14 days, 7 prompts

Chapter 1

On a cloudy October day where the autumn leaves blanketed the ground in a colorful array of reds, oranges, browns and yellows, life came a calling. She knew what was happening and why, yet felt as if it were a dream. No way could she be at this crossroads again, just as she’d given up all hope and moved on with her what was left of her life. Too many years had gone by, with countless heart-stopping moments when her phone rang. Now fate was here staring her right in the face, yet she was helpless to speak, to think straight, to put together one coherent thought.

Monica sunk down on the bed, the telephone pressed hard against her ear as the doctor repeated the news.

“Monica? Are you there?”

“Yes,” she stammered through the fog her brain had become.

“You’re scheduled for surgery in four hours. Get to the hospital now. I’ll meet you in there.”

The resounding click in her ear snapped her right back to reality. It was time. Two hearts in 17 years would be enough for anyone. Monica knew the drill. As much as she wanted to count on this one being her saving grace, she couldn’t.

Monica stood on shaky legs and moved barefoot across the plush green carpet to the closet. Reaching for the doorknob, she closed her eyes for one second to try to steady the rapid beat of heart number two. Opening the door, she bent down to grab the small duffle bag off the floor. Most expectant mothers kept a bag at the ready. Her heart clenched at that thought, knowing that she may never experience that kind of joy.

She moved to the dresser, standing before the mirror and gasped at the sight of her gaunt reflection. Her once porcelain skin turned pale, her brown eyes no longer sparkled with excitement either, instead they were sunk in, dull and lifeless. Even her weight was becoming dangerously low.

“This has to work. When I wake up after the transplant surgery, I will be reborn, starting anew, and I will find a way to get back everything I’ve ever lost.”

WC:359







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