Ataxia

Chapter 1

Des

All right. So I'm awake. Yay, I suppose. Well, not really.

As I complained and chastised myself for going to bed at two in the morning, I scanned my alarm clock. It was ten after seven. I had to get up if I wanted to be on time for school. But the battle still raged on like a blizzard inside my mind if I should crawl out of bed or not. Should I sleep in until Andy comes stomping into my room and shrieking at me to wake up? Or should I get up and avoid his criticizing words to my face?

Both options sucked. But I prefer not to start my morning off with my ticked-off guardian so I was gonna fight off my case of the sleepies and get up. Struggling to root my sock-covered feet on the floor, I hesitated to even step off the bed like the carpet was burning magma. Because I knew if I did, I actually had to get up. Settling onto the floor with hesitation, I realized I felt much different than I normally do when I wake up in the morning. And not that I felt light and fluffy like clouds, but more heavy and intensely sick like I just rode the bumpiest roller coaster in existence.

My head hurt immensely as if I was hit by a truck and my stomach was twisting into knots while earthworms made themselves at home in my gut, moving around. And I was sore all over, especially my hands. I must have overexerted myself yesterday or something sciencey like that. Ignoring it regretfully, I stood up and stretched. Stumbling into the bathroom across the hall, I found August, my younger sister whom Andy also adopted, brushing her teeth.

"Good morning, Aug," I muttered quietly, crossing paths with her to get to the other sink. Thank the architect who designed this house because I do not want to share a sink with my little not-related-to-me-sister, even if she is very clean for a kid. I took my toothbrush and did my thing.

"Good morning, Des," she chirped after spitting the liquefied pepperminty toothpaste into the sparkling sink. As I also spit mine out as well, I cupped my hands to bring the water to my mouth to wash out the toothpaste. And then I nearly choked on my own saliva. Was that a ...?

"August," I said quickly, drying off my hands without washing out my toothpaste-mouth. I quickly started to shove her out of the bathroom. "I need you to get out."

She suddenly glanced at me in anguish as if I was going crazy, saying, "Are you okay? You seem really antsy."

"I just really need to go to the bathroom." I quickly spat the lie out, pushing her into the doorway.

She turned around, still having the "suspicious-of-you" look on her face. "If you really need to be alone, you can just tell me."

"No, I don't," I shook my head side-to-side. "Actually, I do. I just need to be in the bathroom alone for a minute or two, uh ...," I shook my head again. I was having a brain fart and couldn't think. What was I gonna say?

"Okay, tell me if you need anything, okay?" She started to walk back to her room.

"Mind your own beeswax, August!" I shouted back, slamming the door shut resentfully. She could be really nosy sometimes. Worst part was, my soreness somehow shifted into burning. It felt like my entire body was covered in hot sauce. I checked my hands again and there it was. It was a mysterious glowing bluish-purple dust that covered my palms and the underside of my fingers and thumbs.

"Chill out, Des, chill out," I murmured under my breath, still thinking I was going mad as a hatter. "Calm down, you're fine. It's just, uh, one of those internet jokes, yeah. Or maybe it's that thing that we learned about in class the other day, uh ... Angel's Glow. Yeah. And I'm sure there's cameras in here somewhere or something like that." With that thought, I turned around, observing the toilet and shower very carefully. I saw none. But then again, someone could be recording me with their phone. Or worse, what if it was in the mirror or walls so I couldn't see it? "Yep, I'm crazy and really paranoid, aren't I?"

Knock. Knock. "Des, are you all right?"

I cringed. It was Andy! Did he just hear me say I was crazy? Hopefully not. "I'm perfectly fine, just getting ready for school."

"Okay. August said you needed something?" He said through the door.

August, that nosy brat! "No, I don't. I told you, Aug! I'm fine!" I took a deep breath, muttering that I'm insane a couple more times while hoping Andy and August couldn't hear me. "But, uh, Andy, I don't think I should go to school today." I said. "I think I might have a fever." Now that lie I said was actually really smart. I am really hot (like the sauce) and sore and tired and it would explain why I'm hallucinating that I have glowing hands. That would explain all of it. Perfecto.

"Des, can you open the door?" Andy knocked again. "I need to check if you have a fever and if you're having any weird symptoms." Confident that I was actually sick, I opened the door and Andy was standing there beside Aug with a thermometer in his hand. He pressed the little blue button and put it to my temple. After a few moments of waiting and hearing the beep he checked the reading and he grimaced. "You're really hot, Des. You're definitely staying home today." I secretly did my happy dance inside my mind. "Is there anything else wrong besides your fever?"

This was the moment of truth. And I clammed up and felt nervous about telling him. Would he laugh and think I was making it all up? Or would he think I was crazy like I did just about a minute ago? Despite these disturbing scenarios coming to mind, I told him the truth. "I'm about to say something weird, okay? Just, try not to worry as much as I think you're gonna worry."

Andy cocked a brow. "That's making me worried, Des."

"Right," I bit my bottom lip. "I think I'm hallucinating and I'm seeing this weird glowing stuff on my fingers." I held out both of my hands on display. "I think it's Angel's Glow or something. Do you see it?" The expression Andy made clearly showed that I was not hallucinating.

"Destine Illiana Whiston," he inspected my hands with shock. "What did you do to your hands?"

"Nothing, I swear," I insisted. I was known for being a prankster sometimes so I don't know if Andy will believe me exactly. "I just woke up feeling really sick and sore and then I saw my hands like this and I shoved August out of the bathroom and then she got you and I told you the truth and now you're scaring me."

Andy glanced back at me with his icy blue eyes that reminded me of a frozen lake. He took a deep breath and clenched his jaw. "I'm going to decide to believe you. Don't make me regret this. I'm going to let you stay home and I'm going to explain something to you."

August stepped out of her room, hair brushed and dressed with her messenger bag slung over her shoulder, ready to leave for school. "What's going on, guys?" She asked.

"I'll explain it to you, too. After school. It's not something we can talk about in public or in the car." Andy patted her little head and smiled sympathetically. "Now let's drive to school, okay?" He turned back to me. "I'm gonna take August to school and close up the bookstore and then I'll come home. Will you be okay here by yourself?"

"Yeah," I nodded. Why was he closing his business for the day? Was this stuff he was talking about that important? Couldn't he wait until after Aug came home from school? This made me squirm even more.

"And while I'm gone," Andy added, "don't go outside, I'm being serious. Don't peek out the window curtains or look out the windows or even go near them. If someone knocks on the door, hide in the bathroom. I'll come back. Don't use your phone or tablet or any other technology in the house besides the TV. Understand?"

"Yes ...? I stared at him and narrowed my eyes. "Am I that sick? What's wrong with me?"

Andy took a deep breath and patted my shoulder in a comforting fatherly way. "I'll explain when I get back, okay? But about what's wrong with you ...," his voice trailed off.

"Andy?"

He shook his head, sighing. "I'll explain when I get back, it's complicated." And with those mysterious and terrifying words, he left to drive August to school. Leaving me alone to think if I was safe in my own dwelling.