His Countdown Ended, but I Died
Eli tried to throw himself forward to shield me, but Mom held him back with a firm grip, saying, "He needs to learn his lesson! He needs to understand what things he can and cannot say!"
I overheard Mom and Dad talking in the kitchen the following day after the incident.
Mom said through her tears, "He only has nine years left…"
"I know," Dad said hoarsely."
"J-Just nine years left…"
It was only then that I understood that Eli was really going to die. It turned out that the numbers hovering above his head, unseen by anyone else, were the countdown to his lifespan.
In the living room, Mom's and Dad's eyes were bloodshot as they carefully escorted Eli back to his bedroom.