Scars

Scars was written by me in late 2016/early 2017.... so don't judge.

Scars by: Grace J

Scarlet was just a young 17 year old girl from Victoria, Canada. She was one of the millions of people suffering from the deadly disease of cancer. Scarlet was exceptionally beautiful, with flowing blond hair and bright eyes of emerald green, she could easily get anyone to like her.

            “Scarlet, it will be okay,” says my mom, crying. I am not okay. I will be receiving surgery in about 5 minutes. Only 52% of the people who took this surgery survived. I will probably not be considered one of those people.

            “Are you feeling well? Do you want a drink?” asks my dad, putting his hand on my shoulder.

            “Yes dad, I’m fine.” I am clearly lying. In just a matter of one hour my parents and I will be able to know whether I live or I die. It was nice meeting you, mom and dad.

            “Scarlet Brown?” asks a receptionist. My family and I stand up. My mom and dad hug me.

            “It will be okay,” say my parents. My mom cleans my tear.

            I follow the receptionist and look back at my parents.

            Good bye.

            “You will wait here until your surgeon comes in,” says the receptionist as she gives me a pill. “Also, drink this. It will help you not feel any pain during the surgery.”

            I drink the pill and instantly cringe. Before I can think about anything else, I fall into a deep sleep.

            It seems like a long time before I felt something. My body and head feel drowsy. I can hear faint whispers of the surgeons. I hear a very faint sound of my parents crying.

               Oh no. What is happening? Am I dead?

            Suddenly a new feeling comes into my body. It feels like I am falling down a slide.

            “AHHHHH!” I scream. Or, I think that’s what I did. I felt like screaming, but I couldn’t hear anything.

My eyes suddenly open. Before me, a monster with eyes like jets of fire, a beard upon its chin, and a dirty cloak that hangs from his shoulders.

            “Where’s your dollar, missy?” asks the creature.

            “What dollar?” I ask.

            “The dollar your parents put on your tombstone?”

            “Who are you?”

            “I am Charon,” says Charon.

Charon. That Charon. The Greek mythological monster who carries souls across the Styx River.

            “Am I… dead?” I ask.

            “Of course you are!” yells Charon, “Why else will you be here? Huh? Now give me the money, or else you have to stay here for eternity-or, until I feel nice enough to let you go!”

            “For eternity?” I ask, surprised. “Please don’t. I will do anything for you to let me go across!”

            “Fine. Just because you look good,” says Charon, “Now get in the boat.”

            I follow him, because there was nothing else I could really do, unless if I want to stay in this miserable place with Charon forever.

            “Here. This is the underworld,” says Charon. “This is Cherberus.” He points at a dog,” He’s the guarder of the Underworld. He is usually very unhappy, and right now he’s asleep, so you should go while you have the chance.”

            “Thank you so much for getting me here!” I say. Immediately after, I realized that I was not glad to be here. I am dead! What am I thinking?

            “Well, you should feel glad that you are one of the 1% of the people who enjoy being dead,” says Charon, “Now, enough chit-chat. Go follow the crowd to meet the dead celebrity judges.”

            “A wha---“ I continue, until Charon pushs me forward, into the crowd.

            After what felt like eternity, it was finally my turn to meet the dead celebrity judges.

            “Well, well, well… Scarlet Brown?” asks Rhadamonthus, son of Zeus and Europe.

            “Yes, that is my name,” I reply.

            “So, you died during teenage hood,” says Minos, looking through a file, “Oh, wow. You’re not part of the 99.9% of teenagers who die because of some suicide for crazy accidents.  You’re parents must be unhappy at the surgeons who performed your surgery.”

            “Ummm… Yes?” I say, slightly confused.

            “Give us some time to talk,” says Aeacus, son of Zeus and Aeglina. Legends say that he and his step brother Minos had a rivalry when they were alive. (See? I didn’t forget ALL my past history lessons)

            I wait. One minute. Two minutes. Technically, minutes and hours do not exist in the Underworld, but it still felt like a long time. Finally, the judges speak.

