CHRIS is meeting Phil somewhere. While he's waiting for the bus, Jonny shows up. Then there's an explosion. OR IS THERE?
It's not a slash fic!
---
It was so windy. My jacket was zipped all the way, but it was still fluttering all over the place. Maybe because it hung so loosely off me. I had lost a bit of weight since I started exercising (or stopped being lazy, rather), plus the fact that the jacket never fit me right to begin with. I could say that luckily my hair was short, so I didn't have to worry about my curls flying everywhere, but the only good that did was leave my ears exposed.
While I was sitting, waiting for the bus to arrive to take me to the restaurant where I was meeting Phil, I observed the ground around me. Piles of the red and yellow leaves that fell from the trees were scattered on the sidewalk. The rough wind brought more and more of the leaves to their fallen friends.
In a wonderful stroke of luck, my dear friend Jonny just happened to be walking the same sidewalk the leaves occupied. Now that I think about it, though, he could very well have been meeting with Phil as well. Phil never really told me what we'd be meeting for or who all would be coming, he just told me where to be and when to be there.
So Jonny was strolling along, head down, kicking some of the leaves as he went. A few cars passed by, and he looked up as he slowed down in front of the bench. As soon as he saw me, a smiled spread across his face and he lifted his arm to greet me. Then there was the explosion.
I don't know where it came from, all I know is that one second Jonny was in front of me, and the next I was laying on the ground. Actually, a burst of flame flew between us, then everything went black, then I was laying on the ground. Sirens were blaring around me, and I slowly opened my eyes. I could tell it was quite some time later, because the sky was darker. It wasn't nighttime yet, but the sun was setting. I couldn't tell where I was. Obviously I was near the bus stop, but I had been sent flying through the air at some point, because I was collapsed on the cold, wet grass that filled the small field behind the bus stop.
I had been laying on my stomach, so I turned on my side in order to get a better look at my surroundings. As I did so, I looked at the ground and realised that the grass was wet because it was covered in my blood. A sharp pain revealed itself in my abdomen, the cause of a three inch wide gash just under my ribcage. I fought through the pain as I pushed against the ground, lifting myself up. My one hand instinctively covered the wound, briefly touching a ragged object that appeared to be stuck in my side. I looked at it as best as I could, but with the combination of the blood that covered it and my slightly blurred vision it proved to be an almost impossible task.
I needed help. I lifted my head up to look for the origin of the sirens, but I must have been facing the wrong direction. I tried to turn, only to be denied by the stabbing pain. The wind was still going strong, and through my slightly clearer vision I could see what looked like a green hat floating through the sky. Then I remembered that Jonny had been practically next to me when it all happened. I searched as best as I could for his body; he had to be somewhere near me. Judging by the direction the wind was blowing, he must have been to my left. I looked, but saw nothing. Maybe he wasn't thrown like I was? Maybe not as far, maybe farther, maybe he'd already gotten help, or maybe...
I started screaming. It was the only thing I could think of doing. He had to be out there, he just had to be. It took all of my energy to scream his name only a few times, but I needed to know that he was there. A few moments later, my desperate cries were answered with a faint, "Chris?" somewhere behind me. This time I turned my entire body around. Sure enough, Jonny was only a few feet away, and what seemed like an eternity away from us was the street, filled with flashing lights and smoke.
"Are y-you OK?" I asked as loudly as I could, which was not very loud at all. He was still laying down, but as soon as he heard me, he sat up with almost no trouble at all.
"Um... I think so," he replied, swiftly brushing bits of dirt off his torso. "Are you?"
"Actually..." I had to think about this for a bit. There was an explosion. I was hundreds of feet away from where I'd been sitting before. There was some sort of pointy thing stuck in a nice, big cut on my side, which was still causing a throbbing pain. A fair amount of my blood was on the ground, and a cool sensation on the right side of my mouth told me that some of it was probably on my face as well. All this, and God knows what else. "M-maybe not."
While I was sitting, waiting for the bus to arrive to take me to the restaurant where I was meeting Phil, I observed the ground around me. Piles of the red and yellow leaves that fell from the trees were scattered on the sidewalk. The rough wind brought more and more of the leaves to their fallen friends.
In a wonderful stroke of luck, my dear friend Jonny just happened to be walking the same sidewalk the leaves occupied. Now that I think about it, though, he could very well have been meeting with Phil as well. Phil never really told me what we'd be meeting for or who all would be coming, he just told me where to be and when to be there.
