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The Cure A loud beeping noise blares as Callie comes out of her sleep. Her mind is foggy, and the light shines through her squinted eyes. She hears the door creak and rolls over to find Rosaline,her best friend, waltzing through the hospital room door with a wide grin. “Cal!” she screams, “You won’t believe it, but I think I found your cure!”Callie stares at her friend dumbfoundedly. “How is this possible,” she thinks to herself. She starts to remember when she was first diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer six months ago. She had been losing tons of weight and had intense abdominal pain. She chose to ignore it for a while, but it came to the point where the pain was unbearable. She finally decided to go to the hospital. There her doctor broke the news to her, and a sickening feeling overcame her. All of her dreams and hopes for life were crushed in the span of seconds. She comes out of her daze realizing she hasn’t responded to Rosaline. What could she possibly say? The past few months have been hell with constant doctor appointments, her first round of chemotherapy, and enough missed classes to make her want to go back to school.Rosaline then begins a long-winded story about how she was Googling Pancreatic Cancer and unorthodox cures. She rambles on detailing how the search started with alternative treatments like energy healing and strict diets but eventually led her to a Reddit page with a link to a website called Divine Intervention.Callie is skeptical. It sounds too good to be true, but if she were to trust anyone with her life— it would be Rosaline. They’ve been best friends since the third grade. Their bond is practically unbreakable, and Callie’s diagnosis has strengthened it. It’s hard to sit by and watch a dear friend struggle to cling to life, even so, that doesn’t stop Rosaline from bearing the burden alongside Callie.“Okay, so this might sound weird… but there are a few steps you have to follow for fourteen nights, and on the fifteenth you’ll be healed.” Rosaline continues cautiously, “First, you have to bathe in milk and lavender. Then, you drink tea made with orange peels, bay leaves, and elderberries. Lastly, you have to sleep with your window open so the moonlight can shine on you while you sleep. Oh, and there’s a mantra you have to say before you drink the tea, but I can tell you about that later.”“I—I don’t know Ros. This sounds kind of sketchy. Where’d you even hear about this?” Callie states. “I already told you! I found it on this website called Divine Intervention. I’ll even send you the page! People left reviews, and everyone has miraculously recovered from terminal illnesses! C’mon, it’s not like you have anything better to do…” Rosaline’s voice dies out as she sees the expression on Callie’s face. “Sorry.”“June 21. Fifteen days. You know I start my second round of chemo that day, right?” Callie questions.“Duhhh,” Rosaline says unphased, “That’s what makes it even better. When it works, you won’t have to go in for your next round of chemo! C’mon, take a chance. What do you have to lose?”To Callie, the thought of living a life cancer-free is like a warm fire in the midst of a blizzard. She imagines all the potential possibilities if the cure were to work. She could go to college and get a degree. She could wake up every morning without having to take her medications. She would be free of the physical pain and exhaustion that comes with cancer and chemotherapy. She could be happy. She reconsiders Rosaline’s words because she really doesn’t have anything to lose. If it doesn’t work, they can chalk it up to dumb summer fun.“Ugh fine. I’m in,” Callie sighs, giving in to her friend’s demand.A wide grin reappears on Rosaline’s face, “Eek great! Sleepover at your place?!” “Yeah, I don’t get discharged ‘til tomorrow so we can start then,” Callie says while rolling her eyes. A doorbell rings in the distance. “Callie! Rosaline is here for you,” Callie’s mom yells from the kitchen. Callie jumps out of bed and leans over the top of the staircase. She waves for Rosaline to come up to her room. Rosaline plops on her bed with a large, black duffle bag and begins taking out the materials for Callie’s cure. “We’ve got four gallons of whole milk, some lavender, oranges, bay leaves, and elderberries. I even brought some honey to help with the taste,” Rosaline says. “How’d you get the money to buy all this stuff?” Callie asks while sorting through the pile of ingredients. “I told my dad I was getting supplies for a project you missed in school, so he let me use his credit card,” Rosaline casually explains. Callie stays silent. It’s not like Rosaline to lie to her parents, or at least not her dad. Callie reminisces on their years of friendship. Rosaline has always been a cheerful, supportive friend. When they first met, neither of them had friends, so it was natural that they became inseparable. From that day forward they were each other’s rocks, standing strong when either of them faced hard times. But, since the start of the ceremony, Callie has been observing a shift in Rosaline’s mood. It seems as though Rosaline is sterner and always on guard.