Katiedeser v

edabet t
erlif
e.Idi
dnott hi
nkthatshedeservedal lthese.Constantpai
nt hatwas
j
ustget ti
ngwor stasthedaywenton.I twas24thofOct ober.Backt henIoftenwhent omyar t
cl
assesev eryweekend.Thatwast heti
mewhenIf ir
stmetKat ie.Shewasanewst udenti nthe
cl
ass.Despi tebeinganewst udent,f
orasecondIthoughtt hatsheact uall
ydonotneedt otake
artclasses.Herartpieceweretrul
ymesmer izi
ngandt heyact uall
ygav eoffadiff
erentvibes.
Shewast hemostt al
entedgirl
Ieverrecogni
sed.Nostudent scoul dimitat
eherpainti
ng, l
et
al
onedr awone.Fr om thatpoint
,Ibegantobefri
endwithher .

Sinceoil-
basedpai nti
ngwasher, sheoftentaughtmet heri
ghtwayt opaint.Ihadf unlear
ning
wi t
hher.Ev er
ysingledayIhopedt hattheclockwill
tickbyfastert
hanusual becauseIbecame
eagertomeether .Aft
ertwomont hs,Ibegant oseechangesinher.Thesmal lgir
l wit
habi gpair
ofglassesdi dnotlookasecstati
casusual .Wewer edrif
tedapartfrom eachot herbecauseof
thegapt hatshecr eat
ed.Star
ingoutoft heglasspanesfrom theclasses,sheisolatedherself
from everyoneincludi
ngme.ForasecondIt houghtwehadaf ought.Turnedoutt hatshewas
notgoingt ospil
lthebean.Forsol ongshewasdi agnosedwi t
hamy otr
ophiclateralscl
erosisas
knownasALS.

Ihav enev erheardoft hediseasebef ore.Sincetheterm wasprettynewt ome, Isearchedf orit

throught heinternet.Scroll
i
ngthr oughrandom heal thandmedical websitesandr eading
mul t
ipletypesofar ticl
esaboutt hisdisease.Lossofmywor ds,Ifi
nallyreal
isedt hatthi
sr are
diseasewasi ncurable.Upunt i
ltheseday s,thescienti
stsandresearchershadnocl uesofwhat
causedi t.IbetKat i
ewentt hroughal ot.Nowt hatIremembered,Katie'
smov ementl ooked
prettyoddcompar edt onor malhuman.I tseemedl i
keshealwayshadahar dti
mewal king.Katie
alway sfelldownont hefloorcausingherbr uisesalloverherar
msandl egs.Pai nti
ngand
drawingwasherwayofhert oforgetaboutherdi sease.Itwaskindofl i
keherther apytosoot he
herhear t.

Ast imepassedby ,herheal t

hwasbegi nningt odet er
iorate.Kat i
equitt heartclass.Shewas
war dedi nhospit
alandhadt ouseawheel chair.Goingt orehabi l
iati
onwashernewdai l
y
routines.Thelif
echangi ngdi seasesteal awayherabi li
tytomov eandt hewor stpastisthatshe
mi ghtnotbeabl etot al
kany mor e.Asagoodf riend,Iwoul dv i
sitherrightaftermyschool ended.
Tear swel l
edupinmyey esasIst r
uggledt otakei nthenews.I fIwerei nhershoes, Iknewr ight
awayt hatIcoul
dnothav eanyst r
engtht ofightt hi
sdisease.Thedi seasecausedherl ossher
abili
tyt omov earound.Nev ertheless,shedi dnotwantt ogi veupherpai nti
ng.WhenIf i
rst
visit
edheri nthehospi t
al,thefirstthi
ngt hatcaughtmyat tenti
onwasherar ttools.Acanv as,
mul ti
plecolourofacr yl
i
cpai ntsandasetofbr usheswer et heitemst hatsheal way scarry
around.Shewoul dputt hecanv asonherl ap.Slowl ygrabbedt hebr ush, shewoul dpainta
l
andscape.Thedi seasewassl owl yeatingherl i
feaway , butpaintingwast heonlythingthatwi l
l
giv
eKat i
easmal lrayofhappi
ness.Whenitcomest opaint
ing,asmi l
ewouldalwaysappearon
l
ips.Onthecontrary,harnewpai
nti
nglookeddif
ferentfr
om therestofherartpi
ece.Iwas
except
ionall
yweirdinsomepossibleway.Icoul
dnoti magi
nethatt hi
swouldhappentotheone
whom Itreasur
ed.Thepai nwasovert
aki
ngherov erherowncour age.

Deepdowni nmyhear t,Iknewt hathertimewi llcome.It riedmybestt ogetr idofthef eeli

ngas
Iwasscar edoflosi
ngmydear estfri
end.Hangi ngbyat hread, shewasbedr i
dden.Myi ntui
ti
on
wasr i
ght.Aftersuf
feri
ngt hisdiseaseforsol ong, Katiefi
nal l
ypar t
edherwayf r
om thiswor l
d.
Shewasnol ongerheart oteachmepai nt
ing.Icoul dnotpul l
my selft
oget herasIwasal ready
onthev ergeoftears.Thet houghtsofherkeptl ingeringinmymi nd,r
emi niscingal
l ofthe
memor iesthatIhadwi t
hher .Tearsf l
owingdownonmycheeksandi tfel
tlikethegr i
efhad
fi
nall
yswal l
owedme, l
eav i
ngmei nthedar knesswi thnot hingbutsorrow.I ttookmeamoment
toreal
izethathewasnol ongeri nthi
swor ldbutt hespi r
itofherwasst i
llli
v i
nginmymi nd.

HoweverIwasgl
adthatIhaveachancetomeether
.Someonewhohadt
hegutt
ofi
ghtt
he
obst
acl
esinherpat
h.Iwasluckyt
hatIknewher.

wor
dcount:
835.