Rise Above Them

CHAPTER ONEFour walls.I have been staring at four walls for 47 weeks. Four grey, moldy, sullen walls.Imagine being an 18 year old, doing nothing but staring at four walls.Most of time I like to examine the different shades. The grey ranges from a moldy greyish green to an almost black grey. If you look at it long enough its hypnotizing.A doctor tried to hypnotize me once. He sat me on a chair in his office and told me to listen to the ticking of his clock. He told me to do that for 30 minutes. Nothing happened. So instead he decided to get a team of doctors from around the world together, and had them poke and prod with needles until I wished I was dead.Actually, I did almost die. I was strapped down to a metal table, and they filled 15 tubes with my blood. They took so much that a few tubes overflowed. Then they left. And I got so, so dizzy. I was dizzy to the point where I could no longer see straight.I felt myself slow down,

CHAPTER THREEIt feels like it takes me years to wake up. My arms and legs are still somewhat limp, but at least I can open my eyes. I try to sit up, but don’t have the strength to. After a few minutes I start to regain feeling and motor skills. I turn my head to look around, and immediately notice that there is an IV in my arm.I reach my hand over and pull the needle out of my arm before I have a panic attack.The monitor next to me starts beeping loudly, and the same man from before walks in, this time in a lab coat. His hands are carefully covered in leather gloves.Clever man.He glances at the needle now dangling near the floor.“You really shouldn’t do that.”“I don’t like needles.”He grimaces.“I’m well aware.”I ignore him, and take inventory of my surroundings.One bed, pillow and blanket graciously included. One bag of red liquid hooked up to an IV pole, presumably either painkiller or sedati

CHAPTER FIVE“We can do this one of two ways,” my parents state.“Do what?”“Athena, you are a danger to this world and must be removed” My mom says. She is wearing a sad smile. “No,” I breathe.“We can either hold your head under the water until your brain loses oxygen and you pass away, or we can inject you with a liquid that will stop your heart.”I scream.I am shaken awake, and Apollo is kneeling beside me.“Are you okay?” he asks.No, I’m not okay. My parents tried to kill me when I was fifteen years old and I wish they had succeeded.“Yes,” I mutter. “I’m fine.”“You were screaming in your sleep”Am I really that messed up?“I’m sorry, I just had a nightmare.”“Okay, let me know if you need anything. And don’t be sorry. You have nothing to apologize for.”He smiles a warm, sincere smile that only an old friend would give. I’m momentarily disarmed. The man that tackled me not a day ago i