through the ward, I am absolutely terrified. The strange thing is, no-one else wakes up, and the last thing I remember, is the whole ward is still lying, peacefully asleep.

I am in a large room. It has polished mahogany floors and marble walls, until half way up when they turn to a vintage looking swirly wallpaper. The ceilings reach the sky. Literally, because above me, I can see the night sky, stars sprinkled over it like little pieces of glitter. But I notice something strange. Some of the stars are closer together. They form a shape. A skull.

There are only about 20 people in the room. I don't know 18 of them, but next to me is Ruby and in the middle of the room is Maya, in the middle of the floor. Except she doesn't look like her legs are mangled. Then I realise. I am standing. My legs are fine. And next to me, Ruby also, is fine.

"Maya!" I shout, "What's happening?"

"Doesn't matter, just don't get involved," shouts Maya back to me.
Involved in what, I think, when I start to see something coming out the floor. It's dark and brooding, and it spirals upwards like tendrils of smoke, until it stands 5 metres tall. I can see it properly now. It has no eyes, only pits of fire, and has no proper body, Just a smoky shroud, cloaking it.

"What's happening Saiko?" says Ruby. I've seen her scared but not like this before. She is shaking and gripping like steel onto my arm.

"I have no idea." I reply.

One of the other people in the room comes up to me. She is an old woman, greying hair and a wrinkly face.

"Dears, you mean you don't know about the Death Ceremony?" She asks.

"The what?" Stutters Ruby.

"She's not a Morsten," I whisper to the old woman.

"Why is she here then? Only Morstens can come... and The Greys," says the woman, her face turning to chalk.

"Greys? What the hell?" I ask.

The old lady opens her mouth as if too speak, but stops suddenly, staring into the middle of the room. I follow her gaze and see Maya and the... thing, preparing to battle.