So Jonny was strolling along, head down, kicking some of the leaves as he went. A few cars passed by, and he looked up as he slowed down in front of the bench. As soon as he saw me, a smiled spread across his face and he lifted his arm to greet me. Then there was the explosion.
I don't know where it came from, all I know is that one second Jonny was in front of me, and the next I was laying on the ground. Actually, a burst of flame flew between us, then everything went black, then I was laying on the ground. Sirens were blaring around me, and I slowly opened my eyes. I could tell it was quite some time later, because the sky was darker. It wasn't nighttime yet, but the sun was setting. I couldn't tell where I was. Obviously I was near the bus stop, but I had been sent flying through the air at some point, because I was collapsed on the cold, wet grass that filled the small field behind the bus stop.
I had been laying on my stomach, so I turned on my side in order to get a better look at my surroundings. As I did so, I looked at the ground and realised that the grass was wet because it was covered in my blood. A sharp pain revealed itself in my abdomen, the cause of a three inch wide gash just under my ribcage. I fought through the pain as I pushed against the ground, lifting myself up. My one hand instinctively covered the wound, briefly touching a ragged object that appeared to be stuck in my side. I looked at it as best as I could, but with the combination of the blood that covered it and my slightly blurred vision it proved to be an almost impossible task.
I needed help. I lifted my head up to look for the origin of the sirens, but I must have been facing the wrong direction. I tried to turn, only to be denied by the stabbing pain. The wind was still going strong, and through my slightly clearer vision I could see what looked like a green hat floating through the sky. Then I remembered that Jonny had been practically next to me when it all happened. I searched as best as I could for his body; he had to be somewhere near me. Judging by the direction the wind was blowing, he must have been to my left. I looked, but saw nothing. Maybe he wasn't thrown like I was? Maybe not as far, maybe farther, maybe he'd already gotten help, or maybe...
I started screaming. It was the only thing I could think of doing. He had to be out there, he just had to be. It took all of my energy to scream his name only a few times, but I needed to know that he was there. A few moments later, my desperate cries were answered with a faint, "Chris?" somewhere behind me. This time I turned my entire body around. Sure enough, Jonny was only a few feet away, and what seemed like an eternity away from us was the street, filled with flashing lights and smoke.
"Are y-you OK?" I asked as loudly as I could, which was not very loud at all. He was still laying down, but as soon as he heard me, he sat up with almost no trouble at all.
"Um... I think so," he replied, swiftly brushing bits of dirt off his torso. "Are you?"
"Actually..." I had to think about this for a bit. There was an explosion. I was hundreds of feet away from where I'd been sitting before. There was some sort of pointy thing stuck in a nice, big cut on my side, which was still causing a throbbing pain. A fair amount of my blood was on the ground, and a cool sensation on the right side of my mouth told me that some of it was probably on my face as well. All this, and God knows what else. "M-maybe not."
-
The ambulance ride was pretty uneventful, so I won't bore you with it. I could take a step back and talk about Jonny running (because he was apparently perfectly fine) to bring the EMTs to where I was, gurney and all, but that was just as uneventful. It was at the hospital that things became interesting.
Having been in a situation that put my need for medical attention in a status known as 'emergency', I was rushed into the emergency room. A lovely nurse helped the EMT move me from the stretcher to a bed, where I was properly looked at. It turns out the pointy thing in my side was a large piece of glass, probably a bit of window from one of the cars in the explosion. That was all that was known at the time, too, was that three cars had been wrecked, and maybe even one or two people killed. No one was sure yet what caused it, or who, or just how it all happened. At that moment, though, the priority was just to help anyone who needed it, such as myself.
How I managed to be stabbed by glass and thrown across a field, landing on my stomach, without dying or something was apparently quite a miracle. Luckily, the glass was to the side enough that my landing didn't affect it. Unluckily, it caused a rather large portion of my blood to spill out. It didn't kill me, though, which I generally view as a good thing overall. No, it was something else that killed me. Metaphorically, of course. Morphine does wonders for relieving pain, though.
Eventually I was admitted and taken to a nice, warm room with a nice, warm bed. I was told to get some rest, as I would be going into surgery in the morning. It was so toasty in there that I almost forgot all about the bitter cold the wind had brought with it that day. The warmth allowed me to slowly drift to sleep, with the help of the morphine as well.
