• tab Annabelle was an 8 year old girl. Everybody was always piting her, but Annabelle didn't understand pity. She was understanding of sorrow and jubilance! She was jubilance, always brightening peoples' days.

    tab Annabelle was a teminally ill child. She had a hole in her heart when she was born and luckiliy survived the surgery. Always weak and feeble, hardly able to walk alone. The first time she saw the house she barely lived in, her eyes lit up. I can remember her stare of excitement. She stared at me remembering my face as she walked through the door with her little cane.

    tab I rarely visited my little sister in the hospital because my parents were too overprotective. I'm just a huge, walking, talking germ unable to see little Annabelle! It made me mad, but I was hard. I never cried. Annabelle's parents are my parents, but they love her more. They are her parents.

    tab Annabelle had many surgeries in her 8 year life. Every time she got a new walking helper. First, she could walk with her parents arms pushing behind her. Then, she needed a cane. After that came a walker. Finally, it was a wheelchair.

    tab Annabelle never went to school because she never left that hospital. That awful, white, little place. After awhile I couldn't go to the hospital for I couldn't stand it. I felt bad for little Annabelle, who always had to stay there. When I smelled that stale, sterile air I felt sick. My stomach lurched when I stepped into the tiny room Annabelle stayed in. Ugh.

    tab The thing was, she always was smiling when she saw me! With her weak voice she asked me how things were at home and school. I always lied and said things were good even if they weren't. Anything to keep that smile plastered onto her face. She always got the words out of me. I told her who I liked, what made me sad, and why. She was like that, her eyes inviting and thirsting for conversation. I was her never ending fountain of stories.

    tab As the years went by I always visited Annabelle more. I knew it was because she didn't have much time left! Yet everytime her eyes lit up as I told her about my day. It was a little embarrassing, having a little girl be my shrink, but she always understood. I loved her. I never thought the day her smile ended could be so soon.

    tab One day at breakfast Mom picked up the phone. When she put it down she called Dad at work to meet us at the hospital. I knew it was Annabelle so I went to get my jacket. On the way Mom's knuckles on the steering wheel were white. She looked ahead. She looked so distressed I didn't ask what happened.

    tab We pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and rushed inside. Mom walked so fast I had to sprint to catch up. When we got inside a doctor led Mom to an intensive care room. Another doctor came out and talked to Mom. I couldn't take it, what was happening?! I pulled on the unoccupied doctor's sleeve and asked what was happening. He bent down to my height. He told me my little Annabelle was on life support.

    tab I wasn't depressed of anything I shoud be feeling. I knew it would happen some day. I was angry! I wanted to hit that doctor! Annabelle was okay in her usual room smiling and waiting for me and I couldn't be held up here! Okay it was denial.

    tab My dad came and the doctor stood up and talked to him. Apparently we could see Annabelle in a few days when she would be moved to a different room. That was because she was going to leave me. I took that though. I had no choice, what a cruel world.

    tab When I saw Annabelle again her eyes were closed. She slowly opened them. I was amazed that it was possible for her! Her lips curled up and her eyes crinkled at the sides. She smiled at me. The light in her eyes was there, but dim. Almost gone. I was using it up. I smiled so weakly she knew it was fake. Then I heard a sound.

    tab tab "Hi Aggie." Annabelle managed, hardly.

    tab tab "Hey, little Annabelle." I returned.

    She close her eyes, still smiling. Mom came in as I moved across the room. Annabelle's smile came off. I saw it dissappear as I left her side. Dad came in, too. I eavesdropped as they talked to her. They told her they wouldn't be seeing her for awhile. She was going to a special place. She nodded solemnly and kept her eyes closed. They walked out to sign the papers to kill her. That is how I thought of it.

    tab As the man walked in to take my little Annabelle away I felt something hot and wet on my face. I swept it away, and in my surprise, it was a tear. A bunch of them came out of my eyes, off my chin, and onto my shirt.

    tab The man walked away and I ran to her side. she looked at me smiling, heaved a breath trying to catch the air, failing,and her chest fell. Her eyes closed with the smile still in her face. She left me. She left me on this dismal earth without her! No choice by the way! What a cruel world. The world my little Annabelle was free from. Yet she chose to stay with me as an angel.