I removed the outer cover and was a little surprised by what I found. Instead of an actual dust jacket, someone had handwritten on the blank cover with a thick magic marker: Living with Dying. Š‡ƒ‡†‹†ǯ–”‹‰ any bells, either as the title of a book or a potential publisher. ‹…‡–Š‹‹‰ƒ„‘—–‹–…‘—Ž†ǯ–ƒ‡‡”‡‡„‡”•‘‡–Š‹‰ †‹†ǯ–‘™ǡˆŽ‹’’‡†–Š‡„‘‘‘’‡–‘–Š‡ˆ‹”•–’ƒ‰‡ǤŠ‡™‘”†•™‡”‡ǯ– printed in a familiar typeface, but rather written neatly in ballpoint pen. Someone had written this by hand. November 23Ȅ Starting today, I plan to record my thoughts and activities in this book, ™Š‹…Šǯ–‹–Ž‹‰Dz‹˜‹‰™‹–Š›‹‰Ǥdzǯ‘––‡ŽŽ‹‰ƒ›‘‡‘—–•‹†‡› ‹‡†‹ƒ–‡ˆƒ‹Ž›ǡ„—–‹ƒˆ‡™›‡ƒ”•ǡǯŽŽ„‡†‡ƒ†Ǥǯ™”‹–‹‰–Š‹••‘…ƒ ƒ……‡’–‹–ǡƒ†•‘…ƒ‡‡’‘Ž‹˜‹‰™‹–Š›•‹…‡••Ǥ•ˆ‘”™Šƒ–ǯ•™”‘‰ ™‹–Š›’ƒ…”‡ƒ•ǡ•‘ˆƒ”ǡ‹–ǯ•ƒŽŽ‘•–Ž›„‡‡‘˜‡”›Š‡ƒ†Ǥ They say the disease was only isolated and identified recently. At the time, everyone who had it died almost right away, but now the doctors can keep most of the symptoms from showing. ›‡›‡••–‘’’‡†–ƒ‹‰‹–Š‡™‘”†•ƒ•–”‹‡†–‘’”‘…‡••™Šƒ–ǯ† reƒ†Ǥˆ‡™™‘”†•ǡ–Š‹‰•ǯ†‡˜‡”Šƒ†…ƒ—•‡–‘•ƒ›ƒŽ‘—†„‡ˆ‘”‡ǡ‡•…ƒ’‡† my lips unbidden. Dzƒ…”‡ƒ•ǥǯŽŽ„‡†‡ƒ†Ǥdz –™ƒ•ƒ†‹ƒ”›ǡ…Š”‘‹…Ž‹‰•‘‡‘‡ǯ•„ƒ––Ž‡™‹–ŠȄor rather, co- existence withȄƒ–‡”‹ƒŽ†‹•‡ƒ•‡ǤŠ‹•™ƒ•ǯ–•‘‡–Š‹‰•Š‘—Ž†read. I was closing the journal when someone spoke to me. Dzǥdz•Š‡•ƒ‹†Ǥ I looked up and saw a girl from my class. I was surprised because I ‡™™Š‘•Š‡™ƒ•ǡ„—–†‹†ǯ–Ž‡–‹–•Š‘™‘›ˆƒ…‡ǤŠ‡ƒ›Šƒ˜‡ approached me for some reason unrelated to the book. Usually, not much bothers me, but looking back, I think that part of ‡†‹†ǯ–™ƒ––‘ƒ……‡’––Š‡’‘••‹„‹Ž‹–›‘‡‘ˆ›’‡‡”•Šƒ†„‡‡†‘‘‡† to an imminent death. I put on the sort of mildly interested expression that you give a classmate who comes over to talk to you and waited for her to say something. She held out her hand, palm up, and made a mockery of my flimsy hopes.