Life is Hard | Teen Ink

Life is Hard

February 23, 2009
By TrueBella1917 BRONZE, Keller, Texas
TrueBella1917 BRONZE, Keller, Texas
4 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"Off with your head!"
"Such a lovely head and I'd wear it on all the finest occasions"


The sun hit my eyes like a burst of fire as it sprang through the window pane into my eyes, I rolled over to avoid the sun and hid something hard. My eyes burst open and came face to face with a large box that read, Todd's Stuff. I gasped and rolled back over scooting farther away from the horrifying box of my old boyfriends stuff, I felt myself falling and a second later on the floor.
'Ouch,' I said getting up off of the floor. What was that box doing here, why was it here? I walked over to it and ran my fingers along the edges, yes, it was there not some imagination of mine. I opened it up to see what it contained, I hadn't looked at it since I had packed it up.
On top there lay a folded up piece of paper, I sighed and took it out. However, when I opened it, it wasn't a letter from me to Todd or from him to me, I gasped and dropped it to the floor.
The handwriting was foreign to myself. I stared at it for a second before bending down and picking it up, I unfolded it slowly and carefully before reading it.

Dear Coraline Winters,

I know you don't know me and will probably be surprised to see the box of Todd's stuff sitting on your bed and with a strange note sitting inside. However, I feel I must inform you that Todd has been captured, he left you for a reason he could not say at the time.

Todd, is one of our top workers for Y.A.T.O. and was watching you however, he grew attracted and ended up speaking with you and growing attached. This was not supposed to happen, it makes it harder for them to leave when they must move on. You are being watched as we speak and once you have read this please call the number at the bottom of the sheet, he will tell you where to go to meet him.

Coraline, we need your help in finding Todd. He is missing and has been for a week now, he was reported missing and we haven't been able to find him. We knew you might be able to help with knowing him, well as well as you do. Please help us, you are our last hope and we need him back.

Thank you very much,
J. H. Yunson

P.S. We will take you whether you agree to or not, we need him'

(555) 623-4592

I stared at the letter in disbelief and re-read it to check to see if what I was reading was indeed true. I turned it over in my hands and crumpled it up only to re-open it to find the same words written there in black and white. It was definitely real, I sighed and decided I rather go willingly than by force.
I walked over to my bedside table and picked up my charger and dialed the number, it rang three times before it clicked and a man answered me.

'Coraline?' he said.

'Who is this?' I asked.

I heard a sigh on the other end of the line, 'Did you get the letter?'

'Yes, who are you?' I repeated.

'I'm Mr. Yunson's assistant, that's all you need to know. Okay?' he asked.

'Yes'' I said slowly.

'Okay, now listen closely, are you listening?'

'Yes, I'm listening.' I said.

'Okay, I need you to meet me in room 365 in the Abelux Hotel. Do you know where it is?' he asked.

'Yes, right now?' I asked. I didn't really want to leave at the moment the sun was barely up and I was still exhausted.

'Yes, Coraline, right now'' he said sounding a little annoyed.


'Okay, okay I'm coming'' I said before he hung up the phone.

I quickly changed into a pair of sweats and pulled my hair up into a pony tail before exiting my room and eventually my house.

I started into a sprint eager to get out of the cool morning air, I saw the hotel approaching and advanced into a run. As soon as I reached the front door I slowed down and walked in and over to the elevator.

I pushed the button for the third floor and waited patiently for it to reach the right floor, it dinged and I stepped out of the elevator.

I turned to the right as the sign said and started counting the room numbers until I came upon 365.

I paused outside looking up and down the corridors, I tried the door handle and found it unlocked I took a step inside and froze in my tracks.

The room was massive, the floor wasn't carpeted but cemented. There were white covers on every surface that occupied the wide empty space. On the walls hung pictures that had a film of dust sitting on them, there was a door on the opposite wall and a counter in the corner. The ceiling rose high above my head and held a single fan and light. I took a deep breath and walked slowly across to the door across from myself always checking behind me.

I had an eerie feeling I was being watched and kept checking periodically to make sure, I reached the door and opened it hesitantly. The room was much the same as the one before as far as I could tell. There were pictures that lay on every area of the room and white covers on top of everything once again.

I checked around the room spotting a door finally I headed toward it, wondering how large this place could possibly be.

I pushed the door open and found myself in a small art studio, there were no white sheets, counters ran around the perimeter of the room and pictures lay everywhere imaginable along with a few sculptures. My eyes caught peach skin and white clothes.

I raised my head slowly and saw the face of an angel standing in front of me, it took my breath away and I found myself feeling light-headed.


'Coraline?' I heard a worried voice say.


I felt myself sway back and forth from the lack of air and thought sorely on breathing, it came slowly but not before I had collapsed to the floor and hit my head on the edge of the counter on my way down.