I don't think I had any dreams, or if I did, I can't remember them. All I remember is waking up to some bright lights and the sound of, "Mr. Martin... Mr. Martin, we have some news."
"Yeah?" It was the only thing my half-awake mind could think of saying.
"Due to an emergency, your surgery has been moved," a nurse informed me.
"Moved?"
"Yes. But don't worry, you'll be fine. It's only been moved to this afternoon."
"Um, OK."
"You're in good hands, trust me."
"Thanks." She gave a little nod, and left the room. I didn't mind that I had to wait longer, it was just that I wasn't sure of what to do until the surgery. So, I just went back to sleep. Another nurse woke me up a few hours later to feed me what I think was supposed to be lunch. Then some visitors stopped by, which I was very pleased with.
"They postponed your surgery? Can they really do that? I mean, you've kinda got a hole in your stomach," Guy said.
"Oh, please. It's not that bad," I said. I think the morphine had made me a bit loopy. "Besides, the nurse told me not to worry, so I'm not going to."
"Yeah, you'll be fine," Jonny agreed. "Chris survives everything."
"Exactly! I'm basically Superman."
"Is that a confession?" Will joked.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, it is." Like I said, loopy.
Skip another few hours, it's surgery time. Nurses came in, prepped me all good and proper, and rolled me down to the OR. Laying on the table, looking up at the ceiling, I'm told to take deep breaths and count backwards from ten as the doctors place a mask over me, dosing me with what I can only assume is some anesthetic. Slowly, which maybe was actually quickly, as I can only recall counting to eight, everything goes dark.
Having been in a situation that put my need for medical attention in a status known as 'emergency', I was rushed into the emergency room. A lovely nurse helped the EMT move me from the stretcher to a bed, where I was properly looked at. It turns out the pointy thing in my side was a large piece of glass, probably a bit of window from one of the cars in the explosion. That was all that was known at the time, too, was that three cars had been wrecked, and maybe even one or two people killed. No one was sure yet what caused it, or who, or just how it all happened. At that moment, though, the priority was just to help anyone who needed it, such as myself.
How I managed to be stabbed by glass and thrown across a field, landing on my stomach, without dying or something was apparently quite a miracle. Luckily, the glass was to the side enough that my landing didn't affect it. Unluckily, it caused a rather large portion of my blood to spill out. It didn't kill me, though, which I generally view as a good thing overall. No, it was something else that killed me. Metaphorically, of course. Morphine does wonders for relieving pain, though.
Eventually I was admitted and taken to a nice, warm room with a nice, warm bed. I was told to get some rest, as I would be going into surgery in the morning. It was so toasty in there that I almost forgot all about the bitter cold the wind had brought with it that day. The warmth allowed me to slowly drift to sleep, with the help of the morphine as well.
I don't think I had any dreams, or if I did, I can't remember them. All I remember is waking up to some bright lights and the sound of, "Mr. Martin... Mr. Martin, we have some news."
"Yeah?" It was the only thing my half-awake mind could think of saying.
"Due to an emergency, your surgery has been moved," a nurse informed me.
"Moved?"
"Yes. But don't worry, you'll be fine. It's only been moved to this afternoon."
"Um, OK."
"You're in good hands, trust me."
"Thanks." She gave a little nod, and left the room. I didn't mind that I had to wait longer, it was just that I wasn't sure of what to do until the surgery. So, I just went back to sleep. Another nurse woke me up a few hours later to feed me what I think was supposed to be lunch. Then some visitors stopped by, which I was very pleased with.
"They postponed your surgery? Can they really do that? I mean, you've kinda got a hole in your stomach," Guy said.
"Oh, please. It's not that bad," I said. I think the morphine had made me a bit loopy. "Besides, the nurse told me not to worry, so I'm not going to."
"Yeah, you'll be fine," Jonny agreed. "Chris survives everything."
"Exactly! I'm basically Superman."
"Is that a confession?" Will joked.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, it is." Like I said, loopy.
Skip another few hours, it's surgery time. Nurses came in, prepped me all good and proper, and rolled me down to the OR. Laying on the table, looking up at the ceiling, I'm told to take deep breaths and count backwards from ten as the doctors place a mask over me, dosing me with what I can only assume is some anesthetic. Slowly, which maybe was actually quickly, as I can only recall counting to eight, everything goes dark.
-
I woke up, only to realise that I wasn't awake. I had always wondered what it was like in the mind of someone who was under the knife. I'm sure it's not the same for everyone, but now I have a bit more knowledge in the area.
