Phil and I finish with our drinks. We actually finished them a while ago but have been talking for so long neither one of us wanted to tell the other. Hanging with Phil feels like I have known him for years. He is really easy to talk to and is able to keep a conversation going no matter what the topic is. Even when it feels like we have ran out of things to say he will start up another story of a weird encounter he has had with someone or crazy things like how he has been attacked by squirrel before. He has so many interesting stories that have me asking loads of questions and it feels good considering with any other human interaction I would have driven them away from how socially awkward I am.
I haven't forgotten the reason why I am talking to him though. Every so often I will glance up above Phil to check where his numbers are at. Each time it making me more nervous than the last. Phil's numbers are really low now since we have been talking for a while. So long in fact that my mum has called me 7 times and has left dozens of texts wondering where I am, all in which I have ignored. There is nothing more embarrassing than having your parents yell at you in front whoever you are with, but if I'm able to save Phil's life then the yelling and possible grounding when I return home will be worth it. I continue to ignore all of the messages and use my calculator to calculate how much time he has left.
"Okay 742." I say in my head. "A minute is 60 seconds. If I keep adding 60 to 60 I should eventually reach around his number." I calculate. This is the highest my math skills will go. I plus 60 with 60 a few times. The number reaching 720 at the 12th adding.
12 minutes
He has around 12 and a half minutes before something takes his life.
As Phil returns after throwing our cups in the bin, he sits down and immediately I watch as his fingers begin tapping the table.
"Something wrong?" I ask. Phil looks up at me.
"Oh, yeah. I just have this weird feeling that something bad is going to happen. I don't know why." He says as he begins chewing on the nails of his fingers. I look back up at his numbers. He can sense something is wrong, maybe he really is physic. Phil then jumps before pulling out his phone from his pocket. His eyes widening as he stares down at the screen. "Oh shoot!" Phil says as he suddenly jumps to his feet.
"Whats wrong?" I ask. He places his phone back into his pocket and grabs his jumper he took off.
"As much as I have enjoyed our little hang out, I have to go." He says as he throws his jumper over his head. My eyes widen to the thought of Phil stepping outside where everything out there could potentially kill him.
"What!" I blurt out as he turns for the exit. "Wait." I try to stop him.
"I'm sorry Dan. I completely forgot I have to babysit my little cousin and if I don't get going I will be late." He says. I follow him to the door, thinking hard to try to come up with an excuse so he won't leave.
"Do you really want to babysit though?" I ask.
"If I want the money, which I do, so yes." Phil responds with.
"Can't you reschedule?" I ask. Phil turns around to me, giving me this weird and questionable look. He goes to say something but backs out. He then shakes his head.
"Why do you want me to stay so badly?" Phil asks. I take a second to look up at his numbers.
12 minutes
Phil patiently waits for me to respond. I keep my stare at his numbers above, watching the numbers continue ticking down, making my heart beat at the same pace.
"Okay then." Phil says to break the silence between us before turning around. There's nothing I can do to stop him from leaving, so I have to follow him and see what's going to happen. Phil exits the store. I follow right behind him down the street. I take in everything around us. The cars, people, dogs, buildings, outside items, anything that looks a bit off and could kill Phil. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, but then again he still has around 10 minutes. Phil turns around, noticing that I'm still following behind him. His pace quickens and so does mine. He turns a corner, as do I. He stops in his place and faces me. "Will you stop following me?" Phil says. I bump into him. Almost knocking both of us over as I was too focused on our surroundings and wasn't paying attention. Phil grabs a hold of me and keeps us from falling. "Can you please tell me why you are following me home?" Phil asks once we both are stable on our feet, this hint of panic in his voice. I guess he does deserve an explanation as I am sort of acting like a stalker following him home like this, but how do you tell someone that I am able to see the time of their death and are following them to see what is going to happen to try to save them?
"You won't believe me if I tell you." I say. Phil chuckles.
