Close Your Eyes

“Hello?” a low voice called out to me. “Blake! Wake up, doofus!” My eyes fluttered open to reveal a guy who was around my age. I grinned up at him: it was Evan, of course. Around me, posters stared down at us mere sophomores as I continued laying in his bed with him bouncing on it next to me. In a quick motion, I was sitting up and stretching out my body as music around me blared and the sun streamed through the windows. Even from where I sat, the snow on the ground was visible and in seconds I was on the floor and at the window.

“Dude, check this out!” I mused, staring down at the snow sparkling in the sunshine. Behind me, I heard Evan topple out of the bed and stubble over to me. “Look at all the snow!”

When I looked at his face, Evan was grinning like crazy and broke into laughter. He explained, “There’s been snow outside since last week, idiot! God, for someone as smart as you, you sure can be stupid.” I punched his arm and the two of us grinned at each other.

He was my best friend, my twin even. By losing him, I lost myself too.

The driver had instantly halted the vehicle but it didn’t matter for I was already racing across the partially snow colored ground toward Eve. She laid limply on the ground, blood pouring from her body quicker than I’d ever seen on any other person. Her hemophilia… I thought in terror as I reached her and picked her up in my arms. Her blood can’t clot; she’s losing too much blood! As I picked her up, Eve’s pale face turned slightly to look at me with a weak smile and watery eyes. How she wasn’t already unconscious was beyond me.

“This…” she choked out in a tiny whisper, “was quite the adventure… wasn’t it?” I was about to answer her when her pallid fingers brushed over my cheeks gingerly. She continued, “Don’t… cry for me. I-I’m happy… I don’t remember a time… where I was this happy. So, thank you so much Blake. For being there for me when I didn’t have anyone.” She paused as more tears formed in her eyes and her fingers fell from my cheek to the ground. “I’m so glad… that it was your lawn… that I decided to lay on!” Water began dripping down onto her face and for a second I blamed the snow until she lifted her fingers again and stroked my cheek.

I was crying.

Evan leapt from the front porch and onto the lawn while I strolled behind him. We were going head over to Levi’s to play some video games and hang out. In front of me, Evan was jumping about in the snow and sliding around on the ice. At one point, he happened upon a patch of black ice and slipped into the road. The two of us laughed, finding this for some reason the funniest thing in the world.

That is, until the truck came plowing down the road.

“Didn’t I say not to cry,” she commented, her smile still playing on her lips. The blood was really flowing now and the driver was already phoning 9-1-1. Across the street, Devon sat frozen in fear with his leg twisted around in an ugly manor. However, I knew his now re-broken leg was the least of his worries. All the blood on Eve must have him in shock.

“Sh-shut up…” I growled, bending over until my face was buried in her neck. Holding her to me, I felt the tears really start pouring from my eyes as sirens sounded from somewhere behind me. But they couldn’t save her; I’ve gone through this before. “I-I don’t w-want you to g-go…”

She giggled below me and I had to back up to see why. Her cheeks, besides being white with Death by her side, were flushed a brilliant red. She sat up a bit and placed her lips on mine and stayed there until her weak body forced her back down. “O-Of all… the people… in the world…… I’m g-going t-to miss… you the most…” And with another small smile and finger stroking my cheek, her eyes closed, never to open again.

His face was paling by the second below me as I held my twin in my arms. Tears streamed down my cheeks as he spoke to me in a weak voice. The hospital wasn’t far away but there was no way he was going to make it. It was a critical hit.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he chuckled dryly. “It was…fun, man. I’m… glad… I met you. You made dealing with…everything… so much… easier.” He reached his hand up and patted my cheek. “So thank you dude, for being there when I thought no one understood. Of… of all the people in the world, I’m… I’m going to miss… you… the most.” He sent me a smile and buried his face into my chest before closing his eyes, accepting eternal slumber.

~**~**~**~**~

Eve.

Evan.

In a sense, I think they were connected. Both of them suffered the same fate. They were two of the people I held the dearest to me. And they both uttered the same final words as they died:

“Of all the people in the world, I’m going to miss you the most.”

And for both of them, there was only one thing I ever wanted to say in return. However, I could never seem to find the words; I could never put them together to say them correctly. Maybe it was because I rarely heard them anyway or maybe I was too embarrassed to say them to anyone. I wasn’t sure, but I wish I could have one more second with both of them to tell them what I always wanted to. Maybe if I wish hard enough, maybe in Heaven they’ll both hear me. For all I know, they could be together right now.

Evan, Eve, I love you two. So fricken much.