These might be my final moments, so I want to share what’s happening with you. If anyone is going to believe me, it’s you.
Our family has been going through a rough time. This will be important to the story later, you’ll see. My husband and I are at that age where most family members are getting old. Very old. As a consequence, we’ve been having a lot of funerals lately.
This situation prompted that old awkward conversation: what do we want to happen when we die?
Since we met, we have an inside joke, that we’ve been married by default our whole lives. This because we shared a last name, even before the marriage - Oak. Because of that, we didn’t take any of each other’s names because, well, it was already set.
As we were talking, I had an idea. I had read something about a company that turns your ashes into seed pods with your plant of choice and your family members can plant you as a memorial. I asked him “what if we got turned into oak seed pods and planted beside each other? We could stay together forever and intertwine our branches”. We both took comfort in that idea.
Now, you know how Google is. In the next few days, all I had were ads from that company on my phone. I didn’t mind them, since I’m 29 and still have a few years to think about being turned into an oak. But last week I saw one of their ads, looking for patients for a new trial. I investigated the company and found out they also work with cosmetics and medication to prevent and reverse aging, and that was basically what the trial was for.
My husband went on a business trip in the beginning of the week, and will only be back next Monday. Our relationship is great, but there’s something he doesn’t know: I have crippling credit card debt.
So I decided to apply for the trial. The payment was enough to cover all my debt and keep some for a rainy day. I went to the clinic they told me at the scheduled time, filled a questionnaire and an informed consent form and was given an injection. That was it.
On Tuesday I started feeling weird. My skin felt dry and I was thirsty. Not hungry at all though, just thirsty. Wednesday was pretty much the same, but now my skin was scaly and darker. I called the clinic and was told not to worry, because it was just some mild side effects.
Thursday came. I couldn’t stand being inside. I would start feeling weak. So I went outside, took off my flip flops and sat on my armchair, enjoying the sun. I’m not sure how long I was there, but I wasn’t hungry at all. I realized I hadn’t eaten since Monday. In shock, I decided to get up and eat something.
That’s when I realized. I couldn’t walk. My feet had now developed… Roots?!
I was stuck to the ground by enormous roots. My legs resembled the bark of an oak tree. As I got up, I felt my legs stiffening. I couldn’t sit again, my only movements were above my waist.
From yesterday on, my waist and chest became the same brown bark as my legs. A leaf sprouted from my pinky. An oak leaf. I feel my arms and hands stiffening as we speak and I feel the need to raise them upwards.
I wanted to be an oak. But not now. Not like this. Not… Without him…