Breathe (Chapter 1 and Synopsis)

Synopsis:

Three men get into a car accident and all three of them recieve punctured lungs. Without a new lung, they will all die within three days. The problem is, the hospital only has one lung and ordering one would take a week to arrive. Melody, Stella & Ava must deicde which of their men will live, and which of their men will die; the hardest decision any of the has ever had to make.


~Stella~

Stella York hadn’t been able to sleep well that night. The rain had been too heavy and the thunder crashed much to close to the small house. Besides, she had just moved to Seattle a year ago at the tender age of twenty five. The rain still bothered her.

She glanced over to her left after an absurdly loud thunder clash shook the house. Jesse was still fast asleep, his face calm and restful.

Stella had met Jesse a year before she moved to Seattle. He had been on a vacation and was visiting her small Florida hometown. He had been interested in photography at the time, and fresh out of college, he was taking pictures in Stella’s local park.

The two got to talking and ended up in a summer fling for the week Jesse was in town. When it was time for Jesse to head home to Seattle, the two were so wrapped up in their summer romance they kept it up long distance.

During the year that they were apart Jesse constantly pleaded for Stella to move out to Seattle. He had been weighed down with a job as an architect and he couldn’t possibly leave.

The truth was, Stella had her own job and her own dreams that she didn’t want to leave. She had always wanted to be an actress and was accepted into a small theatre company that paid her generously. But, her love for Jesse prevailed all and she reluctantly made the move from Florida to Washington. One year after that, the two were married and Stella began a new career as a secretary for the local public school. It wasn’t her ideal job but every night when she would return home to Jesse, things were well worth her wile.

Even though Stella was reluctant to leave her bed she could not sleep any longer. Trying not to wake Jesse, she slipped from the covers slowly and took light steps towards the door. Half way there she realized her efforts weren’t necessary; the rain and the thunder were much louder than her small footfalls.

In the new houses tiny kitchen, she put on a pot coffee on and went to collect the newspaper. The York’s paperboy always had the paper out before either of them were awake.

Shuffling back to the kitchen slowly, Stella unwrapped the paper from it’s sopping protective cover and unfurled it to reveal the news heading.

Murderer Claims Third Victim.

The headline as well as the gruesome picture make Stella’s stomach turn so she threw the paper aside. When her coffee was ready she poured some for herself and made sure there was enough for Jesse when he would wake up.

With nothing better to do she sat down by the large picture window, that faced the suburban street; the houses best feature. She found herself getting lost in the bright flashes of the lightening and the frightening crash of each clap of thunder. The rain was starting to flood the street slightly.

“What ‘cha looking at Stell?”

Jesse’s voice, now suddenly by her ear, caused her to jump a little.

“I guess I was just looking at the storm. Jesse, don’t scare me like that.” She said while play smacking his muscular chest.

“I assumed you heard me.” He shrugged and his eyes were bright green in the lightening flash. Bright green and playful.

“Don’t assume such things.” Stella laughed. “There is coffee in the pot, in the kitchen.”

Stella had fixated her eyes back to the storm and she could hear Jesse noisily preparing his breakfast.

She didn’t know how long it had been, maybe minutes, maybe a little over an hour, but Jesse returned and planted his lips to the top of her head causing her to shiver with pleasure.

“I’ve go to go now. Big presentation today.”

Stella hadn’t noticed it until she was able to pry her eyes away from the window, but Jesse was already dressed in a full suit, with his blonde hair slicked back.

“Oh right, your house is revealed today.”

Jesse, along with two other men, were chosen from their company to design an elaborate house for one of the C.E.O’s of their own company. He had been stressed over it for months and his job would either be made or broken on this design. But, in the end he was pleased with the house and the stress had disappeared.

“Wish me luck.” He said as he pulled on his jacket.

“Luck.” Stella said, and he was out the door.

Stella herself didn’t have to leave for another hour. The storm had died down to a light mist and without Jesse around there was virtually nothing else to do except get dressed for work.

She put on a simple black pencil skirt with a purple blouse and tied it all together with a pair of black flats. It was already October but she wanted to get a few more wears into the shoes. Besides, Stella was tall and there really was no need to wear heels to an elementary school.

Speaking of which, each day she found herself laughing at one of the teachers at work. Jodi Woods had a certain reputation at Greenwood Public School. Not only amongst the staff but many of the older students whispered rumours about her. Jodi taught second grade, and thank God. Her shirts were always low cut and revealing and her skirts were short or her jeans were tight. Stella had to admit that she was a good teacher, but if she hadn’t been, Jodi Woods would have been fired years ago.

When she was finished dressing she moved over to the vanity and began to brush through her hair. The brush practically fell through the shiny black hair. Growing up Stella’s older sister, Megan, had always been jealous of her hair. Although Megan had the same deep black colour as Stella, Megan’s hair was thick and frizzy while Stella’s was neat and straight. Of course now that Megan had grown older her frizz turned into beautiful ringlets and now Stella was always the jealous one.

After her hair, she applied a small amount of makeup and lazily made her way downstairs.

She must have gotten caught up dressing because the small wall clock said it was ten to seven and she needed to be at work by then. In a panic she threw on her coat and rushed out into the misty haze.

Her car, a lovely new BMW, started without issue and before long she was speeding up the quite little street towards her quite little job.

The morning from that point on was rather un eventful. Stella arrived at work and made a few calls, mailed a few report cards, and helped a small child with a nose bleed.

It wasn’t until around one thirty in the afternoon that Stella’s day finally took some kind of turn. It came in the form of a phone call for Stella, and she hardly ever got phone calls while she was at work.

“Is this Mrs. York?” A gruff male voice had asked from the other end.

“Yes, who am I speaking with?” Stella had answered confused.

“I’m sorry to inform you Mrs. York, but your husband has been in an accident.”