“Let’s get started,” Rosaline says, “We don’t have all night.”The girls slide off the bed and head towards the bathroom. They open the jugs of milk and start pouring them into the tub. Callie reaches over and grabs a handful of lavender and starts pulling it apart. She sprinkles the lavender into the tub making sure it is evenly spaced. Leaving the lavender to soak in the milk bath, they go to the kitchen to start making the tea. Callie boils water with bay leaves and orange peels as Rosaline crushes the elderberries. They mix the ingredients together and strain the tea into a blue mug sitting on the counter. Rosaline grabs the bottle of honey and squeezes it onto a tablespoon before mixing their concoction. She then hands the mug to Callie. “Drink up!” she exclaims with a smile. “Easy for you to say,” Callie snaps backs. She brings the steaming cup up to her lips and contorts her face in disgust. “Hold on! I forgot to teach you the mantra. Before you drink it you have to say, ‘In the presence of the supreme being that sustains life, with intent I charge and ordain this tea to aid my healing,’” Rosaline recites seriously. Glancing hesitantly at Rosaline, Callie repeats, “In the presence of the supreme being that sustains life, with intent I charge and ordain this tea to aid my healing.”“Perfect. Cheers to your Day of Healing!” Rosaline shrieks, “Now, you just go to sleep, and remember to open your window.” “To my Day of Healing!” Callie replies before chugging the tea. She walks Rosaline to the front door. They say their goodbye’s and Callie jogs back upstairs for a good night's rest. She walks across her room and pulls the blinds up, letting moonlight flood in. She climbs into bed feeling oddly relieved and calm. Maybe this healing ceremony will actually work. It’s the fifth night of Callie’s healing ceremony. Callie lies in bed staring at the ceiling contemplating the past few days. She’s been vigilant in following the steps carefully. She feels kind of dumb for going along with this plan and isn’t even sure if she believes it will work, but it’s been fun. Rosaline says the results won’t be seen till the last day of the healing ceremony, but she’s getting impatient. It’s the tenth night of Callie’s healing ceremony. Rosaline brings more supplies by the house every few days for Callie to prepare for the healing ceremony. Callie has been feeling extremely frail for the past two days. As she takes her milk and lavender bath, she prays for the Day of Healing to come. At this point, it's all she can look forward to. She's sick of taking pain medication to ease her discomfort. Chemotherapy only adds to her fragile state which makes it hard for her to believe it might actually get rid of her cancer. Callie drains her bath and gets in bed reaching for the tea she made beforehand. She quietly recites the mantra with her eyes closed. She sighs, taking large swigs of tea. She still isn’t used to the taste. She pulls the bed sheets up to get comfortable and watches the moon through her window until she falls asleep. It’s the final day of Callie’s healing ceremony. She goes through the same motions that she has for the past thirteen nights. She feels anxious, yet excited. Rosaline is supposed to pick her up around 11 p.m. so they can begin the final part in the Day of Healing at midnight. Rosaline drives through the neighborhood to pick up Callie for the final day of the ceremony. They nicknamed it the day of healing. Tonight’s ritual requires them to be outside in an area with an open space. They decide to go to the woods behind Rosaline’s house. The girls walk up the ramp to Rosaline's house and make a beeline for the garage. There Rosaline opens a small cardboard box and starts throwing its contents into a bag. Callie can’t make out all the things Rosaline tosses in there, but she catches a glimpse of a knife, a lighter, candles, and a blindfold. What possible use could they have for all of these items? Callie is starting to think Rosaline isn’t being upfront about what this Day of Healing entails. Nevertheless, she’s made it this far so there’s no point in turning back now. It’s a quarter till midnight. Rosaline zips up the bag and motions for Callie to follow her. They tiptoe around the study and to the laundry room to grab flashlights. They creep out the back door of the laundry room that leads to the woods behind Rosaline’s house. It’s a cool summer night; there’s a slight breeze blowing through the trees. The woods seem to span for miles. Their flashlights guide them as they head up a small hill riddled with twigs and rocks. The top of the hill reveals a small clearing in the woods. Rosaline steps forward, pauses, and points towards the ground, “Be careful not to step on the lines. We can’t afford to erase any.” Callie hums in response. It’s pitch-black outside. She can barely make out the shape of the trees. She shivers and holds up her flashlight to get a better look at the clearing. A branch snaps in the distance. Callie jumps turning toward the noise to find Rosaline giggling. “You should’ve seen your face! You’re totally spooked,” Rosaline heaves while climbing over a fallen tree trunk. “Shut up! It's dark out here. What do you expect?” Callie retorts quickly.