The Strong

Clover

I look over at him. "Hi, I'm Joshua," "Hey, I'm Clover," I respond. I stick out my hand for him to shake and he does. I give him a smile. He doesn't return it. "Is it rude to ask what's your diagnosis?" "Sort of." He shrugs. I nod and turn back to the window.  Stage 4 colon cancer. "What about you?" he returns. "Stage 1 Pancreatic Cancer." he nods. Our conversation doesn't continue after that. A few miles go by before we talk again. This guy is a real chatterbox. "Out of all the places you could have chosen to go to, you chose a serenity camp." He releases a deep chuckle. "Guys liked to be massaged and fed well too." I laugh. "I'll keep that in mind." 

The bus rocks when we ride onto a bridge. The dark green water below is shining in the sun. "OH MY GOD!" someone yells. The bus swerves into the bridge railing and breaks through. I scream as the bus hits the water. Everyone begins to panic. My heartbeat is racing as water rushes through the cracks and starts to rise. The passengers start banging on the windows. "Stop!" you're going to bust the windows," I yell. Then, I start a series of coughing. "Alright everybody calm down please!" The bus driver yells. He takes one step then he slips and hits his head on the stairs. A pool of blood starts to spill out of his head. The bus driver is dead. We are screwed "I think I'm going to be sick." Someone yells the water breaks the windows and now the water is up to my head. "I can't swim!"I yell. "Hold your breath!" Joshua yells. He grabs my hand just as the bus is completely submerged. All the other teenager are swimming towards the surface. Joshua begins pulling me to the surface when he stops suddenly and opens his mouth. I hear a muffled scream as his body jerks forward. The man in the ski mask. He shot him with something. Joshua starts to sink. I grab his hand quickly, forgetting I can't swim. His body weight pulls me down as I try to swim up. The man in the ski mask looks me in the eye. His brown eyes piercing mines before swimming away. I start to panic even more as I sink further into the water. Is this how I'm really going to die. I accepted the fact that I was going to die because of cancer, but I never thought it would end any other way. I look down at Joshua's limp body. It feels as if minutes pass as we continue to sink. I'm running out of breath. I close my eyes and drop my head, giving up.

*** FlashBack

The sun is beaming into my room. I sit up in bed and stretch. My dad bursts into my room with breakfast and a cupcake on a tray. His smile is as big as the world. "Dang," he says. "I was hoping to catch you before you woke up." I smile in return. He sits the food on my bed and hugs me. "Thanks, Dad," "Happy birthday Clo," he says before kissing me on the forehead. I grab a piece of bacon and begin eating. With my mouth full I ask, "Where is Mom?" He sighs."She's working." He replies. "As usual." He takes a deep breath and is about to go into a speech before I stop him."I know," I mumble. "Her job is very important," He nods. I grab another piece of bacon.  "I still wish she could be here." "I got a surprise for you." My dad chirps. I smile and bounce on my bed. "What is it?" My excitement is radiating off the walls. He pulls a necklace out of his pocket. It has a symbol on it that has a whole bunch of moons. "Its called the triple moon," he says. "Whenever you're in trouble, open it and drink whats inside." I nod. "What is the drink?" I ask. It'll give you courage. I smile. 

"Clover, only use it when you really in trouble," "not fake trouble or minor trouble." I nod taking in every word he says. "Real trouble." "And after you opening remember that no one else is more powerful than you. "All power comes from your soul, heart, and mind." " ελευθερώ," He says next. Confusion crosses my face. "Remember that word but never say it." I'm still confused. "What language is that word from?" "It's Greek," he replies. I repeated in my head over and over. He hugs me again. "As you grow up life may take you places you never thought you would ever be." I hug him tightly. "remember that I'll always be with you." "Yes dad," He lets go of me. "Enjoy your birthday sweety. " I smile and look down at the necklace

*** End of Flashback

That was 6 months ago. After that, he disappeared. I don't know what the liquid inside will do to me. I've thought about using it for my cancer, but I never did. Could that liquid cure cancer? Anyways, something in my gut told me not to. Maybe I would use it right before I was about to die. Anyways, I was right to wait. To save another life I will use it now. I open my eyes and use my last breath. I open and drink it down fast. Water starts to drown me. Joshua definitely doesn't look good. I guess it was really a placebo. Suddenly I look up. White, blinding light shoots out of my eyes. Suddenly I can start to breathe again. I start to float. What the hell is this? I float all the way to the top and climb up on the grass. Then I start hacking up water. My throat burning while I do so. After I'm finished, I begin to catch my breath. My heart rate hasn't stopped beating rapidly since the bus swerved. Then I remember Joshua. I pull him up quickly and check for a pulse. No pulse. I know what to do. The others rush to my side. I begin pumping his chest quickly and begin mouth to mouth resuscitation. Other are crying around as I do this. 

I keep pumping his chest and giving him mouth to mouth no results are coming out of it. Tears spill out of my eyes. I was too slow. "DAMN IT!" I yell while pumping his chest. I lean down again and keep trying. "I think he's gone." someone whispers. That makes me go faster. "You could break his ribs!" A girl yells.  I don't care. I cannot let my failures cause him to die. I lean down and blow all the air I have inside of me and lean up to pump his chest. I'm out of breath. I've been doing this for a while. Maybe I am too late. I start to slow down while punching his chest. Then, I eventually stopped. I pound on his chest in frustration and his body jerks hard.  Suddenly he jolts to his side, spitting out water and throwing up his stomach contents. Once he is done he gasps for air dramatically. I hear multiple people breathing and sighing in relief. 

I sit there shocked. "Did anyone call the police I ask. A boy nods. One moment of relief comes to me when I hear shuffling in the water. Everyone turns their attention to the water. I stand up stumbling a little. The man in the ski mask rises onto of the water and begins walking on it. He raises his hand towards all of us. Suddenly there is a ringing in my ear. I let out a loud scream and fall to my knees. I hear others scream too. Then he opens his jacket and throws a container over here. I try to run but I'm frozen. The container explodes and smoke starts to fill the air. I can't see a thing. I begin feeling for something to grab and I feel someone grab my arm. I scream. "It's just me!" Joshua shouts. Suddenly black spots start to appear in my eyes. I start to feel dizzy. "Why is this happening to us," Joshua says. I try to say something but I fall completely to the ground. My face in the dirt. My body completely unmovable. I feel Joshua's hand slip away. I black out.