For me, everything was green. Lots of grass all around. There was one single tree in the middle of the field. Hanging from one of the branches was a tire swing. I'm pretty skinny, so I figured what the hell? I could probably fit in it. Well... I was wrong, let's leave it at that.
After, uh, half an hour, I left the tiny swing behind. I decided to just take a stroll around, see what else was out there. The grass stretched to the horizon, seemingly endless. I was the only one as far as I could tell. Still, I walked on and on, searching for other people. Soon the tree disappeared from sight, and I began to worry a bit.
It was only me out there in a vast space of emptiness. No Jonny, no Guy, no Will, no Phil, no anyone. I would even have settled for some paps. To make things worse, it was growing later and later. The bright sun slowly dissolved, leaving behind a trail of orange and pink that faded into the deep blue of the sky. I must have been walking for hours.
Stopping to take a small rest, I spotted what looked like a road. I squinted my eyes and found that my guess was correct. It was still far away, but it was definitely there. I gathered my strength, and sprinted to the road. I don't know what good it would have done, because it was only a road. I continued running anyway, though, until I finally reached the sweet pavement.
Out of nowhere, a giant van came barreling down the road. At first I didn't think they'd see me, and maybe they'd just hit me, but the car stopped feet before it could collide with my body. A tall man stepped out of the driver's side and walked towards me, his hand extended forward.
"Hello, I'm Chris!" he said. What a coincidence, eh?
"Hi. I'm Chris, too," I replied, shaking his hand. He seemed friendly enough.
"I know. We're all Chris here," he said with a creepy smile and wide eyes. Suddenly, I got the feeling that he wasn't so friendly.
"Oh. Then why did you introduce yourself?"
"You're new here. But we know who you are. You'll come with us now, we're going on a journey!"
"Um... I don't know," I apprehensively said. "I should probably just stay here."
"No, you're coming with us. You have to!" His enthusiasm was starting to scare me, but there was still something in his eyes that told me it was all right. These people weren't going to hurt me.
"OK," I said, and momentarily hesitated to move as he gestured to the car. Reaching the side door, he opened it for me, revealing two small children in the back seats. I sat in the empty seat next to the little girl, who was staring at me with the same creepy smile and wide eyes.
"Hello, Chris!" she chirped.
"Hey... Chris?"
"Yes, we are all Chris here."
"So I've heard."
"Would you like to see my drawing?" she asked. Being a polite man, I nodded, and she handed me a crumpled paper with some lines on it.
"What is it supposed to be?" I asked.
"Iunno," she shrugged. "You work it out." For some reason, that didn't sound odd to me. I looked back at the paper, and was amazed with what I saw. The lines were moving, forming what looked like a giant castle.
"It's a castle?"
"Yes. We're going on a journey!"
"To the castle?"
"Yes. You are a very smart man."
"Of course he is, sweetie," a voice said. I looked to the front of the van to see a woman sitting in the passenger seat. She was turned to face the little girl, and by God if she didn't have that same horrifying expression on her face. "He is the true Chris."
"He is?" she asked in amazement. "You're the true Chris?"
"I guess so," I answered. Then I turned to face the woman and asked, "What does that mean, the true Chris?" Her already creepy facial expression managed to twist into the most terrifying thing I've ever seen.
"God."
For me, everything was green. Lots of grass all around. There was one single tree in the middle of the field. Hanging from one of the branches was a tire swing. I'm pretty skinny, so I figured what the hell? I could probably fit in it. Well... I was wrong, let's leave it at that.
After, uh, half an hour, I left the tiny swing behind. I decided to just take a stroll around, see what else was out there. The grass stretched to the horizon, seemingly endless. I was the only one as far as I could tell. Still, I walked on and on, searching for other people. Soon the tree disappeared from sight, and I began to worry a bit.
It was only me out there in a vast space of emptiness. No Jonny, no Guy, no Will, no Phil, no anyone. I would even have settled for some paps. To make things worse, it was growing later and later. The bright sun slowly dissolved, leaving behind a trail of orange and pink that faded into the deep blue of the sky. I must have been walking for hours.
Stopping to take a small rest, I spotted what looked like a road. I squinted my eyes and found that my guess was correct. It was still far away, but it was definitely there. I gathered my strength, and sprinted to the road. I don't know what good it would have done, because it was only a road. I continued running anyway, though, until I finally reached the sweet pavement.
