The Gifters

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

“Cara’s awake! She’s alive!”

I wake to the sound of Hallie shouting to my parents that I’m okay. I see the walls of a hospital around me and I look down to find myself lying in bed. To the right of me, there is a heart monitor that won’t stop beeping. I see my family, Hallie, and a nurse standing by the side of my bed. Tears stream down Hallie’s face as she talks to me.

“You were trapped in a coma for three days! I was worried you were a goner.”

“Hallie you’re my best friend and I apologize for the fight at the ice cream shack.”

She nods her head, unable to say a word, and holds out her fist.

“Knuckles?” she asks.

I curl my fingers into my palm and pound her knuckles. Both of our hands fly open and our fingertips dance in the air. We make the sound of a rocket ship leaving the Earth about to discover a unknown terrain.

“Now, lets get you out of this hospital,” my dad says with relief.

They lead me outside to a black car that will take me home.  I stop from a moment, breathe in the fresh air, and tilt my head up to the ocean blue sky. The heat of the bright sun pours down on me and I smile. Earth never looked prettier. I look at the world now, with new eyes and a different perspective. I gaze at the Earth like I have never seen it before. I glance at a raven, black as night, soaring fearlessly in the sky above. Purple lilacs on the ground dance with the wind and sway in between the viridescent blades of grass. The trees above me drop crimson leaves and reach up to the sky. I watch a monarch butterfly flutter above a beautiful indigo flower and golden bees zoom over my head towards a beehive, lodged in between the branches of a nearby tree. A dandelion is stuck into the ground near my shoes, so I pick it up and make a wish. The white seeds are swept up by the wind and carried away, free and ready to embark on an adventure that will begin in a unknown land.

I realize that life is full of beauty. I want to uncover all the hidden surprises of Earth and discover the unknown. I feel alive and ready to make my mark on the world I truly belong in. The world is my place to run free and wild. It is my place to reign and dream the impossible. I want to become an inspiration and leave a legacy. I want to be remembered.

I walk a few steps and feel a lump in the pocket of my jeans. I reach into my pocket and to my surprise, find yellow and purple flag folded up. I smile at it and hold it up to the sky. It ripples in the wind as I wave it back and forth and laugh with delight. I lie down onto the newly cut grass and clutch the flag to my chest. I close my eyes and soak in the feeling of pride and true happiness. I realize now that there’s more to life than I ever imagined. I gaze up at the milky clouds concealing hidden figures and know that my journey to Assiduous will never be forgotten. Earth is beautiful. Life is wonderful.