"Dan, I told you that I think I'm physic because of my grandma. I think the odds of me not believing you are pretty low." Phil says. I tilt my head as he has a good point. "Please just tell me, because right now I feel like you are a creepy stalker that is about to murder me." Phil says. I laugh to ease the tension and to reassure him I'm neither.
"Well. I've been following you because-" I stop as a van pulls up beside us. My heart stops as 4 guys jump out from the sliding door. 2 of them jump on Phil, covering his mouth to keep him from screaming and holding his arms behind his back. "Whoa what the-" The 2 other guys then grab me. I try to flail myself from their grips but I have no strength compared to them. I try to scream but they cover my mouth with there hands before taping it shut and tying my hands with something so I am unable to move my arms. They grab a hold of my legs and forcefully shove me into the back of the van. One of them holds me down as they other ties my legs and push me more in. Phil is thrown down beside me, them doing the same thing to him before shutting the doors and driving off.
Oh my god. This is really happening. I am really getting kidnapped right now.
Is this how Phil is going to die?
I try to wiggle my hands and legs to see if I can get free. One of the guys hit me in the stomach to get me to stop. I groan from the pain and don't attempt anything else as I don't want to get hurt. Every bone freezes inside me, making my blood turn cold and causing my body to begin shaking. Thoughts of what they are going, or could, do to us runs through my mind. I turn to Phil and he looks as scared as I feel. Phil gets kicked in the stomach from one of the guys that hauled him in here. He curls himself inwards and is clearly beginning to panic. I can hear his heavy breathing through the tape and his red eyes are a sign to me that he he is on the verge of tears. Phil looks up at me, our eyes locking with each other. He stops moving and begins to calm as we keep a strong stare. Giving some sort of reassurance that the other will be okay, but I know no matter what Phil is not going to be okay unless I try everything I can to stop them from doing what is going to kill him. The van comes to a sudden halt.
"Okay. Let them out." The driver says once we stop moving. One of the guys open the door while the other 3 pick us up and throw us out to the ground. I land on my stomach, feeling instant pain as the cement collies with my body. I close my eyes for a second to take in whats happening.
We have actually been taking from our will and I have no clue what they want or what they are going to do to us
One of the guys grab a hold of my arms and pulls me onto my knees. I glance around the area and we appear to be in the back of some store away from the public. I listen closely and there are no sounds of traffic or people, which scares me even more. The driver steps out from the van and over to Phil and I who are surrounded by the other 4. Phil slouches, minimizing his body and mumbles things under the tape as he approaches Phil. He reaches down and rips the tape off of Phil's mouth. Phil goes to scream in fear but instead screams in pain as the driver slaps him across the face. Phil keeps quiet and turns back to the driver, avoiding all eye contact.
"Hello Phil." He says to him. Phil looks up at him. His eyes narrowing in confusion. "Oh don't recognize me?" The driver asks, standing a foot in front of Phil. Phil stares at him studying his face. "Figured. Why would you remember someone you betrayed?" He says. Phil shakes his head.
"What are you talking about?" Phil asks, obviously really confused of who this is. The driver uses his foot to kick him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground. Phil squeals from the impact. "Ow." Phil cries. The cries in his voice making my stomach sink.
"We used to be friends Phil. We used to be really close and you were someone I thought I could trust." The driver starts. This crack in his voice that sounds like he is about to cry. "But then you went and told on me and got me expelled from school and sent away to boarding school." He adds. Phil looks up at him, this time his eyes widening.
"Oh my god. Charlie?" Phil questions. So they do know each other. This can either be a good thing or a bad thing but judging Phil's numbers I have a very strong feeling that this conversation is not going to end well. For Phil at least. Charlie chuckles right before kicking Phil once again. "See now you know, that's all anyone knows me as now is the kid who got expelled and sent away for 6 years." Charlie yells, continuing to kick Phil. I scream within the tape, begging for him to stop but its nothing but inaudible mumbling. Charlie eventually does once Phil curls his legs up to his stomach, trying to protect himself. His breath is heavy and tears are now running down his red cheeks. He somehow manages to lift his head up to look at him.
