It Could All End in a Second

When walking across the road, I noticed I had dropped a trinket given to me by her. As I left to retrieve it, I disregarded my surroundings. Finally picking up my beloved item, I look at it lovingly and smile to myself as I can’t wait to see her again. Stuffing it into my pocket, I turn to resume walking towards the entrance of my destination. However, a loud horn and the screeching of tires catch my attention. Time seems to be slowing down.

I can’t help but smile sadly. "Looks like I’ll never get the chance to meet you, won’t I, Kath?…I love you."

Accepting my fate, I allow myself one small mercy and close my eyes as I anticipate the pain that will surely follow. Time appears to pick up to its regular pace. Onlookers instantly scramble to the tragedy; quite a few had their phones out, either calling for an emergency hotline or recording the moment forever, others fled the scene in hopes what they had witnessed was only a bad dream, and then there were the majority which could only look on in horror.

Unaware of the most recent tragedy to have befallen, almost an hour has passed since our promised encounter. During the waiting period, you call and text me short messages hoping that I’d reply with some sort of excuse as to my tardiness. Yet, no form of reply is returned. Eventually, you get fed up having thought that I stood you up and didn’t bother cancelling our meeting. Huffing in exasperation, you depart from the premises and begin your journey home. On the way, you happen to get caught in the traffic caused by my abrupt demise. You curse softly thinking that some idiot had gotten into a large accident. Not bothering to spare a second glance, you drive home.

Days after my fatal brush with death, you find yourself spending time with friends. They ask about your holiday and if anything special had occurred. Your best friend mentions our supposed outing and wonders how it turned out. Now caught up with recent events, your other friends also ponder about how the day went. You recall your disappointment and reveal how I stood you up. Words of comfort and reassurance fill your ears. Yet, that’s not what you want to hear. You want to know why I hadn’t bothered to show up. Checking your phone for any missed calls or incoming texts, you turn your eyes downward in disapproval when nothing of the sort happens. There are messages from your other friends, but nothing, not even an apology for skipping out on our agreed day, is sent to your cell.

Soon, a week has flown since my departure from this world. As you come home from an eventful day at work and going out to eat with friends, you come face to face with your mother who holds a letter in her hands. You see a black envelope sitting at the side, but are curious about the contents of the mysterious letter. Sitting by your parent, you ask what going on or if anything is wrong. When she looks up to you, she only sighs and hold her arms wide, motioning for a hug. You don’t even hesitate to return the gesture, but are confused. "Did it have anything to do with me?"

Not a moment sooner, the news is revealed. Everything. From the accident, to the tragedy, to the upcoming funeral. Whatever you had initially expected that letter to contain was blown out of the water by this new development. At first, you only believed I had stood you up. Now, with everything full circle, something even more had taken place.

Now, the ominous truth hits you full force. What will your next action be…? Will you honour our close friendship that had undertones of intimacy at some points and attend the funeral? Or will you grieve on your own, stressed by the sudden death that had taken someone too soon? Unbeknownst to you, you had already made up your mind. But the decision is neither of the two.