61 seconds

10 seconds

I open my eyes, your breathing shallow, blood pour slowing down, it won't be long now. You're still locking on to me however.

I hold your hand and sit in front of you cross legged, pulling you a little closer.

You small, wet, limp body leaning into mine.

9 seconds

And the light looks different through your eyes recently; more angelic. Although as if the heavens from above are sending you a message— it's your time.

But maybe it's your ageing eyes loosing their focus. You're only 18? I would've stated. Why would the world only now become brighter in this ever dulling future?

I really just know you're time is up, your tired eyes have been through and seen a lot. Your own mind even turning against you.

8 seconds

It finally looses the light. The darkness succumbs and you let it in, oh you're so ready. I can tell now.

You're finally at peace.

And you let a sigh of relief— it's over, you can finally breath. Which honestly is ironic because you are no longer really breathing anymore.

7 seconds

Your body finally lowers into mine.

It's finally shutting down.

You've been brave for such a long time now. Life knows how much pain it's caused you making the end easier than imagined.

Death awaits by the barrier, it's patient and stands. It doesn't want to hurt you, it wants to finally make you last moment peaceful— after every shit-storm you've been through this is my compromise.

My bargain with Death.

It'll be quiet, and tranquil yet quick.

One last promise, I owe you that much.

6 seconds

Your body begins to slowly give up, your heartbeat slower, your lungs almost at a halt.

Your organs one by one shutting down as the blood fails to reach around, yet although stained all down your body now drying almost a mulberry red now, the knife wound still widely opened on your neck, the veins and arteries split with the blood slowly weeping out calmer and calmer.

5 seconds

Your lungs reach for one last breath of air and your eyes begin to flicker and for a moment I feel a panic yet not my own.

Yours.

Your brain is beginning to close itself up, you don't know where you are. You don't know what's happening.

4 seconds

'Shh, I'm here.' I stroke, my voice brushing the air as your body abseils completely down onto my lap.

I no longer feel your anxiety, you're calm.

Have you truly forgiven me?

They do say when you're about to die your life flashes before your eyes- I have seen this happen a lot in my existence. Yet yours is different.

This last less than 60 seconds has felt like a lifetime in your eyes, however so has this last 6 months truly.

Yet all you can see is me.

Although was I really there though? Or just a pigment of your imagination to cover up the pain and torture of your families death and the depression.

Because God, the Devil, Angels and Demons— really?

A mental replacement.

3 seconds

Think about it really, the OCD, the grief, the loneliness, your mind could have easily created me in a replacement. Have I even been there at all?

You did always have a beautiful imagination.

Did you die several hours ago yet your mind keeps ticking making this bit up?

Have you been lying there for days and nobody has even come looking for you? Has this memory flown past, now a vivid almost nonexistent?

2 seconds

I said yours was different.

Out of everything that has happened in your life, the good moments, the bad moments, the regretful moments— the thing your are most worried about and your mind has formed every ounce of energy to create is whether I'm real or not.

Of course I'm real!

Although I did think about it I never did give you schizophrenia.

Your imagination was truly stunning, beautiful and power in such and that is why you were something else, because all you truly have in this lifetime, in this universe in the power inside your head: the imagination, the creation, the emotion, the hope, the love, the happiness, you could go on and on yet you've never been the sappy 'life is amazing kind' because you truly know it's pretty damn mean, yet it can be truly wondering at times. It gave you some good times.

After all that, I know I could use you for your imaginative power, oh what you could create after life.

You were so strong throughout everything you got pulled in through. You did carry on going, but it was finally time to end your story and that's okay.

Someone can seem normal sitting next to you— yet they're battling demons in their head, intrusive thoughts are demanding rituals through them spiralling them out of control, little voices mocking at them telling they're not worth it or the world is laughing at them and so on. Just because someone looks fine on the outside may not mean they are on the inside.

Your body finally collapses into mine and I feel a cold tear slither down my cheek— your tear.

We're connected now.

1 second

The barrier closes and Death appears, it walks through glancing at me.

A slight head-nod as more tears fall from my now glowing eyes, it wipes them gently with its scythe without harming me, as you now cannot comfort me like I once did.

I relax as you're carried carefully out of my arms yet I don't actually want to let you go.

'It's okay. It's over. It's done.' Its voice echos throughout me and I willingly let you go.

I— we won.

We'll be alright, you and I.

I know I'll see you on the other side.