A Gather of Short Stories

After My Death

I had 2 hours left to wander in the world.

I roamed to my high school and into my old classroom, penetrating walls after walls.

Thirty students scattered at tables of two were gazing at the board as the teacher lectured.

Lila, situated at the back row of the class, who I always sat with, stared at my empty seat, muttering something under her breath.

I leaned forward to float to her, pressing my ear to her lips. Well, she can't see or feel me anyway.

"Ryan, come back, will you?" She breathed, "I miss you."

My heart skipped a beat, well, I would've if I had a heart.

The sunlight hit her long, curly eyelashes and sprang into a million pieces of diamonds that sprinkled on her face.

I sighed, wishing to touch her cheeks and wipe that smear of sorrow from her ocean blue eyes.

"Lila, are you paying attention?" The teacher frowned at her, "I know it's hard and you are grief-stricken, but it's been two weeks. Time to let go."

Oh, have it been two weeks? I thought it's just a day or two! I glanced back to the girl as I suspended upon my old seat. I wish we've spent more time together, because I miss you too.

The whole class turned to face Lila, some expressionless, some hoping for drama, and others pitying her. She only blinked and locked her gaze with the teacher inexpressively, as if looking at a calm summer's lake.

She would've fidgeted before if everyone were staring. I recalled with a pang of guilt.

The teacher exhaled through her nose, retracted her gaze first before continuing her lecture. The students turned back and it was as if that episodic silence didn't happen at all.

Lila went back to her trance, starting to mumble my name again.

It was then that I decided to spend my remaining time writing a note.

A note that would speed up time for me alone.

A note that will shorten my time staying to merely a few minutes.

I stole a pen and a piece of paper from a boy a few rows in front of me, using my will power to pick the objects up and transport them to my desk.

Despite only taking half a minute, the system deducted half an hour from me.

75 minutes left, it flashed in front of my eyes.

65 minutes left, it flashed again after I managed to take the lid off of the pen and set the paper straight.

Damn it!

45 minutes left, it flashed after I scribbled, 'Hey Lila! I know it's been two weeks. How are you?'

10 minutes left, it flashed after I finished the note in a rush, 'Don't worry about me, stop grieving for me, and please take good care of yourself. Your sincerely, Ryan.'

I threw the pen and note onto my desk and my time finally slowed to normal. Phew.

I glided behind Lila, winding my arms around her and whispering in her ears, "Go and check. Turn you head. It's just there."

She was still in her trance, eyes dilated and sinking in sorrow.

"Please be quick, I don't have much time left." I caressed her cheeks, "Please, it's just there."

Lila blinked, shifting her weight and glimpsed the smear of white on my desk. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion before picking it up and burying her head in it to read.

Would she be able to decipher my scrawl?

3 minutes left, the number popped up again. Oh no.

When Lila raised her head again, tears filled her eyes within seconds and soon tipped over, rolling down her cheeks.

"It's him. It's really him. It's his handwriting." She rubbed at the note with her thumb, murmuring, "Ryan, are you there? Can you hear me?"

"Yes, it's me, I'm right here." I croaked, nodding, while knowing full well that Lila can't see or hear me.

"I knew you'd come back! Everyone called me crazy, but I knew you'll be back one day." Tears gathered at her chin and dripped onto the note, blurring the ink, "I've missed you so much!"

The teacher raised her head from the book to peek at her, only to shake her head in frustration.

1 minute left, the sinister countdown glinted in front of me.

"For all these years we've been friends, at least half of the time I spent wanting to be your girlfriend. I didn't say a word because I have no idea if you'd like me back, as I didn't want to ruin our friendship, as cliché as it sounds." The corner of Lila's lips twitched up at this, whispering through her low sobbing, "But how was I supposed to know we'd depart so much earlier than our graduation? If I knew, if only I'd known... But it's not too late, is it? Ryan, will you be my boyfriend?"

I would've had tears spilling over the brink of my eyes if I could cry, "Yes, Lila, yes! I would love to."

I flung myself into her arms, pressing my lips against hers.

Time's up! The words flashed bold and red.

A hand plunged into my mind, squeezing and ripping, tearing everything apart that was still in its shape. My mind turned blank, my memory filing out and dissolving into liquid before twirling down the drain.

Twirling, twirling, and twirling down the drain.

***

When I blinked again, my eyes were innocent and empty like a newborn's.