She laid in the hospital, tired, hanging on to her last days.
Her thin hand was hooked on the IV, her eyes edging upward, wanting to see the last of the world, wanting to look outside the window. Her lips paled with every difficult breath, with every heavy sigh. She remembered the days before her illness worsened.

Everyone avoided her like a deadly plauge in school. She coughed while climbing up the stairs, she wore a mask that covers half her face in case anyone thought she would spread anything unhealthy to them. She walked around school holding her camera, and took shots of her surroundings. Every living thing made her think, and smile. She drew faces people, as if wanting to remember them.

She skipped school when she wasnt feeling well and swallowed pills after pills. Sometimes she spent her time crying about her fate. Her life, her dreams, gone to waste. She couldnt have the chance to fufil them now.

A boy walked in the room, silently. His eyes wished so much so that he was in her place. His footsteps were heavy, and so was his heart. A stray tear rolled down his cheek. The girl looked at him, and gave a weak smile. He smiled, too, and kissed her on the forehead as he sat down, telling her stories, telling her about the world outside, whispering endearments.
She asked: "You know what i'm afraid of?"
He shrugged.
Her voice shaky,she said "I'm afraid of death, I'm afraid of disappearing into darkness and not knowing anything."
He placed his head on her chest and cried.

Two weeks later he rushed into hospital frantically, his heart thumping, blood rushing in his head. She was in a very dangerous condition. The doctor told him to be prepared.
He stayed beside her all night, but went out for an hour in the morning.

He came back, and spent the entire day with her.
that evening, she suddenly started heaving very heavily.
the doctor came in, and told him that her time was up.
He clenched his fists, shivering.
He walked into the room with a bag in his hand.

The girl smiled at him weakly again. She whispered "yeah, i guess my time is up. I've told you not to fall in love with me before. Now you'd be alone."
The boy tugged at the corners at his shirt and smiled at her. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips.
"I never regretted loving you, and i'll still continue to love you forever."
She smiled again, wincing.
"I'm afraid." she said.
"yeah, i know."

He hurriedly took out what he bought the one hour he was away.
Thin tubes of neon lights.

"i'll help you put these on you. you'll never be afraid of the dark anymore. you'll always see the light, and i'd always be here with you, never leaving you."
He helped her put the neon lights of different colours around her. around her wrists, around her ankles, even a huge ring on her head like a halo. She was his one and only angel.

She smiled as she watched him intently. She loved him like she loved her life. He was the person she couldnt stand leaving. She watched him. She never want to forget him.
After he'd finished, he just sat beside her, holding onto her, talking to her.

Her breaths became more and more shallower. And as the sun sets, she whispered
"i love you".
And closed her eyes as her head touched the pillow, for the last time.
She knew he was there for her, she knew that she never had to be afraid of the dark again.

He held her limp body, and cried.
for her loss of her own life.
for the loss of losing her.