I Promise!

• Keanii Diaz, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2009

How do you say I love you to someone that can’t say it back? How do you say goodbye to that one person on Earth that you never thought you’d have to? How do you sleep at night when you keep picturing her batted body and hearing her agonising scream? How do you do anything when the one person that you truly ever wanted is fading away? How do you live when the only thing you live for is dieing?

The night air breeze was cold and it gave me the excuse to cuddle her as we walked home. The stars and moon gave off enough light to guide us home. We got to our street and she kissed my cheek. I thought nothing of it, we did the same everyday but this day wasn’t like every other.

“You should come over tomorrow.”
“I will, don’t worry, you’ll see me. I can’t go a day without you!”
“Aw, that’s sweet, I love you Ni…”
“Bec, watch out!”

As she crossed the road, she was too busy talking to me and walking backwards to realise the car speeding around the corner.

It happened so fast. Her smile turned into a scared face and her giggle turned into a cry followed by a scream of agony.

I raced over to her but I couldn’t seem to run fast enough. I tried not to move her, she looked so fragile. Her skin was already bruised and she was covered with huge gashes filled with shattered glass. The smell of burnt rubber filled the air covering the smell of her blood.

She turned pale and started shivering. Her breathing became uneven and her eyes started to flutter.

“Bec, stay with me! Don’t do this to me! Come on, open your eyes!”
“Tell me you love me.”
“What? Not now, I will tell you another day.”
“What if there isn’t another day.”
“There will be, you’ll be ok.”
“Just say it, please, for me. Say you love me Nick.”
“I love you! I love you a million times!”
“Promise?”
“I, I…”

Her eyes closed and her chest stoped moving. The ambulance arrived and the officers pushed me away. They wheeled her into the ambulance whilst performing CPR and sped away.

I sat on the curb then realised I was covered in her blood. My hands started to shake and my vision was blurred by tears. My heart raced and my breathing became heavy. The burnt rubber smell faded and was over taken by the rusty stench of her blood. I put my head in my crossed arms and tried to think happy thoughts but all I could think about was Bec. She was my happy place and that place was no longer happy.

I hated visiting her. I hated the sound of her life support and I hated not knowing if the beep would be followed by another. I hated that she wasn’t breathing but had a tube down her throat to do it instead. I hated all the cords and needles stuck in her skin. I hated that they were keeping her ‘alive’. This wasn’t alive. What I hated most was that I knew I wouldn’t have to put up with it anymore.

I sat on the chair next to her bed and held her hand. Today was the day that her family was going to turn her life support off. Bec hadn’t made any improvement in the last four months, if anything, she had gotten worse.

I couldn’t be there when they flicked the switch and I couldn’t say good bye. I didn’t want to so I sat there staring at her. Underneath all the tubes and wires, was my beautiful Bec that I loved so much. I didn’t have to say anything, she already knew. The only words I had to say were a little too late.

Her family looked at the clock then nodded their heads; I knew it was time so I went to leave the room.

I was walking out the door and I suddenly froze. The beep that I hated so much but had grown so used to was now silent. I closed my eyes and tried to hold the tears in. My tears overflowed as I whispered the words “I promise”.