Out of nowhere, a giant van came barreling down the road. At first I didn't think they'd see me, and maybe they'd just hit me, but the car stopped feet before it could collide with my body. A tall man stepped out of the driver's side and walked towards me, his hand extended forward.
"Hello, I'm Chris!" he said. What a coincidence, eh?
"Hi. I'm Chris, too," I replied, shaking his hand. He seemed friendly enough.
"I know. We're all Chris here," he said with a creepy smile and wide eyes. Suddenly, I got the feeling that he wasn't so friendly.
"Oh. Then why did you introduce yourself?"
"You're new here. But we know who you are. You'll come with us now, we're going on a journey!"
"Um... I don't know," I apprehensively said. "I should probably just stay here."
"No, you're coming with us. You have to!" His enthusiasm was starting to scare me, but there was still something in his eyes that told me it was all right. These people weren't going to hurt me.
"OK," I said, and momentarily hesitated to move as he gestured to the car. Reaching the side door, he opened it for me, revealing two small children in the back seats. I sat in the empty seat next to the little girl, who was staring at me with the same creepy smile and wide eyes.
"Hello, Chris!" she chirped.
"Hey... Chris?"
"Yes, we are all Chris here."
"So I've heard."
"Would you like to see my drawing?" she asked. Being a polite man, I nodded, and she handed me a crumpled paper with some lines on it.
"What is it supposed to be?" I asked.
"Iunno," she shrugged. "You work it out." For some reason, that didn't sound odd to me. I looked back at the paper, and was amazed with what I saw. The lines were moving, forming what looked like a giant castle.
"It's a castle?"
"Yes. We're going on a journey!"
"To the castle?"
"Yes. You are a very smart man."
"Of course he is, sweetie," a voice said. I looked to the front of the van to see a woman sitting in the passenger seat. She was turned to face the little girl, and by God if she didn't have that same horrifying expression on her face. "He is the true Chris."
"He is?" she asked in amazement. "You're the true Chris?"
"I guess so," I answered. Then I turned to face the woman and asked, "What does that mean, the true Chris?" Her already creepy facial expression managed to twist into the most terrifying thing I've ever seen.
"God."
-
"God?" What was I getting myself into?
"Yes. We are bringing you home," older female Chris answered.
"I live in a castle, then?" Not bad, I think.
"Yes."
"Alright, cool." It seemed like there was nothing left to discuss, so I just let my eyes wander out the window. It was amazing how deserted everything was. I suppose that's a rather insulting reflection on my intelligence or something. In any case, the world surrounding the giant van seemed to be a completly blank grass canvas. It was a bit unnerving, to be honest, but as I was just in my imagination, and the people I was with seemed nice in their own creepy sort of way, I decided to just go with the flow.
Usually when you hear the word 'journey', you'd think some long trip, with lots of boring traveling and maybe even some obstacles along the way, right? So I did not expect a ten-minute car ride to be the entire journey. But ten minutes later, we're apparently there. It was magnificent how everything had changed. The desolate canvas was now rich with civilization, from massive crowds of people walking the small streets to towering buildings that sprouted from the ground. Looking around, however, there appeared to be no castle in sight.
"Um... I don't see this castle," I voiced.
"Of course not," older male Chris replied. "It doesn't exist yet."
"Oh." An odd comment in a sane man's world. In there, not so much. It made all the sense in the world. The castle didn't exist, because there was no reason for it to exist. Not before I had arrived, anyway. Same with the town. Everything had been empty before, because it didn't need to be there.
"Follow me," he said. He led me to a large plot of land, though I felt as if I already knew where to walk to. As soon as we stopped, poles began to emerge from the ground. Slowly, they connected to form the shape of a castle. Then the most wonderful thing happened.
A dark cloud formed just above the castle, and suddenly it began to... 'rain'. But it wasn't rain. It was chocolate. Chocolate poured from the sky, filling in the missing bits in between poles and hardening to form walls. Not only did I live in a castle, but I lived in a castle made of chocolate. Amazing.
"Well, go in then," he said. "You're finally home."
Home. It was like chocolate heaven. I was so happy. I walked inside, all the while taking in the astonishing sight before me. The walls were a rich dark chocolate (I would know, mostly because I took a bite of almost everything in there), and the floors were made of the most delicious white chocolate that I had ever tasted (that one was a bit harder to try). Even the furniture was chocolate.
