LAST DAY

Part 1: chapter 1: The Crash

  December 4, 1999 at 5:47pm
  There something about being alive, that makes you want to be dead. But when your dying you wish to be alive for one more day. Isn't it funny how that works? How in one day everything can change.
Well it's not really funny, about dying, but how we take each day for granted, thinking we will always have a new day. News fucking flash, we don't always have tomorrow, we only have today.
A young man, probably no older then 23, sat in this car driving down a highway at night. Surround by New York City's bright lights made the snow and ice on the road, a little harder to see.
A ringing noise appeared from, Johns pocket.
"Damn it, John said
John took one of his hands off of the wheel and reached into his pocket. The car swayed back and forth on the highway Thur the left and right lanes.
"Hello, you got John"
John looked out the window, staring at the bright Christmas lights.
"No, I don't care if your sick, you need to be at work tomorrow. Christmas is the biggest time for us, and if you want Christmas off we need to get the toys out of the building and on to selfs.
  John pushed his hand on the wheel.
"No, john stated, I'm not being mean. I'm being a boss."
  He threw his phone into the back seats of the car. And Continued on his way.
  John turned on the radio and Christmas music played out into the car.
  Slowly one by one, little white dots flew onto the moving car. It was snowing.
John slowly pushed his foot on the gas and the car started to speed up. So did the snow.

John slowly pulled into a small driveway. He lived in Brooklyn. If you ever asked him, he would say "Christmas is better in the city, especially in New York City."
He opened his apartment door. The lights were off. The only light came from the large ground floor window, that brought in Brooklyn's bright Christmas lights.
He threw his bag on his bed and walked outside the large window onto a balcony. The balcony was old and gross. But it felt like home.
John lit a cigarette and blew out the smoke.
It was still snowing.

John walked into the kitchen and turned on the small tv. The tv played a black and white hallmark Christmas movie.
It was at the point in the movie when two soulmates were confessing their love for each other with a kiss in the snow.
  John didn't believe in love. He had his heart broken before. And he told himself that he would never let his walls down again to find love.

  John laid in bed. He was fast asleep. In front of him was a second small tv playing more hallmark Christmas movies. He was half naked hanging out of the bed.
  The clock next to him said 3:56 am. It was pitch black outside, expect for the Christmas lights shinning in.
The city was silent outside. Peaceful almost.

Next to johns bed there was a picture of him hugging another guy. This was his soulmate that he lost back at Christmas in 1992. His name was Mason Sliver. Mason now, is a famous lawyer in California. He moved there after their break up to escape. John stayed here. He couldn't leave. There were too many memories here.

John life was never the same after he lost Mason.

John awoke at 4:32 to a car alarm going crazy. John who turned out to be fully naked, got out of his bed and looked out his window on his balcony. He saw that it was his car going off.
"Fuck."
John threw on pants and a sweater and quickly ran out of his apartment.

John opened his car door and shut off the alarm. It was so cold that he got into the car and closed the door. He turned on his car and turned on the heat.
He reached for a cigarette, but instead from an empty box.
John angrily threw the box to the floor of the passenger seat. The empty box hit something that crumbled like paper.
John reached to the floor and picked it up. It was a picture that was stained with coffee and cigarette burns.
John turned the picture around and saw that it was of Mason and him at their last Christmas.
Slowly one tear started to form out of he corner of his eye. He quickly used his sleeve to wipe away the tear. Seeing the picture couldn't help but make him smile a little.
John reached for his phone that he threw in the backseat earlier. He opened the phone and went to his contracts. He went down to masons name and pressed call.
The call went to voicemail.
John thought about not leaving a message but did.
"Hey it's me... again. I know it's night. Well actually it's night here. I don't know what time it is where your at, but here, it's night."
There was a moment of silence. Then john continued.
"But I'm calling to tell you that i found a lost picture of us. It's the one from our last Christmas. I'm sorry about what happened there. What I did. I didn't mean it. But I can't help but want to see you again. Maybe in another life, right. But I hope it's great where your at, cause it's good here. The city is full of Christmas. And you know Christmas is my favorite time. But that's all. I hope your happy and I hope you'll call back. Bye."
John slowly closed his phone and dropped it into the passenger seat.
John wiped more tears away from his eyes. And looked out of his car window. It was snowing again.

John put his keys into the car and started it up. The car slowly started moving and he drove down the street.
John turned on the radio and "I'll be home for Christmas" was playing.
He turned into a small parking lot and walked into a convenience store.
He got to the counter, where a girl, probably in her 20s was sitting there chewing gum and reading a play boy.
The girl had short pink hair.
"What john, it's 5 in the morning."
"Sorry Stella, but I need a box". John said

Stella got up and walked to the back wall and grabbed a pack of cigarettes.
She handed them to john.
"That will be 7.50 please."
John reached into his wallet and got out a ten.
"Keep the change Stella."

"So, said Stella, has he called you back yet?"
John looked at the box of cigarettes and said no.
Stella was sitting down again.
"What a shame, you guys were perfect together at Christmas."
  John lightly smiled and walked out of the store.
  He walked to his car, got into it and  drove away.

  The snow was picking up now. It was getting harder to see the road now.
  John was on the highway with about about 2 other cars. One gray one in front of him, or so he thinks. And one behind him with high beams on.
  John reached for the new box of cigarettes in his lap. He looked down to the box and took both his hands off of the wheel and quickly opened the box.
  The car quickly start moving into the side left line.
  John looked up and with the wheels screeching against the snow and ice he moved back into the middle lane.
  John, using one hand, reached into he box and grabbed a cigarette. He again used his other hand to get the lighter and lit the cigarette.
  John returned his hand to the wheel. He put his cigarettes in his mouth and blew out the smoke.
  He reached for the radio and turned it on. Old Christmas music was playing.
The car in front of john was gone. Or maybe it was still there and he just couldn't see it cause of the heavy snow.
But the car behind him was still there. The car was riding john. John went a little faster to breakaway from the other car. But the other car went faster too.
Before john knew it he was going 70 miles an hour.
John looked behind him closer and saw that the other car was swaying into the other lanes.
"He must be drunk." Said john.
John looked in front of him and saw his exit. John turned on his lights to move into the next lane.
The other car saw that john was slowing down and quickly turned to go around him and crashed into the back of johns car. John looked at his radio clock and it read December 5, 5:42 am.
Johns car flipped into the air. His cigarettes threw out the open window. Everything in the car started crashing together. Then the car hit the ground.
Johns car was upside down. A lifeless body was still buckled into the seat hanging upside down.
John was dead. Really dead. Completely dead.

The other car crashed into the exit sign. The driver in the car went running over, screaming in fear.
"No, no I'm sorry."
He looked into the upside down car and saw john all bloody and cut up hanging dead in his seat.
"Oh my god, I'm sorry, I'm sorry", the man started whispering I'm sorry quieter and quieter until you couldn't hear it anymore.

Like I said, you life an change in a minute. For better or worst. But this is life and nothing can be controlled. You can't cheat death.
You always think you will have tomorrow but you don't. Everyday is a gift. Enjoy it. It come be your last present ever.