"It's... It's not my fault. You were telling me plans on how you wanted to blow up the school and- and kill all of the teachers and the students that have ever wronged you." Phil says. His voice shaky from both pain and fear as his words clash within each other.
"Did you really think I was serious?" Charlie asks.
"You brought a gun to school." Phil quickly says. Well isn't that terrifying to know. A cold smile appears across Charlies lips and theres no doubt in my mind that he is not a psychopath.
"Funny you mention that." Charlie says before turning around to the van and heading over to the back. He leans in, pulling out two objects. I squint my eyes and realize he is holding two guns as he makes his way back over to us. All of the saliva in my throat turns dry, causing my breathing to hurt and begin to quicken. He hands one over to the guy standing beside me before standing back in front of Phil. He crouches down, holding the gun near Phil's face, making the colour in his face turn completely pale and he appears even more smaller.
"Does this look familiar?" Charlie asks. Phil's mouth drops and he turns away.
"This is the exact reason why I told the principle on you." Phil says, his voice forming into this low, settle tone.
"Well because of that you stripped 6 years of my life where I had to spend the first few months in juvey and the rest at a boarding school for kids who need help." Charlie blames Phil.
"I was scared of you Charlie. Scared for everyone, and you clearly did need help." Phil says. His fingers clench the gun, whitening the knuckles around the handle. This anger fuming in his eyes as he gives Phil a dead, cold stare. Phil notices his anger. He squirms on the ground and wiggles backwards.
"You are not getting out of this Phil." Charlie says as 2 guys push Phil so he rolls over back in front of him. Phil looks up at the gun, then up at Charlie.
"I'm sorry Charlie. You have to understand that I told on you because the things you were saying concerned and worried me. I was scared for mine, yours, and everyone's safety and I wanted you to get help before it was too late. If I didnt you could have killed people and had a much worse punishment then you had." Phil apologizes. Charlie shakes his head as he cocks the gun.
"It's too late to apologize." Charlie claims as he stands back up. This internal scream aches my body.
This is it
This is how Phil is going to die
I wiggle and pull my hands and legs as hard as I can but have no luck. Charlie holds the gun up as if he is admiring it for a second.
"Please, dont do this." Phil begs. Charlie laughs and shakes his head.
"Oh I'm not going to kill you." He says before turning to me. He walks over and leans down, ripping the tape off of my mouth. I let out a huge breath I didnt know I was holding. He aims the gun down at me, whistling and using his other hand to point at me. On queue the 3 guys grab a hold of me to untie my legs and hands before roughly pulling me to my feet. "You are." Charlie says as he hands the gun to me.
"What?" I ask. He nudges the gun into my hands.
"Do it-" He pauses as looks beside me. "Or you die as well." He threatens. I turn to the direction he is looking in and the guy he handed the gun to is now aiming it at my chest. I look back down at Phil.
30 seconds
"You have 30 seconds or else you die instead." He says the second I read those numbers.
Me
It's me who ends his life
My hands shake as I aim the gun down at Phil as the guy keeps his aimed at me.
It's me or Phil
And I have to make the decision
Phil looks up at me. Tears drop from his discolored eyes that are screaming for help. My body begins shaking in cold sweat, my mind screaming with guilt for something that hasn't even been done yet. Phil slowly nods his head.
"Dan. Do it." Phil says to me. My heart bit increases heavily as my lungs fill with fire. He sounded scared before, but now he sounds like he has no hope and its because of me.
"I-I cant." I say as tears begin streaming down my cheeks, pouring my pain down onto my face.
"If you dont then you will die." Phil cries.
"And if I do then you will die." I cry back.
"Just do it Dan." Phil begs for me to shoot.
How? How can anyone make this decision?
"You have 5 seconds." Charlie says, corresponding with Phil's number.
"5...
No
4...
I cant
3...
I cant do this
2...
Please
1..." He counts down. I close my eyes and scream, and shot has been made.