I climbed up all the stairs, and found myself on the very top of the castle. I looked down to see the Chrises of my mind, all looking up at me and smiling. Every single one of them was gathered around to see me. It was a bit weird, but also a bit exciting at the same time. I gave them all a wave, and was returned with a few screams. It was kinda like a concert or something, except I wasn't singing (yet), none of the other three were there, and everyone had the same name. I decided it would be a nice thing if I thanked them for bringing me home, as they all seemed so kind, so I did.
Then, for some odd reason, it hit me. There weren't really any signs hinting at it, I just somehow knew. The castle I was standing on meant something. This wasn't just like chocolate heaven, it was chocolate heaven. I was dead.
"Yes. We are bringing you home," older female Chris answered.
"I live in a castle, then?" Not bad, I think.
"Yes."
"Alright, cool." It seemed like there was nothing left to discuss, so I just let my eyes wander out the window. It was amazing how deserted everything was. I suppose that's a rather insulting reflection on my intelligence or something. In any case, the world surrounding the giant van seemed to be a completly blank grass canvas. It was a bit unnerving, to be honest, but as I was just in my imagination, and the people I was with seemed nice in their own creepy sort of way, I decided to just go with the flow.
Usually when you hear the word 'journey', you'd think some long trip, with lots of boring traveling and maybe even some obstacles along the way, right? So I did not expect a ten-minute car ride to be the entire journey. But ten minutes later, we're apparently there. It was magnificent how everything had changed. The desolate canvas was now rich with civilization, from massive crowds of people walking the small streets to towering buildings that sprouted from the ground. Looking around, however, there appeared to be no castle in sight.
"Um... I don't see this castle," I voiced.
"Of course not," older male Chris replied. "It doesn't exist yet."
"Oh." An odd comment in a sane man's world. In there, not so much. It made all the sense in the world. The castle didn't exist, because there was no reason for it to exist. Not before I had arrived, anyway. Same with the town. Everything had been empty before, because it didn't need to be there.
"Follow me," he said. He led me to a large plot of land, though I felt as if I already knew where to walk to. As soon as we stopped, poles began to emerge from the ground. Slowly, they connected to form the shape of a castle. Then the most wonderful thing happened.
A dark cloud formed just above the castle, and suddenly it began to... 'rain'. But it wasn't rain. It was chocolate. Chocolate poured from the sky, filling in the missing bits in between poles and hardening to form walls. Not only did I live in a castle, but I lived in a castle made of chocolate. Amazing.
"Well, go in then," he said. "You're finally home."
Home. It was like chocolate heaven. I was so happy. I walked inside, all the while taking in the astonishing sight before me. The walls were a rich dark chocolate (I would know, mostly because I took a bite of almost everything in there), and the floors were made of the most delicious white chocolate that I had ever tasted (that one was a bit harder to try). Even the furniture was chocolate.
I climbed up all the stairs, and found myself on the very top of the castle. I looked down to see the Chrises of my mind, all looking up at me and smiling. Every single one of them was gathered around to see me. It was a bit weird, but also a bit exciting at the same time. I gave them all a wave, and was returned with a few screams. It was kinda like a concert or something, except I wasn't singing (yet), none of the other three were there, and everyone had the same name. I decided it would be a nice thing if I thanked them for bringing me home, as they all seemed so kind, so I did.
Then, for some odd reason, it hit me. There weren't really any signs hinting at it, I just somehow knew. The castle I was standing on meant something. This wasn't just like chocolate heaven, it was chocolate heaven. I was dead.
-
"Chris Martin, lead singer of the British rock quartet Coldplay, died yesterday afternoon due to complications during surgery. The surgery was to repair the damages the frontman suffered after surviving the tragic suicide bombing that left four dead, and several others, including Martin, in critical condition just two days ago. The band have already issued a statement on their website, paying their respects to, quote, 'the kindest, sweetest man who ever walked the Earth'. His death is a great loss to the music industry, as his band was one of few to be considered the biggest band in the world. No funeral arrangements have been annouced as of yet. In other news..."
"I can't believe he's... gone..." Jonny whispered. He, Will, and Guy were sitting at the Bakery. Guy stood up and turned off the television.
"Me neither," he said. Will had been completely quiet; he appeared to be deep in thought.
"How could this happen?" Jonny asked. "He wasn't supposed to... he was too young."
"No, Jon," Will finally spoke, in a epiphanic tone, "the four-year-old who was killed in that explosion, he was too young."
