True Bliss

I stared at this man, hands shaking as I gave him my wallet. It was times like these that made me wish I didn't lived anywhere near the Windy City.

I kept Michayla behind me the whole time.

“The necklace,” he said.

“Can you please let her keep it?” I asked him.

“No,” Michayla whispered. “Let him have it.”

I turned around to face Michayla, taking the necklace off of her. “I'm so sorry,” I whispered.

As I turned back to face him, I heard the gun go off.

Quickly, I turned to Michayla to see a look of shock on her face. I looked down, only to realize the bullet hit me in my stomach.

My head started rushing and my legs grew weak as I fell to my knees.

Michayla was by my side in an instant. The necklace remained in my hand.

I saw her mouth open, but I couldn't hear a thing.

I fell onto my back and looked up into the night sky. I could see the stars, which was unusual in the city. Looking down, I saw Michayla holding my hand, tears running down her face. I tried telling her that everything would be fine, but nothing came out.

I tried to rub the tears from her face, but my arm would not move. Suddenly I grew cold and I had no energy to move. I could only look up at the sky, which seemed to grow brighter and brighter.

Suddenly everything around me seemed to stop and I felt a part of me being pulled upwards. I was looking down below, and I reached out toward Michayla. I did not want to leave her.
----------------------------

Michayla knelt over Jackson, tears running down her face. She knew he was gone. Such a lovely evening turning so bad in such a short amount of time seemed impossible, but it happened.

“The necklace, please,” the man with the gun said impatiently.

When Michayla heard his voice, she became angry. Noticing a drainage ditch on the side of the road, she grabbed the necklace and threw it. “Go climb through shit and get it yourself, bastard!” Michayla yelled at him.

“You really should not have done that,” the man said. “I was going to let you live.” The man shot Michayla in the stomach as well.

Michayla grabbed Jackson's hand and kissed him one last time. She laid her head on his chest slowly, waiting to die. She felt cold and curled in close to him. She was crying but she also smiled a little, knowing that she would soon join Jackson and see him again.

The man opened Jackson's wallet and cursed as there was nothing in it. He thought about searching him, but the sirens in the distance made him think twice. He threw the wallet back at the two and ran off.

Michayla couldn't help but feel somewhat satisfied that the killer did not get a single thing off of them. She watched as police cars pulled up, followed by the ambulance shortly after. She prayed that she would not be able to be saved, and could join Jackson.

A warm breeze greeted Michayla. She looked up and noticed the stars shining brightly in the sky. As everyone swarmed around them, she felt her last breath go, and a part of her was being tugged at, rising up in the air.

She looked down upon the mayhem and chaos, and turned to see Jackson next to her. They embraced each other for a long time.

“I thought I would never see you again,” Michayla said to him.

“I was afraid of the same thing,” Jackson replied.

“What do we do now?” Michayla asked, looking around.

“I'm not sure... I've never been dead before.”

“A smart ass even in death,” Michayla smiled.

They both looked up, the sky turning a brilliant golden color.

“I think we should go that way,” Jackson told Michayla.

“Agreed.”

They both slowly ascended while embracing each other. They felt that everything was going to be alright in the end.

They continued to rise, staring mystified as they realized they were slowly ascending away from Earth.

“Never thought I would get to see Earth from space,” Jackson said, looking at it.

“It looks so peaceful from this distance,” Michayla told him.

“Indeed. If only it was that peaceful a place to live. I'm so sorry Michayla.”

Michayla looked at Jackson with a smile. “Don't be. It's not your fault. Besides, we're still together, and that's all that matters.”

Jackson smiled, giving her a kiss. “I'm glad we'll be together forever.”

A magnificent white light suddenly enveloped them.