Gone in a Heartbeat

Authors note: This fiction story is based off of my cousin, Ashley Danielle Navratil’s life from her 3 year old sister Amanda Rose Navratil’s point of view. Rest in Peace Ashley.

Summer is supposed to be a great season. For my sister, Ashley, summer was not a time for fun and games. Instead it was a time to fight for her life. At the age of six she was diagnosed with brainstem glioma, which is a type of brain tumor and cancer located on the brainstem. Now she is seven and is on the merge of death. The doctors had said she doesn’t have much time to live, because this cancer is completely incurable.
I am 3 years old and my name is Amanda Navratil. I don’t know much about life, or what death really is, but I do know this, my sister has a serious battle, and she must risk everything in order to win.

May 1999: Lately Ashley has been acting really weird. Yesterday when I was combing her American Girl Dolls hair, she started to scream and freak out. When I gave her the doll back, she hit me, and she never does that. I also noticed that her eyes are really funny. She became cross eyed and whenever I see her, I giggle.
My parents thought it would be a good idea to take her into the eye doctor to make sure she didn’t need glasses or anything. We all hopped in the car to go to the doctor but then my sister started crying. A six year old girl crying, I mean come on, I don’t even cry… sometimes.
Finally we arrived at the doctor. This place was like a wonderland, of glasses. So many to choose from, I just had to try them all on! My dad stayed out in the lobby with me while my mom and sister went in the back corner where there was a small room.
About 10 minutes later the doctor, Ashley, and mom all walked out of the room. “Is she going to need glasses?” said my dad.
“Oh no, her eye sight is perfect!”
“Do you have any idea on why her eyes are crossed?” questioned mom
“I’m afraid I can’t answer that question but I think you should see a specialist
because you never know what could be wrong.”
“Well thank you anyways! Bye.” spoke my dad, and we all walked out and over to the car.
On the ride home the car was dead silent, except for Ashley, she was yelling out the most random things. It got pretty annoying after awhile. When we got home, right away my mom was on the phone with some other doctor. It was getting late so we all walked upstairs to go to bed.
About 3 days later my mom and sister left the house very early in the morning to go to the new doctor. They were gone for almost the whole day, but when they got back, things didn’t seem right.
My mom walked in with makeup all over her face. I quickly went upstairs and left my mom and dad to talk. I could hear them whispering, “Is everything alright,” asked my dad, “where’s Ashley?”
“No, are daughter…,” she stopped and took a deep breath “might have cancer. They are making her stay there for tonight. I just came home to grab a few things. My mom and dad are with her right now.”
“Ha-ha good one,” he giggle and looked back at mom, “Wait, you’re not serious are you?”
“You think I would joke about something this terrible?”
“What kind of cancer did they say?”
“The doctors aren’t sure yet but they believe it might be a type of brain cancer.”
Right then and there both of my parents broke down in tears. I was very confused, what is cancer anyway, and why would this make my parents so sad?
That night we all slept at the hospital. I had to ask my mom why they were crying early. My mom said “Sweetie, your sister is very sick, and she will be like this for a long time.”
“Will she die?”
“I don’t think you need to worry about this, let’s just go to bed.”
The next morning the doctor walked into the room. My mom and dad stepped out of the room to have a talk with the doctor while I stayed in the room with Ashley and the nurse. But right in the middle of their conversation, my mom dropped to the floor with tears. They were talking for a long time, the nurse let me play catch with a little red ball and get some free snacks.
“I’m sorry to tell you this, but your daughter Ashley Navratil has brainstem glioma.” Spoke the doctor. Once again my mom broke down in tears.

March 2000: For the past year or so, my family has gone on a bunch of vacations, but I barely get to go on any of them. The good thing is I did get to go to Disney. My sister has been really boring to play with, she doesn’t even do anything fun anymore and she’s bald. Mommy said it will make her stop being really sick. And her eyes look even weirder. Every other day I get to go to my grandma and grandpa’s house to sleepover so my sister will get better. It’s fun going to their house because they have a swimming pool and a hot tub! When I am home this woman comes to our house to make sure Ashley is okay. They pray a lot, which is weird because she’s not going to die, that’s what mommy said. The last time the lady person was here, my mom and dad were crying a lot. I tried to listen to what she was saying, but she was using really long words. The only word I heard was four, four months.

June 2000: I have been very scared lately. My mom never lets me go by her when that one woman is here to make sure Ashley’s alright. Yesterday the woman made Ashley wear this weird mask to help her breathe better. She has to wear it all the time, and believe me, it’s really scary!
Today when I was watching a T.V. show, Ashley started screaming and I couldn’t hear anything so I got really mad and hit her. Mommy made me go in a time out because she said I wasn’t going in as much pain as she is. In two days it’s my birthday but I don’t think my family is going anywhere because they all like Ashley more than me. I really want a cow for my birthday but my mom says it’s too messy.
“Amanda let’s go to bed”
“NO!” I yelled back at my mom
“Get upstairs now!”
“Fine, mean mom.” I murmured as I marched up the stairs. My mom read me a bed time story and we all went to sleep.
That night I had a scary dream that Ashley died because she had no more hair, so in the middle of the night I ran to mommy’s room and slept with her, daddy, and Ashley.

July 9 2000: “Wake up sunshine, time for breakfast.” whispered my grandma. Last night I stayed at their house because my mommy and daddy said so. I got up, and walked to the kitchen to eat. “Yummy! French toast, my favorite!” I said.
I started my breakfast and then the phone rang. My grandparent’s phone sounds funny and it rings really loud. Right after she hung up the phone, we quickly jumped in the car and drove to my house, that isn’t too far away.
When we got there, the woman who says prayers was there and a bunch of other doctors. My mom and dad were both kneeling beside my sister’s bed. I could tell something was wrong because Ashley’s breathing sounded different. My grandparents kneeled next to mommy, and my grandma Nonnie sat next to daddy. Uncle Bill and Auntie Anne came later. Uncle Nimo, Auntie Jane, my cousins Gabriella and Evan, and their family dog, Elliott had to drive all the way from Milwaukee to get here in Minnesota which is a six hour drive.
For the next 3 hours, we all just say there, in dead silence. Ashley’s breathing started to slowly come to a stop. “Beep, Beep, BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.”
I could feel it inside me, something missing. I could feel her leave the earth. That’s when I knew she was gone, forever.

Apple

Authors Note: In this piece I changed the ending of Snow White and wrote it in the evil witch's perspective.

Suddenly I felt my stomach start to growl, so I looked around for food. I noticed the poison apple I had been saving for the young woman. I said to myself "Since I made the poisoned apple, it won't be able to harm me!" So I took the biggest bite I had ever taken, and finished the entire apple. My legs began to shake and my heart started to beat faster, and I shivered in despair. I collapsed with a heart attack, which lead me to a slow, painful death.