"32! Chris had so much potential. He was already brilliant, imagine what he could have done by the time he was, like, eighty!"
"We'll never know."
"Of course not, 'cause now he's..." Jonny gasped, beginning to shake.
"It's horrible, yeah, and it shouldn't have happened. But..." Will paused, trying to phrase his thoughts in the best way possible. "Don't you think we should be celebrating his life?"
"32..." Jonny repeated in disbelief.
"32 great years. He was one of the happiest people I know, most of the time. He got to make a career out of doing what he loved to do. And he had you as a best friend. Who could want more?"
"I think I have to agree with Will," Guy said after a few moments of tense silence that had been filled with mixed stares between Jonny and Will. "Chris probably wouldn't want us all to be so depressed..."
"I can't help it," Jonny said, shaking his head. "It just... hurts, you know?"
"Yeah." With that, everyone went silent. Jonny collapsed his torso, relying merely on arms, which were propped up on his knees, to stop from falling forward.
"I can't believe he's... gone..." Jonny whispered. He, Will, and Guy were sitting at the Bakery. Guy stood up and turned off the television.
"Me neither," he said. Will had been completely quiet; he appeared to be deep in thought.
"How could this happen?" Jonny asked. "He wasn't supposed to... he was too young."
"No, Jon," Will finally spoke, in a epiphanic tone, "the four-year-old who was killed in that explosion, he was too young."
"32! Chris had so much potential. He was already brilliant, imagine what he could have done by the time he was, like, eighty!"
"We'll never know."
"Of course not, 'cause now he's..." Jonny gasped, beginning to shake.
"It's horrible, yeah, and it shouldn't have happened. But..." Will paused, trying to phrase his thoughts in the best way possible. "Don't you think we should be celebrating his life?"
"32..." Jonny repeated in disbelief.
"32 great years. He was one of the happiest people I know, most of the time. He got to make a career out of doing what he loved to do. And he had you as a best friend. Who could want more?"
"I think I have to agree with Will," Guy said after a few moments of tense silence that had been filled with mixed stares between Jonny and Will. "Chris probably wouldn't want us all to be so depressed..."
"I can't help it," Jonny said, shaking his head. "It just... hurts, you know?"
"Yeah." With that, everyone went silent. Jonny collapsed his torso, relying merely on arms, which were propped up on his knees, to stop from falling forward.
-
A few days later, almost nothing had changed. No matter how hard he tried, Jonny could not stop thinking about Chris. He'd never had a better friend in his entire life, and every morning he had to remind himself that he no longer had that. Every morning he'd look in the mirror and see only himself, and he'd remember that he was alone.
One day the mirror was just too much to handle. The perfect-looking glass... nothing was ever perfect. Nothing ever could be perfect. So Jonny had to smash it. He tightened his hand in a fist, and without thinking twice thrust his hand into the mirror, shattering it into a dozen pieces. The pain in his hand was nothing compared to the pain he'd suffered over the past few days.
Glass. Glass killed Chris. Chris' death killed Jonny. Glass practically killed Jonny. Glass should kill Jonny. It was only fitting. And there was only one way to make sure. His blood was already on the broken mirror. He looked for the sharpest piece, then carefully pulled it from the frame. Toward his open wrist he shakily moved his hand as someone was opening the door.
"Hey, is everything OK- Jonny!" Guy exclaimed, rushing over to Jonny and ripping the glass from his hand. "What the fuck do you think you're doing??"
"I can't. I can't do this anymore. Any of it. It's too hard." Guy threw the glass into the sink, where it broke ever further, and forcefully grabbed Jonny's shoulders.
"This is hard on all of us!! I know he meant a lot to you-"
"A lot? He was my best friend! The only person who ever really understood me." Tears rolled down Jonny's cheek, his breath heavy and uneven. "What am I supposed to do without him?"
"Live... and live like there's no tomorrow, because you never know when something will happen." Guy reached his arms around Jonny and pulled him close. Jonny willingly hugged him back, burying his head in Guy's shoulder. "Jonny... we can't lose you, too."
After a few moments of silence, Jonny asked, "Do you think it'll ever stop?"
"No," Guy simply replied. "It might not even get easier. But that's life, right?"
"I hate life," Jonny mumbled. Guy chuckled a bit, and tightened his hold on Jonny.
"Yeah, me too."
