The Day I Die

September 22, 2020

My alarm went off at 6:00 a.m but I was already awake, today is the big day. In approximately 6 hours I am going to die. I check my computer and see messages from my buddies that they will miss me and hope I go quick and painlessly. Our buddy Luke died slowly of leukemia and since his passing we all have prayed for a painless end. 12:12 p.m, that is when I will die today. I had contemplated taking the day off, or even the week to live my last days doing something fun and peaceful. However, as fate would have it, I needed to be at work today in order to die. I had requested the vacation time but a major emergency popped up last minute so I had to be there. I wasn't kidding when I said you can't alter your fate, you will die when and where you are meant to, and nothing can change it.

I got ready for work like it was any other day but I did wake up a little early to stop off at IHOP and eat some endless pancakes since it would probably be my last meal. Might as well stuff myself with something yummy before it all ends.

Getting into the office was business as usual. I greeted the front desk assistant Clara and made my way towards the elevator. my office was on the 22nd floor which usually wasn't a terrible elevator ride but today every floor was another tick away at my clock, time was moving too slowly. I think more than anything I was in denial that it would all end today, it felt so surreal.

My assistant greeted me as I got off the elevator asking me if I was alright, I seemed a bit pale. I brushed it off that I didn't get much sleep last night and retrieved my schedule for the day. I had 2 meetings first thing and then a break to work on paperwork. At 12:45 I had a meeting across town that I'd have to be in the car and on my way by 12:15. So that was it, I would die heading to my meeting. I made sure to check over the proposal for the meeting and leaving plenty of notes so whoever took over that client for me once I was gone was well prepared.

The morning went by painstakingly slow, I couldn't stop staring at the clock.

It finally hit noon and I pulled out my little pocket mirror to check my time: 12 minutes and 17 seconds. then 12 minutes and 16 seconds. There was a knock at the door. My boss was standing in the doorway. " Hey so the parking garage entrance is undergoing maintanence right now so you will have to meet your driver down at the street side by the entrance at 12:15."

"OK thank you sir for letting me know. I will go ahead and get my things together and make my way down there." This was it, something was going to happen down by the street. I gathered my things and made the painfully long elevator ride down to the ground floor. it was 12:09, I had 3 minutes and 15 seconds remaining.

I walk out to the street and a bunch of people are crowded along the street side. 1 minute and 37 seconds. Everyone is waiting for the crosswalk. I made the observation that several people standing next to had the same amount of time left as me. An accident, that is how I die. A car will probably come plowing into the sidewalk.

33 seconds. I hear a small bell sound and look to my left, a bicyclist is making his way towards the crowd, his timer is set to expire the same time as me. 17 seconds.

I try to clear out of the way of the cyclist but my shoe somehow manages to get stuck on the sewer grate I was standing on. I tried to get it loose but it wouldn't budge. 10 seconds. Now I understand, I won't be able to clear out of the way, the cyclist will have to swerve to avoid me. 9 seconds. He'll have to enter into traffic, a car will swerve to avoid him but lose control. 8 seconds. That car will slam into the pedestrians and the cyclist onto the sidewalk and we will all die. 7 seconds. And it will be my fault, my fate was to cause 10 people to die.

6 seconds

5 seconds

4 seconds

The bicyclist is almost upon me, I still can't move, he's yelling get out of the way.

3 seconds

2 seconds

1 second.

Someone pulls me from behind.