            “Well Scarlet, you didn’t do a lot of bad things in your life,” says Minos, brother to Rhadamonthus.

            “However, you didn’t do much good either,” cuts his rival, Aeacus.

            “We feel for you and your family. Because you died during surgery at a young age, you will have the pleasure of going to Elysium,” finishes Rhadamonthus.

            Elysium. Where all the good spirits go after they die.

            “Thank... You,” I say.

            After that, I was lead by a creature to Elysium. I fall instantly in love. Elysium is an underworld version of Las Vegas, Disneyland, Costa Rica, Hawaii, and every other place that you will want to go. I smell a smell of barbeque and drool comes out of my mouth.

            “Hey! It’s a newcomer!” says the person who was cooking the barbeque.

            “Oh… Umm… Hi.” I say.

            “What is your name?” asks the same person, “Mine’s Elliot.”

            “Hello Elliot,” I say, “Mine’s Scarlet.”

            “You’re really pretty, Scarlet,” says another person who was eating the barbeque, “And I’m Emile.

            “Why, thank you Emile. You’re also very pretty.”

            “Care to join our barbeque?” asks Elliot.

            “I’d love to!” I say, and grab a seat next to him.

            Pretty soon, I fall in love with Elliot. His slick, blonde hair, and bright, blue eyes can catch anyone’s attention. He has a hilarious and kind personality, which made everyone want to be his friend. I’ve only really met him for a day, but our love is uncomparable.

            Well, not OUR love.

            My love for him.

            Unfortunately, Elliot was way more interested in Emile.  Emile was also interested in Elliot. They were dating, and were awarded cutest couple in the Elysium Awards.

            “Hey Scarlet. How ya feeling?” asks Emile after she and Elliot were announced cutest couple; is she just trying to annoy me?

            “Fine,” I say, “How’s Elliot?”

            “Oh, he’s fine,” says Emile. Elliot walked up to us and combed Emile’s hair.

            I quickly walk away. I can’t take it anymore.

            A few days after the day they were awarded, I had a strange urge to live again. I felt… good. In a weird way. I ask everyone how I looked and they all looked at me as if I was a creep. That day, I went up to Elliot.

            “Hey Elliot!” I say, happily.

            “Hey… wait.. .Scarlet? Your colour…”  Elliot quickly backs away.

            Before I realized what was going on, there was an earthquake. The last thing I remember was talking to Emile before it happened.

            “Earthquake!” screams someone.

            A huge hole appears in the underworld under my feet.

            “Ahhh!” Emile and I say.

            “Emile!” screams Elliot before the hole swallows me and Emile. He sprints and reaches out to pull Emile from the pit.

            Elliot doesn’t help me.

            I look around and saw nothing but jealousy.

            I was falling.

               Falling……

            And falling.

               THUMP.

            “Scarlet! Scarlet! Scarlet!” I hear. It was a whisper from….

            “Mom?”

               “She’s alive!” exclaims my mom.

            “She’s just been brought back alive so she is probably unconscious right now. Give her some time,” says the surgeon.

            I open my eyes. “Hey,” I whisper.

            “Scarlet! We were so worried!” say my parents.

            “Mom, dad, I think I died I went to the underworld,” I say.

            “The underworld?” exclaimed my parents, looking at each other.

            “Yes, and I met Charon, and went to Elysium.”

            “What? It exists? Elysium? Where all the good spirits go? Not saying that you’re not a good spirit,” says my parents in unison. “Oh Scarlet, I’m so glad you’re alive!”

            “I am too,” I say.

            “Even though, knowing or well thinking I know Elysium, you’re probably not so happy to be here.”

            “Oh mom. Please. I am so happy,” I say, trying to not remember Emile and Elliot and my jealousy.

            “Oh Scarlet, you should write a book about your adventure!” says my dad.

              

            And I did: you’re reading it now.