Lilly

• Hannah Greely, Grade 8, Sacred Heart Girls College
• Short Story
• 2011

Excellence Award in the 'Step Write Up 2011' competition

Lilly sat in her hospital bed for what seemed like forever, her eyes never moving from the wall. The room was jam-packed with balloons, flowers and cards of every shape and colour, but a cloud of grey surrounded Lilly’s bed- a cloud of despair. Her once gleaming blonde hair now lay limp and dull on her bony shoulders. The full lips and bright eyes that she was always proud of were now grey and without any emotion. Lilly had become nothing but a fragile little figure staring into space. No-one could change the way she felt. She was alone and lost.
While Lilly sat in her bed, she thought of her life. The tennis tournaments, dance lessons, all of the normal things in life that she had experienced- and taken for granted. Some people’s lives slowly fall apart over months or even years, each piece slowly tearing away from the centre, one at a time, painfully slow. It only took five minutes and forty-nine seconds for Lilly’s life to fall apart. One simple slip-up, one life-changing fall from grace, and Lilly was no longer who she had always been, and would never be who she wanted to be.
Lilly looked around the room at all of her colourful gifts. A teddy bear from her best friend, Rachel. A bouquet of flowers from her family. What seemed like thousands of cards were crammed messily in various places, saying things like “Get Well Soon!!” and “I hope you’re feeling better!” Lilly was depressed by the thought that maybe she would never get well. Maybe she would never see her friends or teachers ever again. Lilly felt like a little grade prep, whimpering to the teacher that she just wanted to go home and give her mum a great big hug, but she knew that she couldn’t.
Lilly sat in the hospital for days before her loved ones came to visit her. First came her mother with a forced smile on her face, trying to cover her concern for her daughter. She kissed Lilly on the cheek and sat down silently on the end of the bed. Next it was her father, who didn’t try to hide his sorrow. He nodded at Lilly and sat in a chair across the room with his head down like he was in mourning. Lastly came Lilly’s baby sister, Rosie, who was crying into her chubby hands, and staring at her sister as if she had ruined her life. It all became too much for Lilly. She sat up, closed her eyes, and let out a scream that could shatter windows that rang out across the room, and would stay in every witness’s head for the rest of their lives. Nurses came rushing towards her bed with various tools, asking what was wrong. “Everything!” Rosie yelled, running out of the room. Lilly saw her family’s fear and sorrow when they looked at her. As she was being wheeled away to see a doctor, she decided that nothing would ever be like it was before. She would be stuck like this forever.