Who's Counting?

This is a small excerpt from a new story of mine called, "Who's Counting?"

I suppose you could say I'm normal.

Then again, I suppose you could say that a purple-and-green polka-dot seahorse lives under my bed and does nothing but read Japanese folklore and eat cheeseburgers and and red wine.

Doesn't mean it's true. But, I'm a pretty average girl. Dark brown hair with a hint of auburn, too-big blue eyes, a tiny nose, a big mouth, couple freckles. You know. Boring.

I turned back to studying myself in the mirror. Yup. My eyes were definitely too big. My eyes looked like giant blue marbles. And in my face, it just gave me a sort of fae look. I've got a very small frame and a delicately boned face. With my big blue eyes I look extra-pixie-like.

My heart contracted painfully, and my lungs squeezed in return. I froze, my left hand on my pulse, my right over my heart.

Ba-thump. Ba-thump.

...Pause. My head spun dizzily and, I suppose it could have been my imagination, but I could have sworn I turned even paler than usual...

Ba-thump. The pain stopped and my vision returned to normal.

That's one thing no one knows about me. And even if I told someone, no one would believe me. No one ever does. (Plus, I doubt anyone would care.) But...you see...

I have a heart disease. I'll be dead by the time I turn twenty-one.

2 years, 8 months, and 4 days to go. But...who's counting, right?