The Bag

2019

It was during lunchtime after class when I got the distressing call from my aunt. My mother had collapsed on the floor on her way out to deliver my lunch that I forgot. She was struggling with fatal heart disease at the time so it made her daily life hard to get through. I offered to stay home and take care of her responsibilities but she told me, "Life should not be wasted when its nature has yet to be revealed". I did not know how to process that statement at that moment, but it felt like I should keep an open mind about her condition. When I got on the bus that saying continued to echo throughout my subconsciousness and I began to stress if I am truly right in leaving her there all by herself. Suddenly, I received a text from her saying, "Hi sweetie! You seemed a little bit shocked when you left this morning. I am doing fine, even if things may seem hard for me now I know I got you out of the house and on time for the bus. Please hold your head up for me when you come home it would mean the world to me. Love you goodbye - Mom."

That text message only made it worse for me to concentrate in school. During class time, I mulled over to my thoughts like, "Why does it have to be complex like this where people put on the front that they are okay when they are really not?"

"I wish she didn't have to worry about me and give herself some meaning" "This shouldn't be a choice!" As more thoughts build-up, I began to cower my face beneath my hoodie. I draped my eyes in a comic book and tried to escape these questions but it was to no avail. Lunchtime arrived and I wasn't really hungry. I sat at a lone table by my lonesome and put my head down to try and relax. Suddenly, I got another text from my mom. "Hey honey, you forgot your lunch this morning! I'll go ahead and bring it up to you when I finish folding your clothes" I could sense something bad was going to happen since she was supposed to be resting at this time. She also knows that I like my lunch in a special bag Dad gave me before he left. I don't know where he went but it served as my memento for him. I think I put in on the top shelf when I took it home yesterday because it was closer to the cheeto puffs. I was a little bit taller than my mom so I would get it instead of her. "I really hope she just brings me a regular bag" I said in a sigh of worry. A few minutes passed and no updates from my mom. Lunch was about to be over soon, so I decide to call her myself. No answer. I left her a voice mail, Hey mom. You don't need to worry about the lunchbag or anything I had a friend hook me up with some of his tuna sandwich" As lunchtime passed, I was strolling through the school hallway on the way to my next class. I noticed that the walls look much more closer to me than usual. Maybe it's just my eyes playing tricks on me I thought. I do wear glasses after all. During class, I got a phone call from my aunt, I asked the teacher if I could step outside to take it. My aunts voiced bellowed beneath her breath as if she was trying to collect the escaped air that she exhaled. "Honey, I need you to listen to me. Your mom is in the ER right now. "What!?" I said in disbelief. "What happened auntie?" "The police found her unconscious on the floor when they were asked to do a check-up on her after hearing a loud thud from the neighbors" My heart instantly dropped, "No this can't be true! This is all my fault Auntie!" I tried to collect myself but my tears kept tearing its way out through my hands.

"We'll head to the hospital after the ER after school okay?"

"Alright…"

The school bell rang and I instantly hopped off my seat and ran towards the school entrance hoping my aunt would be waiting for me. For some reason, as I was running, I felt like the walls felt even closer than before. That's not all that happen either. My coordination was way off from how it's supposed to be. I kept stumbling over my feet, I hit my hand against the corner of the walls multiple times, and my throat was clogged up with saliva.

"Cmon just lemme reach a little further until I can get to my mother please"

I spotted the entrance just a couple of feet away. I picked up the pace and ran full speed towards the door. However, when I was halfway, the door was right in front of my face.

"How can this be possible when I was all the way back there?"

I didn't have time to question the rationale of my situation. I need to get out of here. Yet for some reason, my feet couldn't move. It's as if an Anvil was pressing hard into my feet and I collapsed from the pressure. The students saw me motionless on the floor sprawling in desperation. They all looked like white walls when I glanced to look at them from below. They called over for help and the school officials called over the paramedics. I passed out before I saw them whisk me away to a nearby hospital away from my aunt and my mom.

I awoke to a white room, the smell of baby carrots and a tuna sandwich filled the room.

The door opens

Hello sir! We are going to turn on the lights so that we can take your diagnostics. I was confused for a moment because I could have swore the room already the lights on.

"Um, I thought the lights were already on Nurse. All I can see is the color white around me and nothing else"

"…What?"

She looked at me in disbelief and ran me through a couple of questions before running out to find a doctor. Silence filled the room and I could feel my heart beating intensely. My legs froze up and I could hear my bones crack and twist erratically when trying to move them. As time passed, my sense of smell dissipated within minutes. I kept crying because I kept telling myself that this will be the end of me. As I was crying my skin started to peel off like ribbons at a ballet performance.

Suddenly, the doctor burst in with his head heavy in his hand.

"How are you feeling sir?"

"I'm scared doctor"

"What am I going to do!? What's going to happen with my mom"

"We're trying the best we can to help you young man. You have unfortunately been afflicted with an unknown virus that the world has not identified yet"

The nurse bursts in through the door in a frantic panic.

"Doctor!!" she screamed.

"What is it nurse?"

The nurse whispered the information to his ear.

The doctor sighed heavily.