Lliana's Chamber

I was 11 when I got my first computer. I remember it was an old DOS machine. It wasn't the best one available as a matter of fact it wasn't even close. I think my dad bought it for me from some guy building them in his garage but it worked well enough for me. I used to do all the usual stuff with it...played games, wrote up my school papers and chatted with kids all over the world. That was all fine with me until that day in 1991 when my life changed.

It was Christmas Eve and I was in my room playing on the computer just trying to find someone...anyone to talk to. I signed on as usual and went to this site...I don't remember the name now or even if it still exists.

Anyway, I signed on and waited for a couple hours after my bedtime. Yeah, my mom would come up and check if I was asleep or not but I had a key on my computer where it would black out the screen but still stay on. I could always hear her coming and I would always hit that key and just climb under the blankets until she left....usually after a couple minutes of looking at me to make sure I wasn't faking it.

Now, I was lucky to have the computer but we could not afford a camera to go with so for me chat was without pictures.

I got back on as soon as my mom left the room and there was someone sending a request to chat with me. Her screen name was littleblonde11. That sounded interesting so I quickly accepted it and when I did there was a lot of static and white noise coming from my screen and speakers but through all that I saw the image of a young girl. She was cute to say the least.

“Hello Randy, it is very nice to meet you,” she said with a deep southern accent. Her picture was extremely hard to see. The snow was heavy and the signal was broken up. I guess it was because of my dial-up connection but no matter what I was happy to hear her voice.

We spent the entire night chatting. Her name was Lliana. She was 11 just like me with dark brown hair, light blue eyes and the cutest freckles I had ever seen and, being in the 6^th grade I saw quite a few but her's were the best. She was taking the same classes I was and she was good at geography just like I was. She was a single child and really didn't want any siblings. I had three sisters and I didn't want them either.

“Randy, I do have something to tell you,”she said. I didn't know what it was but it didn't sound like it was going to be good. “I have been sick since the day I was born. I spend my life in a room that is sealed off from the rest of the world. You are the first person I have talked to in more than 4 years.” I could hear the tears in her voice as she continued. “The one thing I have always wanted for Christmas was to just touch another person and see them outside of this screen.”

It was so sad what she was saying...so very sad. I was sitting there crying my eyes out. I wanted to be with her just to talk or maybe play a game with her but there was no way I could get down there by Christmas Day. I wanted to, believe me I wanted to but it just wasn't possible.

The sun was coming up so I told her that I had to get off line and get some sleep. She asked me what the sun looked like. I told her it was bright orange behind some velvet clouds. “That sounds so beautiful, she said. “I wish I could see it with you.” I almost asked her if she had ever seen the sun but before I had the chance she was gone.

I looked for her again every night for the next year. I thought I saw her a couple times but it wasn't her. It happened to be another girl from across town who looked amazingly like her. Needless to say I never spoke to her. I was looking for only one person and that was Lliana but it almost as if she had simply vanished.

Christmas Eve came around again and again I was at the computer looking for Lliana but this time, after I had sat there through 3 hours and a hundred people wishing me Merry Christmas the snow and static started again and once again I saw Lliana smiling at me. Her picture was grainy and worse than it was the year before but I was happy that I was still able to see her even if it was hard. She was just the same as she was the year before.

We talked all through the night. I really did not want her to leave but, by the time we were done talking, the sun was rising. She looked tired so I painfully said farewell and we both turned off our computers at the same time but she stayed in my mind and dream.

That went on for years but the video was getting worse and worse until I could no longer see her but I could still hear her voice and at least that kept me happy.

The last time I talked to her was Christmas 2011. It had been 20 years and we had never met except through the computer. Her voice was week and I had the feeling that was going to be the last time I would be able to talk to her so I asked her what her address was. She was reluctant but by the time we signed out she had given it to me and I was making plans to go and see her.

“Please don't be shocked at what you see when we meet,” she said before we signed out. “I am not what you are expecting.”

“Lliana, I am sure that you are as beautiful as you were when we first started talking,” I said.

By now my feelings had grown for her. I didn't just look forward to talking to her...I based my whole life for the few hours we talked every year. My thoughts had turned to her alone. It was like I was obsessed with a woman I had never met. How could that be. To my mind it was perfectly normal but to others it was strange. I went to the airport, got a flight to Tallahassee and soon I was on my way.

I got there about 9 in the morning. The sun was shining as bright as could be. I thought that it was going to be a nice day. I left the terminal, flagged down a cab,, gave him the address and we started out. We drove out of town and headed down some back road. It was about 45 minutes until we reached the address. I looked over and saw a glass building with one entrance and a chain link fence surrounding the whole property.

