“Emma, Emma Rose! It is time for your medication. Emma? Doctor! We need a doctor in here!” “One, two, three clear! One, two, three clear!”
My time is coming to an end here. Yet, it just won’t seem to come fast enough for me. Too many sins I won’t forgive myself for I suppose. Making my life just drag out…See it all happened along time ago. I was 17 years old and living in Renshow, S.C. Renshow was a small town with really nothing but wilderness around. The only people who came here, came to camp, go to a funeral, or were just passing through. It was the spring of 1938 and I was just about to experience an unforgettable summer. I just graduated and was pulling full time at work, for one last year before going off to college. After work one evening my girlfriends took me out to eat for my birthday. We went to the local diner and sate beside the glass separator. Since the diner was so small they just had a huge glass wall separator between the central tables. I was pressed up against it as all the girls slid into the booth. We are enjoying our meal when I hear a light tap on the glass. I look over and see a skinny, brown haired boy looking at me. All the other girls started giggling and trying to look cute, but he didn’t pay them any attention he only stared at me. He then fogged up the window with his breath and wrote, “Hi!” Embarrassed, I smiled and wrote back, “Nice try!” He laughed and wrote, “What is your name?” I replied “Emma” then exited the building. I week later two daisies appeared at my work. The card read, “Hi Emma, my name is Daren.” Flattered I smiled to myself and went back to work. After a week of these notes I was leaving work and to my surprise, there he was. Sitting on a huge rock just waited. He asked me if he could walk me home and I sheepishly agreed. He walked me home in this fashion for about two weeks. Then asked me out to dinner, when I accepted he grinned and kissed me softly on the cheek and whispered, “Until tomorrow” and disappeared down the dirt road.

We soon became an inseparable couple. We did absolutely everything together. Then one evening we were walking through the park, when he led me to a small blanket with candles and multiple food choices. We were eating and enjoying ourselves when he leaned in over and kissed me softly on the lips and said, “I love you!” I thought for a moment then whispered back, “I love you too” and I really did. Soon my parents started trying to get involved. They were doing everything in their power to keep us apart. They were consistently telling me how he was beneath me, and how he was going nowhere and would pull me down with him. It didn’t matter to me though, because I knew they were wrong and I would be happy no matter where I was, as long as I was with him. Then one evening my parents went too far by telling me that I was forbidden from seeing him. I wasn’t going to let that happen though, so Daren and I sat down and discussed the whole thing. Our final plan was that after the summer, when we both had enough money saved, we would run away together and start a new life together somewhere else. We met in secret so that our parents wouldn’t get suspicious. Yet, it was hard because the three weeks I had to wait seemed like an eternity. Finally only one week until we were to leave and we had our final meeting. This final secret meeting would last for three hours, in which time we planned our escape and ate little treats he had bought for me. That evening we also gave ourselves to each other. When I was about to leave he gave me a ring and asked me to marry him as soon as we got away, and as always I accepted.

That whole next week I was floating on a cloud, even though the days felt like years I had hope. I was filled with excitement for I know of the amazing future I had in front of me. The day finally came; the day that I had been longing for was finally here. I woke up early and pulled out the note that I had written weeks ago explaining how I left. I grabbed all my stuff and left the note on the bed stand. I ran down the block with everything I thought I would need and there he was. Daren was there just waiting in his pickup for me. We got in and headed for the highway. Everything was going as planned, until this stupid little car pulled out in front of the truck. I was so angry that we had almost crashed, and had to whip into the next lane to just barely avoid a collision. I was furious and as we passed by the driver’s window and I flipped him off. Daren told me to stop, and be thankful that everything was ok. I took his advice and settled myself down. I mean after all this was supposed to be the first day of the rest of my new life.

Then probably three minutes later, I hear this loud engine gaining on us. I turned around and that stupid, little car was coming up on us. They had to be going at least 95. They slowed slightly as they began to pull up next to us, and then I hear it! A gun shot! The glass shattered and then another shot, this time the tire went. We lost control as the truck slipped off the road. Daren was ejected almost immediately I guess, because I remember feeling his hand slip out of mine. When the truck finally came to a stop, broke the window and climbed out. My whole body hurt and I could feel blood running from my right leg and forehead, but I had to find him. I crawled and limped searching for him, until finally I see him, panicking I limp toward him. When I get there I bent down and grabbed his hand, yelling, “Baby, baby are you ok? Please baby answer me!” He groaned then looked up at me, reached out and held him in my arms. He look up and whispered, “I love you, Emma!” for what would be the last time. Tears flooded around me as I yelped, “I love you too!”, but it was too late, he was gone!

When the cops and ambulance got there they dragged me away, but my body was too weak to fight them off. I wanted to stay there and die with him. I didn’t want to live anymore not without him. My parents met me at the hospital, and they were really supportive even though they didn’t understand how I felt. Even though I went back to my old life, nothing would be the same. I had multiple surgeries on my leg and many other tests. I would soon learn the most amazing, sad thing ever, I was pregnant! A little boy, Daren Jr., would keep me going.

“Doctor, what’s going on? Please Doctor tell me!! She’s my mom! Is she going to be ok?”
“I’m sorry Daren!-


She’s gone!”