• It was a cold, brisk night. The trees rattled in the wind and the woods seemed to be restless. It was always quiet in the woods, for nothing happened there. However, tonight was different. The screams and squeals of a sixth grade Girl Scout troop rang through the trees. The squirrels and other forest animals that always nested there were long gone and far, far away. They had never encountered campers before, and all they could do was flee in fear of the loud and obnoxious pre-teens.

    Not all of them were loud and crazy. The youngest of the group, Taylor, was always calm and always observed and took note of her surroundings. She never destroyed it, she studied it; she cherished it. She knew not to waste what little time she had on this planet. Taylor knew she would never get it back again.

    All the girls in the troop were huddled around the campfire, trying to cling to what little warmth they could get. They were all wrapped in big blankets and looked pathetic as they shivered. But Taylor only fell sorry for them. She didn’t laugh at them or think they looked ridiculous. She just wished they would forget their coldness and enjoy the outdoors. It wasn’t every night they got to camp under the stars and enjoy the simple pleasures in life that didn’t come with an outlet plug or batteries.

    Taylor was lying on her back next to a big oak tree. Its leaves were gone and she could see the shining moon through the dead lifeless branches. Taylor loved the moon and the mysteries it held. She always wanted to go to the moon. The thought of a no gravity space trip to a limitless land of fun always made her shiver with excitement. To get away from people and their problems, and the problems they caused for her.

    Any other girl or boy could easily make this dream come true. All it would take is a little hard work and determination. But Taylor was different. She could never go to the moon or go into space. She was different. There was so much she wanted to do but would never be able to do it. And no one understood that. They only made fun of her, and they didn’t even know what she went through everyday. All the tears she shed in that hospital bed, all the hair she had lost. Her dad didn’t help much when he shaved his head. He just looked ridiculous. Just like her.

    The only person in the world she cared about, the one person who could make her feel better, was never there. Her twin sister, Jordan, was never around anymore. It was as if she had just vanished into thin air. She didn’t have to go through any of this, Jordan was perfectly healthy. So why did Taylor? Why was Taylor the one who had to suffer everyday and give up on her dreams? Jordan just went on everyday pretending like nothing was wrong. She went to school everyday, she had friends, and she was always smiling, but she would never even look at Taylor.

    Jordan was Taylor’s weakness. Taylor was strong and could handle her hair falling out, and the fowl medications and shots she always had to have. But she could never get her sister out of her mind. The thought of her sister haunted her day in and day out. They were twins and shared an unbreakable bond no one could understand, but not anymore. Not since this sickness. Taylor could fight it and fight it, like she had for the past three years. But without Jordan, there was nothing to fight for. Taylor couldn’t take it anymore.

    That cold, windy night, in the middle of the woods and under the bright shining moon, cancer won.