It was a quiet evening in the hospital. Many of the patients’ families had gone home, wishing their suffering relatives kind words and quick recoveries. Leo felt a tinge of envy for those who would be leaving, knowing full well that he would not be one of them. He bunched the sheets in his hands, frustrated with the ever-growing weakness in his body.

The pitter-patter of feet drew the teenager's attention, and his stare glued to the door. A warm smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as the noise drew closer.

Moments later, the door to his room slid open. In the doorway were a nurse and a small girl. “Leo, Leo! Yay!” The girl cheered, running to Leo’s side. She put her hands on his forearm, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“It’s great to see you, Shore,” Leo said, glancing between her and the nurse.

The nurse shook two cups of gelatin in her hands and walked over to Leo and Shore. “You might want these,” she said, handing him the cups and a pair of plastic spoons.

“Thanks, Ms. Miranda,” Leo said.

“Of course.” Once she was done, she turned and left for the door, sliding it back open. “I’ll leave you two some time to catch up.”

Leo nodded his appreciation.

“Gelatin! Gelatin! Gelatin!” Shore cried as the nurse left. Leo couldn’t help but laugh at her overabundance of energy.

Seeing how excited she was, he figured now was as good a time as any to share something fun and personal. “Shore, would you like to hear a story?” From beneath the sheets, he procured a small notebook—one of many he’d written in—and placed it on his lap. Within its pages were the characters and world he’d painstakingly created over the entirety of his life. He fought back tears as the realization that they would soon be Shore’s hit him. “They are the characters of tonight’s story.”

Shore’s eyes widened. She knew that this was Leo’s gentle way of asking her to calm down. Leo admired her intelligence despite being so young. Her tiny fingers trembled around the book’s rim.

“Do I still get the gelatin?” Shore asked.

Leo chuckled. “Yes, you still get the gelatin.”

“Yes! Please! Are there kings and princesses and knights?” Her excitement continued to soar while Leo put Shore’s share of gelatin beside him on the bed.

“Something like that.” Pulling open the plastic covering to his snack, Leo dug his spoon into the gelatin and pried a large chunk out before putting it in his mouth. He set the cup aside, then cleared his throat. “Our story begins on the outskirts of a beautiful city…”