“Yeah. Whatever, scaredy-cat. I’ll be right back. I have to get the final piece of the puzzle before we do this,” Rosaline says while walking past her to the other side of the clearing. She quickly disappears into the trees. Callie’s feeling extremely uneasy about the ceremony now. What could she be getting that she doesn’t know about? She shakes her head to clear her mind of doubt. Rosaline is confident in the healing ceremony so why isn’t she? She can’t help but notice how eerie the night is becoming. Callie waits for what seems like forever. She passes time by pacing the clearing. She realizes the lines in the ground form a circle with strange markings through the middle. Suddenly, she hears leaves shuffling and muffled noise. Her eyes widen with terror as Rosaline emerges from the woods with a young boy in tow. The boy's face is tear-streaked and sweaty. His mouth is taped closed, but his eyes speak for themselves. He's struggling, jerking away from Rosaline as she drags him into the clearing. Suddenly, everything makes sense. The nightly routine, the woods, the time, the mantra, the lines on the ground, it's all finally coming together. “Ros...” Callie croaks as her eyes fill with tears, “What is this?” She’s starting to feel weaker than ever. “It’s your cure,” Rosaline states with cold eyes. “I knew the healing ceremony would be unconventional…but this—this, is cruel. This is evil,” Callie’s voice cracks struggling to get the words out. “You expect me to go along with this?” Callie is beginning to raise her voice, “You knew I would never go along with something like this. This is someone’s child, Ros. This boy has a family and friends who will be looking for him. You kidnapped him! You’re ready to sacrifice this boy to save my life?” Callie is screaming now. The birds in the trees become restless. “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t,” Rosaline states shortly, casting her eyes towards the ground. “I know this isn't like me, but I can't lose you, Cal. I won’t lose you.” "Well, I'm not giving you a choice. I'm dying Ros. Dying,” Callie emphasizes in a somber tone, “There’s nothing you can do to stop that. Now, we are going to set this boy free and head to the hospital.” The girls start walking down from the top of the hill in silence. Rosaline is too ashamed to speak, and Callie can't bring herself to look at her friend in the eyes. A few minutes pass and they're reaching the bottom of the hill. They walk around to the front of the house where Rosaline’s red Toyota sits dew-covered in the driveway. Callie approaches the car slowly, combing over the events of the past 2 hours, before finally settling into the passenger seat.The drive back to the hospital seems longer than usual. Multi-colored houses flutter past Callie in the passenger side window. She takes a deep breath. It’s been a long night and she’s tired. Her pills are starting to wear off. All she wants to do is go back to the hospital and forget the night she just experienced. She can’t believe she put so much faith into this healing ceremony. It turned out to be a bunch of crap. They slow at the front of the hospital’s main doors. Callie gets out of the car, letting the door close softly behind her. She’s always known Rosaline was a dreamer, but she never expected her to go this far. Rosaline crossed a line. This is a line Callie knew she couldn’t cross personally. Callie shakes her head at the thought of buying into Rosaline’s antics. She felt foolish for believing a few baths and some chants would save her life. Yet she still went along with it, despite the unease she began to feel along the way. Deep down, she hoped that this healing ceremony would be her cure, and she’d never have to see that hospital again. At the end of the day, she would much rather suffer than be the cause of someone else's suffering. “Wait,” Rosaline whispers. Callie’s pace slows and she turns around with a grim expression on her face before she reaches the hospital’s doors, “I’ll be fine,” she exclaims with a forced smile. She turns back towards the glass doors, squares her shoulders, and walks through. Word count: 2,580 ................
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