Devil's Lair

Freya hummed softly to the beat of the song playing in her ears as she pedaled down the quiet street. “Brown skin girl …….hmmm..hmmm….” She hummed. The melody was light, calming, euphoria sinking in. Her bicycle wobbled slightly as she dodged a pothole, but she didn’t mind, it was a peaceful night, and this was her last delivery. She enjoyed this time of day because it felt calmer outside and allowed her to temporarily forget about her troubles. Removing the takeout bag from her basket, she hopped off her bike and parked it in front of the apartment building. It was a simple order, just a box of pizza. She moved swiftly toward the door and knocked softly. She can't wait to finally complete the last delivery for the day and go home for a rest after the ups and downs of the day. The door opened, and a middle-aged woman greeted Freya with a tired grin. "Much appreciated, darling. Have a nice night!" "You too," Freya answered with a smile, returning to her bike. She pulled out her phone, preparing to mark the delivery as completed, when a message popped on the screen. “Damnit!. Ain't expecting any orders again, not today”, she hissed as she fished out the message from her phone. Her heart skipped. It wasn’t another order, but a notification from St. Andrews Medical Center. Her breath caught in her throat. She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the screen before she finally opened the message. “Dear Ms. Morgan, Due to the worsening condition of Ms. Eleanor Morgan, immediate payment is required for continued treatment…….” Freya didn't need to read on. She was aware of this previously. Her grandma was dying, and the hospital could not do anything because they lacked funds. She clasped her fingers around the phone as she read the text. The doctor had referred to it as Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Survival odds were minimal, but without treatment, there was no chance. “Yeah, screw these godforsaken doctors. Ain't them able to cure her after all those mounting bills upon bills they've been collecting since all these years?. I'm so tired right now”, she hissed as she kicked her bike angrily. But then she came to her senses and quickly carried it up, hoping it did not break or her delivery work would become dust. No bike means no deliveries. No deliveries, no money. She couldn't break down now, not when everything depended on her. The world around her appeared to dissolve into the background. She placed her phone back in her pocket, got back on her bike, and started pedaling. This time, it's harder. Faster. She needed to rush to the hospital and visit her grandma, but fear had already set in. "How the hell am I going to pay for this?" she mused. As she sped through the streets, her phone buzzed again. She ignored it at first, but the notification kept bothering her until she skidded to a halt under a streetlamp, fumbling with her phone. It was an email this time. She opened the email, her eyes scanning the words in disbelief. Her breath hitched. “Congratulations! Salisbury University has accepted you through a late admissions process. Freya's eyes grew wider as she read the words. She would applied months ago, never expecting to be accepted. Freya felt a glimmer of hope for a brief moment, but it was quickly dashed as she continued to read. "Please keep in mind that you must pay your acceptance fee within 72 hours in order to secure your spot." Her fingers went slack, and the phone slipped slightly in her hand. “Money, again”, she yelled as she overlayed her palms on her face, swallowing hard for the tears not to come out. No matter where she turned, it all came back to that. Freya’s heart sank even further. She had wanted to attend Salisbury University for years, but it now felt like a cruel joke. The acceptance fee was more money than she had ever seen in one place, and there was no way she could afford a plane ticket on top of that. It was all slipping away, her dreams of a future and saving her grandmother. Everything was collapsing around her, and she could not do anything to stop it. Freya blinked away the sting of tears, shook her head, shoved the phone back into her pocket, and pushed herself to continue riding. By the time she arrived at the hospital, she was exhausted, not only from the ride but also from the weight of everything pressing down on her. She locked her bike outside and rushed inside, the fluorescent lights making the sterile white walls seem too bright, too harsh, just like the world to her. Freya didn’t stop at the front desk. She knew the way by heart. Room 204. As she pushed open the door and entered, the smell of antiseptic permeated the space. Her grandmother, Eleanor, lay on the bed, frail and motionless. The heart monitor beeped steadily, but the rise and fall of her grandmother’s chest was barely there. Freya swallowed hard and sat down next to the bed, taking her grandmother’s cold hand in hers. "Hey, Grandma," she said softly, her voice cracking. "I am here." She didn’t stir. Didn’t open her eyes. And it broke something inside Freya. She gripped her hand tighter, swallowing the lump in her throat. “You can’t leave me, okay? You’re all I have left.” There was no response. Just the steady beep of the heart monitor and the sound of her own breathing. “I can't do these all by myself”, she added as a stream of tears escaped from her eyeballs and traveled down her pretty cheeks. The silence was unbearable. The steady beeping of the monitor was the only sound in the room, and Freya found herself gripping her grandmother’s hand tighter, as if that alone could keep her tethered to this world. A soft knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. The doctor entered with a somber expression. "Freya," he softly said, "I wish I had better news." Freya didn’t say anything. She couldn’t. She just nodded. “The treatment…” The doctor paused, obviously searching for the right words. "It is expensive, and even with it, her chances are slim." We’re looking at a 20% survival rate.” "Please," Freya pleaded, her voice breaking. "All that matters is that she lives. I am going to find the money. I promise.” The doctor sighed, his countenance softening. “We can only give you a little more time, but after that...” "I will get it," she promised. “Just don’t give up on her.” He nodded slowly, though there was a sadness in his eyes that told her he didn’t believe she could do it. “I’ll give you as much time as I can, but I hope you're aware that there won't be any further treatments on her until you pay the hospital bills”. "A goddamn miracle is what I really need right now. Who's gonna help me?”, She sobbed. Freya lingered with her grandmother for a few more minutes before finally forcing herself to leave. The walk back to her bike felt heavier, each step burdened by the crushing reality of what she had to face. When she finally arrived home, her heart sank even more. The red notice on the front door stood out like a slap to the face, like a poison in her marrow. MORTGAGE DUE, FINAL WARNING!. All the loans were overdue, and her home, the house her parents had left her was about to be taken. Freya's legs gave out, and she slumped against the door, her face buried in her hands. Everything was falling apart. Her grandmother was dying, her hopes of attending university were fading, and she was about to lose the only place she had left to call home. "Why am I always unlucky? What have I done to deserve all these?. Life never gets better, not even once”, tears finally spilled over, hot and bitter. She wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling herself into the smallest ball she could manage. Maybe if she made herself small enough, the universe would stop kicking her. There's just two people left for her in this world to turn to, perhaps she can get a little bit of help.