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For I will keep on going
Keep on fighting till the end
For this demon is my enemy and life is my best friend.

I have everything to live for
Yet it's pulling me down
I will last this endless struggle, with a smile and not a frown.

Marie was one of those people, who under regular circumstances most would slightly envy. She was clever, always top of the class, but was never anything other than sincerely modest. Whilst some were cocky and patronising, Marie was genuine. Her personality was like that in all respects ' she seldom had a bad word to say about anybody, gave encouragement when needed and remarkably always had a smile on her face.

Marie was also pretty, her pale blue eyes were not piercing ' quite the contrary calm and mellow whilst her long fair hair flowed down her narrow back. She was not like some girls who slapped on make-up, instead she remained perfectly natural and was just as striking and far more appealing.

I was always quite amazed at Marie ' I had never seen someone so near to perfect before. In class there had always been bright pupils but they paled into insignificance compared to Marie, who teachers said was, 'quite amazing and who had the potential to do anything in life, to really make it.' I never completely understood what 'really make it' meant but I knew that Marie would never have the chance to. For Marie was dying 'it would not be long now.

I had always known about Marie's illness ' cancer it was called. She told me that it was steadily and silently killing her. When I was younger this concept was difficult to understand. Each day at nursery I saw this glowing haired girl with the beaming smile. How could she be dying ' it wasn't possible. I often asked her if cancer was painful.

'No,' she replied. 'It's worse than that. I can't feel it but it's killing me. That's the worst pain you can feel ' the knowledge that you my only have one year, or two, perhaps five to live.'