“What is this place,” I asked.

“It's a hospital for people who cannot be cured,” he responded. “Most of the people who go in never come out.”

So many thoughts ran through my head. Was Lliana dying? What could she possibly have that would put her in a place like that? Is she still alive?

The cab moved slowly through the gate. There were guards there who looked at us carefully but didn't stop us. It was a long driveway but we finally made it to the front. As soon as I got out a nurse was there to escort me inside.

“Welcome to the Angels Hospital of Mercy,” she said with a smile.

I thanked her. As we walked she took time to tell me about the work of the hospital and I told her about my yearly conversations with Lliana. Lliana must have been a favorite at the hospital because she started telling how she was a sweet girl who never gave them any trouble. She walked me down past ward after ward. The doors were all closed and locked so I couldn't see what was inside but what I did see was that there was a security guard outside of each door.

We walked by door after door. They all looked the same until we got to one that had a sign on the front...”Ward 73”...it said. There was a guard there but the nurse just walked up to him and said a couple words before he opened the door and let us in. On the inside were a number of cryogenic tubes. Some were blue and others were pink. I counted each of them on each side of the hallway.

“What are these,” I asked.

“They are where we keep our patients in the hope that one day we will find a cure for whatever illnesses they have,” she said.

“You mean...,”

“No, they are all alive, just sleeping. This way they can survive for extended periods as long as we keep them in their chamber.” Then she asked the question I was hoping she would. “Would you like to meet Lliana,” she asked.

I paused for a moment before I said that was what I had traveled so many miles to do. I got a little excited as we walked down the hallway.

It was so cold in there by the time we made it down to Lliana I was shivering and holding my arms tight to my chest in an effort to keep warm. Finally we stopped and I was looking at Lliana's face. It had not changed a bit since the first time I talked to her...she was still that cute little girl I had met so long ago. I just stood there and looked at her. She had the slightest smile on her face. I guessed that she was smiling because I said that I was coming and she was frozen like that.

The nurse asked me again if I was sure I wanted to meet Lliana and I said yes I did. I was not going to lie to a little girl. It was then that I noticed a small counter on the front of the door. It read 000001. As soon as I saw that the nurse was on a radio telling someone somewhere to open 73-37. With that I heard a set of clicks and the door swung open.

Her eyes opened and her smile got bigger as I called her name. “Yes, I am Lliana,” she said. Are you the one I have been talking to?” I nodded my head yes as the nurse helped her out of her chamber. “You are much older than I imagined.”

“Lliana,” I laughed. “You are much younger than I thought you would be.” I started toward her and she backed away. “Darling, I just want to give you a hug.” With that she walked toward me and we hugged. It was so glorious.

“Is that a hug,” she asked. I said that it WAS a hug and you greeted people you like with a hug. “You like me?”

“Lliana, I have talked to you for so long. I needed to meet you and hug you,” I said as I held her close. She tightened her hug so much I was nearly choking me. “Yes, Lliana, I do like you...I like you a lot,”

“I am happy,” she said with the biggest smile I had ever seen. We spent the next several hours just sitting together, hugging a lot and talking about her and her dreams and wishes but all too son it was over. I walked back with her to her chamber. “May I ask one more question?”

“Sure,” I said. My voice was cracking but I made sure not to show what I was feeling.

“Is today Christmas Eve?”

“Yes Lliana, today is Christmas Eve,” I said but it was the 10^th of January but I was going to make that day Christmas Eve and let her be a little happy.

Lliana started to cry. “This is the best Christmas present I have ever gotten,” she said. Then with a bit of a giggle between her tears she said, “As a matter of fact this is the only Christmas present I have ever gotten.” I couldn't help myself I started crying like a baby. The last thing we said to each other before they closed the door was both the same words...”I love you.” Then the door closed and the counter dropped to 000000 and the lights in her chamber went dark.

The nurse's head lowered and she began to cry. She didn't have to say a word but she explained that Lliana was only allowed so many days out of her chamber and those few hours with me were her last day. I broke down, slamming my hands on the chamber in a vain effort to wake her up but she looked so angelic, peaceful and happy I was hoping that she would come back but at the same time I was hoping she wouldn't.

There was no one to claim the body...her family had given up on decades before...so I claimed her and buried her right next to my mother in our family plot. I was the only person at her funeral but that didn't matter at least she knew that she was loved before she died.

Years later I got married and had a baby girl. My wife insisted on the name Stephanie but I was more vocal and finally she was name Lliana. I never told my wife where I got the name but she was a girl with dark brown hair, light blue eyes and the cutest freckles. Lliana lived on and she lived a happy life. I mad sure of that.