As I walk down the street, I couldn''t help but notice how different everything seems today, the birds are chirping, the sun is shining and I''m not getting in random fights!


    "Sup old man!"


    I greet one of my neighbors in the block, dude is always asking if I''m okay or if everything is going well.


    "Well Martin, what a pleasant surprise, you seem happier"


    He immediately frowns and asks


    "Is everything alright son? You can talk to me, you know that, right?"


    I grin at him


    "Everything is fantastic, Mr. Douglas! Terrific even I would say, because today is a different day!"


    He lifts an eyebrow at me.


    "Spit it out then brat, what''s going on"


    Mmmm should I tell him? It seems like a delicate topic and it isn''t the kind of thing that you should talk about casually. While I hesitate about it he seems to grow tense, ah damn what the hell, who cares, I lean over and look around conspiratorially.


    "I shouldn''t say this out loud, but I think that I have a solution for my problem."


    At that he widens his eyes and asks me with a trembling voice.


    "...And what would be the solution?"


    "Ice cream and hookers."


    I grin at him.


    "Pardon me?"


    He blinks at me and continues.


    "I think that age is catching up on me, yes, I seem to have misheard you hahaha, hookers? Silly me."Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    He rasps a laugh but my eyes widen and I look around in panic.


    "Shhhh you old man! What''s wrong with you, don''t talk so loudly about it!!"


    Damn old man, I trust him with my secrets and he just yells them!


    "No wonder you ain''t getting action with mrs Douglas if you act like this old man! No sense of delicacy at all! Hmpf! What a brute."


    At that he suddenly seems to grow red, ouch, seems like I struck a nerve there.


    "YOU! YOU! YOU!"


    oh man he is repeating himself thrice, he is definitely pissed now.


    "YOU GONNA LEARN TODAY! GET HERE BRAT!"


    Nope, I''m noping out of here.


    "You swing your cane like that in bed too? Hahahah, put more hip into it old man hahahah"


    I laugh maniacally while I turn tail and ran, the old man has a mean swing and I don''t wanna test my luck today.


    "Whew."


    After a couple of minutes the old man gave up and went back to his porch. Damn that old man he is so old yet he still runs like he''s twenty. Still, for him to be so perceptive too? How did he realize? Well, no matter I got things to do and ice creams to eat, I should go to the bank first. The prick from the second floor usually brags about his conquests and he often tells me that those ladies only accept cash.


    "Not like I will need money in the after life."


    Well, if I''m really going through with this then I might as well treat myself correctly. I have a few grand saved for future emergencies, not much but enough for this and maybe something more.


    ------


    Well, the sun isn''t shining anymore and the birbs aren''t chirping, something weird is going on, my skin is crawling. I look around looking for answers but it seems like my inner Sherlock ran out of juice.


    "Mommy why is it dark all of sudden?"


    "Oh dear, it''s because there''s an eclipse today."


    "But what''s an eclipse? Can you eat that?"


    "Oh well, you see when the moon..."


    Maybe I overreacted a little...I tune out the mother and daughter pair and keep walking. That was embarrassing, shame on you inner Sherlock! But still, something doesn''t add up...for some reason I feel really uneasy, it''s probably nothing anyway, just my lizard brain acting up because it got dark during daytime. The bank at least is open, small mercies.


    The guard eyes me warily while I enter, what''s up with that? Not like I''m a criminal dude.


    "Uhh why is it so cold? I know it''s summer but damn..."


    I mutter discontentedly because of the cold. They probably don''t even have to worry about electric bills, fucking banks...oh well, seems like I''m not the only one suffering because of this, I can see the breath of the guard over there. Oh look, I can see my breath too! Uhhhh isn''t this too much?


    "Wha.. what''s going on?"


    With clattering teeth, the person in front of me asks aloud to no one in particular.


    "Maybe the AC is acting up?"


    Someone else says.


    "Geez, It''s as if winter has come early, ain''t that right Ben?"


    Uh, I''ve never seen Ben out of the apartment before...


    "Time is nigh mortal."


    Did Ben just speak? Before I can ask him what the hell is he talking about the bank erupts in a cacophony of screams of terror.


    "MONSTER!!!!!!!"


    "OH GOD, OH GOD ALMIGHTY PLEASE SAVE MY SOUL."


    "Please don''t kill me..."


    Oh wow, it seems like I''m not the only one that can see Ben now, neat.


    "The celestial bodies have aligned, it''s time for you to accomplish the mission that my master has for you."


    "You could speak this whole time! Damn you bastard!"


    Before I can continue there is a loud popping noise and I freeze on the spot. The guard from before is holding his gun pointing it at me while shaking like a leaf.


    "I...I was pointing at the monster."


    I feel something warm in my chest and I look down.


    "Fuck...what about my ice cream?"


    I stagger as I try to grab onto something to keep from falling, but everyone is standing far away from me, staring at me with wide eyes.


    "Prepare mortal, prepare thy soul and arm yourself with courage."


    I fall down while blood comes out of my mouth and I can''t help but panic. I know that I said that I was prepared to die, I know that I said that I was going to kill myself, I know...but now? It''s all too real and I realize that I don''t want to die.


    Oh god I''m going to die? I''m dying. Please, oh God, please I don''t want to die. Mom please help me, Mom? Please!? Anyone please help me...


    With tears in my eyes and blood pooling around my body, I die.