One day the mirror was just too much to handle. The perfect-looking glass... nothing was ever perfect. Nothing ever could be perfect. So Jonny had to smash it. He tightened his hand in a fist, and without thinking twice thrust his hand into the mirror, shattering it into a dozen pieces. The pain in his hand was nothing compared to the pain he'd suffered over the past few days.
Glass. Glass killed Chris. Chris' death killed Jonny. Glass practically killed Jonny. Glass should kill Jonny. It was only fitting. And there was only one way to make sure. His blood was already on the broken mirror. He looked for the sharpest piece, then carefully pulled it from the frame. Toward his open wrist he shakily moved his hand as someone was opening the door.
"Hey, is everything OK- Jonny!" Guy exclaimed, rushing over to Jonny and ripping the glass from his hand. "What the fuck do you think you're doing??"
"I can't. I can't do this anymore. Any of it. It's too hard." Guy threw the glass into the sink, where it broke ever further, and forcefully grabbed Jonny's shoulders.
"This is hard on all of us!! I know he meant a lot to you-"
"A lot? He was my best friend! The only person who ever really understood me." Tears rolled down Jonny's cheek, his breath heavy and uneven. "What am I supposed to do without him?"
"Live... and live like there's no tomorrow, because you never know when something will happen." Guy reached his arms around Jonny and pulled him close. Jonny willingly hugged him back, burying his head in Guy's shoulder. "Jonny... we can't lose you, too."
After a few moments of silence, Jonny asked, "Do you think it'll ever stop?"
"No," Guy simply replied. "It might not even get easier. But that's life, right?"
"I hate life," Jonny mumbled. Guy chuckled a bit, and tightened his hold on Jonny.
"Yeah, me too."
-
"So, can you make it or not?" Phil asked. I set down the glass I had in my hand and switched the phone to my other ear, all the while watching the water ripple from the motion. The translucent waves were reflecting something blue and round. Oh, those were my eyes. "Hello?"
"Huh?"
"Can you make it or not?" he repeated, disgracefully adding in a, "tosser," at the end.
"Um..." I still stared at the glass. What to do, what to do? "I don't think I can, sorry."
"Great, now we'll have to reschedule. Thank you, Mr. Diva."
"Sorry," I apologized, in the most earnest way I could.
"Whatever. Talk to you later, man."
"Bye." I turned the phone off and placed it on the table next to the glass. Glass- it's a funny thing, isn't it?
I probably shouldn't have lied to Phil like that, but I was tired and didn't want to go out. Plus, I had a bad feeling about that night. Instead, I opted to flop down on the sofa, turn on the telly, and watch a bit of Entourage. That seemed like the thing to do.
People go through life never knowing exactly what would have or could have happened if they had done certain things rather than others. Never knowing which option would really turn out better in the long run. Should I go meet with Phil, or stay at home and watch Entourage? Should I wear the purple shirt, or the one that makes me look like I'm homeless (some people would say they both do, but that's beside the point)? Should I date this really nice girl, or her banging hot friend? Everyday we encounter so many of these choices. The best any of us can hope to do is just pray we made the right choice and wonder 'What would it be like if...?'. Imagine all the possibilities. Sometimes, though, it's better not to ask.
"Huh?"
"Can you make it or not?" he repeated, disgracefully adding in a, "tosser," at the end.
"Um..." I still stared at the glass. What to do, what to do? "I don't think I can, sorry."
"Great, now we'll have to reschedule. Thank you, Mr. Diva."
"Sorry," I apologized, in the most earnest way I could.
"Whatever. Talk to you later, man."
"Bye." I turned the phone off and placed it on the table next to the glass. Glass- it's a funny thing, isn't it?
I probably shouldn't have lied to Phil like that, but I was tired and didn't want to go out. Plus, I had a bad feeling about that night. Instead, I opted to flop down on the sofa, turn on the telly, and watch a bit of Entourage. That seemed like the thing to do.
People go through life never knowing exactly what would have or could have happened if they had done certain things rather than others. Never knowing which option would really turn out better in the long run. Should I go meet with Phil, or stay at home and watch Entourage? Should I wear the purple shirt, or the one that makes me look like I'm homeless (some people would say they both do, but that's beside the point)? Should I date this really nice girl, or her banging hot friend? Everyday we encounter so many of these choices. The best any of us can hope to do is just pray we made the right choice and wonder 'What would it be like if...?'. Imagine all the possibilities. Sometimes, though, it's better not to ask.
No comments:
Post a Comment