If I Die Young
I tried to stifle a yawn as I hurriedly cleared my books off of the shabby table. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself for being so excited about college. The stark reality of night classes had finally hit me. I slowly made my way out of the cluttered classroom and into the crisp night air.
The only bright side was that it was friday. Being the wild child that I am, I was going to head home and sleep until the crack of noon. I know, I’m such a party animal. When I finally reached my faded blue chevy, my phone started to ring. I opened my driver’s seat door and carelessly tossed my worn blue book bag into the passenger seat. I threw myself into my driver’s seat and slammed the door. I turned my key in the ignition, and let the engine heat up to the cold Wisconsin air.
As I was waiting I pulled my pristine looking Iphone that was a graduation gift from my parents. I smiled as I saw the familiar name light up my screen. I quickly dialed the number and tapped my foot as I waited for him to answer.
“Hey Alison.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
I couldn’t help but smile myself as I replied “Hey Dante, what’s up?”
He chuckled and responded “The sky! Is it so wrong that I wanted to wish my girlfriend a good night before she goes into hibernation?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You know me too well. That’s really sweet of you!” Before he could continue, I was unable to stifle a yawn.
He laughed, and I couldn’t help but realize that it was the best song I have ever heard. He interrupted my thoughts as he said “I’ll let you get some sleep. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow if you’re not too tired. Drive safe!”
I couldn’t help but smile and said “That sounds good! I will! I love you Dante.”
He didn’t hesitate when he replied “I love you too Alison, I’ll love you forever. I hope you know that.”
I froze in shock, but he hung up before I could reply. It took me a few minutes to be able to remember how to put the car in drive. As I made the left turn out of the now vacant parking lot, I couldn’t help but notice that my tiredness was now gone. It had been replaced by joy, and uncertainty. As I drove down the road. There was a full out battle going on in my mind. What did he mean by that? Was I ready for that big of a commitment, Would it all be a mistake?
I was too preoccupied by my own thoughts to pay much attention to the car next to me. I noticed too late that the driver wasn’t stable. Suddenly all I saw was a flashing light, and then my world exploded in colors. I could hear sirens, and horrified screams, but soon even the kaleidoscope of colors that was obscuring my vision faded to black.
As my vision cleared, All I saw was white. It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust. I was in a sparsely furnished room that had a green plastic chair with a tiny hole in the seat, a grey curtain, and a white bed with metal railings on the side. I immediately realized that I was in a hospital room, and I wasn’t alone. There was a small gathering of people, all of them with tears streaming down their faces. I recognized each one as I slowly made my way closer to the bed. On my way there I passed my best friend Thalia, who never cries. It alarmed me to see see that her eyes were red and puffy.
I squeezed her shoulder and asked “Thalia what’s wrong? Who is it?” Thalia didn’t answer, or even acknowledge I was there. I just brushed it off, she probably just wanted to be alone.
I then walked further into the room, and spotted by brother Jeff . My big, burly, football playing brother who never let anybody see him cry was bawling like a baby, and my mom was holding him, and obviously holding back tears herself.
“Mom, Jeff what’s wrong? Is there something wrong with Dad or Jill?” They acted as if they didn’t hear me. That is when my frustration level hit the max. “Someone tell me what’s going on!” I screamed, but nobody in the room bothered to even look at me. I sighed in defeat and pushed past the last few people to get to the hospital bed. I saw the grim looking doctor glance down at his watch and write down the Time of Death on a chart attached to the footboard of the bed. I tried to crane my neck to see the name, but the doctor had his hand over it. I finally gave in and moved to the bedside. Dante was there. He just stood there with a frozen expression on his face. The body on the bed had a sheet covering the face. So I couldn’t tell who it was.
Suddenly Dante seemed to come back to reality, and tear started to stream down his face. The he lifted up the hand of the body that was dangling off the side of the bed, and held it. At first I was just really confused. And then I saw it. The green ring on the middle finger. If I walked closer, I would see the engraving “Dh+AP”. I instinctively glanced down at my hand and saw the very same ring.
It took me a long time to realize the dark truth. The dead body that I was seeing, that everyone crying over was me.
That realization seemed to set whatever creepy vision I was having in motion. The next scene made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I was attending my own funeral.
I’ve always scoffed at TV shows that showed out of body experiences like this, but I guess the joke's on me. My life has officially turned into an episode of The Twilight Zone.
I walked down the familiar hill with the lush green grass, and the beautiful flowers that seemed to cover it. As I got to the other edge of the hill, I heard The priest begin the ceremony. It surprised me to see that so many people showed up, as I scanned through the crowd, I spotted Dante with his face in his hands.
I drifted closer and I heard him mutter “Why?! Why couldn’t it have been me?! When I said I’d love her forever, I didn’t think forever would be so soon.”
My eyes welled up with tears as all of the regrets and mistakes that I had made came flooding past me. The one thing I regretted most was just letting memories drift by like they didn’t matter. It took this to make me realize that the future can wait until the future, what I don’t get to do will be done. but the right now is what we’ll have to hold onto. If it could end so suddenly,Why not be happy with how you’ve lived?
Just as I reached this conclusion, The hill, and the scene of everyone I know crying over me started to fade. Suddenly it was replaced with frantic shouts “Charge to 1,00! Clear!” I felt like a bolt of lightening hit me.
Then a different voice screamed “She’s in V-Fib!”
I heard a dismayed voice call out “ She’s been flat for 15 minutes, I think it’s time to call it!”
Everyone seemed to agree, but one determined voice called out “One more time!” Everyone grumbled, but soon I felt the lightning bolt again. Suddenly I felt like a rock was lifted off of my chest.
Cheers filled the room, and I fought to open my eyes. I was alarmed to find myself in the same room as my vision, but with one difference. This time everyone was smiling instead of crying.
Dante came up to me and grabbed my hand and said “I thought I lost you Alison! I’m so sorry if I scared you off, I know it’s a lot..”
I cut him off and said “Dante, I love you, and that’s all I know, If I die young, I want to have been happy, and that’s only possible with you.”
His jaw dropped and he asked “Does that mean...”
I nodded and answered the question that he had asked me 2 days ago, before I knew how quickly it could be taken away, and how beautiful it was “I’ll marry you.”