My head was throbbing now and I was seeing black spots, my breathing returned however after a second and I breathed in big gulps of air. I felt a hand on my head and felt a sticky substance starting to role down my face, my hand went to my head automatically to try and stop the throbbing in it.

I felt the sticky substance and brought my hand back to examine it, I was bleeding. I groaned, why was I such a clutz?

I heard a slight chuckle and tried to sit up but was forced to lay back down by the black dots that encompassed my vision at my movement.


'Coraline, are you alright? Can you hear me, Coraline?' a desperate voice said. It sounded like the voice I had heard on the phone, was it?



'I can hear you,' I said.


I heard a sigh of relief, 'What happened, Coraline?' someone asked.


I shook my head causing a ringing in my ears, 'I'm not sure, I felt light headed suddenly and noticed my breathing had stopped and then I just collapsed'' I said reflecting on the events myself.
I felt something wet near the scalp of my head and a slight sting that I winced at.
'Sorry, I know it stings'' I heard someone mutter to me.
When it stopped I felt a slight pressure in the same spot and then nothing.
I tried to sit up again, this time with success no black dots. I looked around me slowly as to not make the black dots return, one of the three men there looked at me worriedly. I smiled at him to say I was alright, I placed my hands on the floor and got up.
I stood still for a minute making sure I had my balance, 'Okay, I'm good.' I said with confidence.

'You sure?' one asked.


I nodded, 'Okay, now what do you need me for?' I asked.

I heard a chuckle behind me, 'We have lost one of our top protectors, Todd, you're old protector and boyfriend. We were hoping you might know where he would be'' another said.

I closed my eyes, 'I'm sorry I don't know where he could be, do you have any clue as to where he was last?' I asked.


'New York City in an apartment building'' one said.


I nodded, 'I suggest we start there, there might be some clues'' I through out.

They nodded at me and we walked out of the hotel and into a waiting car there, we drove to the airport and all boarded a plane to New York City.

They asked me to go in to room 204 and see if there were any clues, they had to do something and would be up soon. I nodded and headed inside and upstairs to the second floor, I walked down the carpeted hallway until I found the correct room.

I tried the handle, once again it was unlocked. People really needed to lock their doors, I thought as I walked inside. I left the door open knowing I wouldn't be here long at all. I walked forward toward the other side of the room.

The floor was a deep burgundy color and the beds were a green and burgundy. I sighed as I noticed the familiar white walls that came with apartments and hotels. I heard a click and knew the door closed, I whipped my head around to see who had closed the door.

A man stood there watching me intently, he was fully clothes in black and held a gun pointed straight at me. One wrong move and I was dead, I knew it would be true.

'Where's Todd?' I asked trying to sound intimidating, it didn't work.

'Don't speak, don't move. You do anything I don't ask you to do, I shoot'' he threatened.

I gulped but nodded.

'Todd, is dead he did not listen to what I had to say and didn't do what I asked'' he replied to my first question. 'Now, Coraline, is it?'

I nodded.


'I want you to help me get those that have surely accompanied you here, I know you are not one of them and I know they wouldn't let you come here on your own. You see I've set out to kill those of the organization Y.A.T.O., I don't agree with what they do nor does anyone in my organization. Will you help me, Coraline?' he asked.

I hesitated, not knowing how to answer. I was frozen with fear, I didn't want to end my life this early did I?


'Will you help me, Coraline?' he repeated, sounding annoyed.


I didn't answer, I knew I would never help I would rather die than give away those who had been protecting me for some reason. I didn't know why they had been protecting me and I knew I would never know now.

'I'm asking one last time, Coraline will you help me?' he asked, I heard the trigger lock signaling he was going to shoot if I didn't say yes.

I felt tears come to my eyes as I knew what my answer would be, I shook my head slightly and heard the gun shot sound.

I gasped as the air left my body and I fell to the floor, I felt blood ooze from the wound and fill the space around me slowly. I knew I was dying, I knew this was my end. My short life was ending.

My short life that held no importance
It held nothing
Nobody cared for what I did
Nobody cares now if I'm dying.

Nobody will know that I've died
The only ones who will know is this man who killed me
I wonder what his name is
I should have asked him to tell me

I'm laying here in the middle of a room
I'm laying here dying
I'm laying here thinking my last thoughts.
I'm laying here, I'm dead, nobody is knowing.

My life was short, many cried at my burial and I saw those who had helped me die as well when they came to see what the commotion was. They found me dead on the floor with blood flowing from my side, the man in there killed them and then left with no word.
Death holds no words, no songs, no life, it's merely death.


The author's comments:
Live everyday as if it were your last, you never know when it will be.

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