Forever Fades Away
My Embers Fade
BRIAN CONTINUED
“Bro, these fine?” Zack placed two little pills in my hand. The whole drive to Zack’s had left me anxious. To top it off, I felt like I hadn’t gotten any sleep last night, again. It wasn’t heartburn, that was for sure.
“Yea man, thanks.” I swallowed the pain relievers with a quick gulp of water. We had been sitting in Zack’s living room, tuning some new acoustics we both bought just recently.
“What’s Mae doing today?” Zack asked as he gently strummed the guitar.
“I don’t know. She said something about shopping, but I doubt she’ll go. She’s been procrastinating on her homework all weekend.” I placed the guitar to the side, onto the floor.
“What the fuck ever. I bet its because you don’t let her get shit done.” He glanced my way and flashed a geeky smile. Some days he was a real fucking loser.
“Don’t fucking look at me like that!” Zack barked out.
“Whatever. You gonna bring out the beer or am I going to have to get my ass up, since your ass is too fat to move?” he laughed and ignored the fat ass comment.
“There’s some in the fridge. Bring me one too.” I looked back at him and flipped him off. I was a guest and he was making me do all the dirty work. I leaned forward and felt a sharp pang in my chest again.
“Ah, not again.” I pulled myself up and started walking towards the kitchen. Halfway there, I had to stop to breathe. I felt like I was having a heart attack. I somehow made it into the kitchen, and once there I had to sit down.
What is wrong with me? I tried thinking of what I had eaten the last couple of days, leaning towards food poisoning. I looked at my hands and I noticed I was trembling. I gripped the side of the chair and pushed myself up. I walked towards the refrigerator and opened it. The luminescent light shot pain through my eyes and straight into my brain.
I grabbed two beers and shut the door. As I started walking out, I forgot what I was doing. I looked around and saw my world spinning. Dark shadows appeared out of nowhere. My pulse intensified, so much that my head was throbbing. I felt my veins bulge full of blood, then quickly dry out. I heard my heart beat normally, then miss completely.
I was dying.
I opened my eyes and still saw my world spin, except this world now contained a confused Zack. I saw him mouth words to me, but I couldn’t understand. There was glass all over the kitchen floor. I couldn’t understand how I got on the floor, and why I couldn’t hear Zack. My heart beat again, and sent a thousand reminders of why I was on the floor. I started to panic. What is wrong with me?
“I need to leave. I’m leaving now!” I tried to get up but felt two hands push me down.
“Brian, don’t move! There’s glass all over and you fainted so stop moving. I’m calling Mae.” I finally understood and heard the words coming out from his mouth.
“NO!” I yelled. I was losing it. I was nervous, I was scared, and I sure as hell didn’t want Mae to find out.
“He’s not drunk Mae, quit laughing I’m serious!” I heard Zack scream into the phone he held to his ear.
I pulled myself up and brushed my shirt off. I reeked like booze. As soon as I saw the remnants of the amber glass all around, I panicked. I placed my hands over my chest, thinking it would quiet my heart. My heart beat faster and faster, each time almost bringing me down to my knees in pain. I was having a panic attack.
“Goddamm it STOP!” I yelled out to my heart, hoping it would hear me before it would explode.
“Mae, I’m taking him to the hospital. Just meet me there instead of coming here,” Zack said into his hand held phone.
“NO!” I yelled out to Zack. “I’m perfectly fine. Just tell her to pick me up, I’m only getting a cold.” I was sweating now. I was in so much pain I wanted to grab my heart and hold it from beating again. I wanted to die and I knew I was dying. I was only in denial. The next thing I remember is hearing Mae’s voice screaming at Zack through the phone
“Zack take him NOW!”
I could almost see Mae, holding the phone back home. I could see her panic-stricken face, as she grabbed her bag and keys and flew out the door. I could see Mae desperately race to Zack’s home, only she was too late. My world was dark now; no Zack, no beer, no Mae. I reached my hand out, for anyone to grab hold. The embers were fading..
“Bro, these fine?” Zack placed two little pills in my hand. The whole drive to Zack’s had left me anxious. To top it off, I felt like I hadn’t gotten any sleep last night, again. It wasn’t heartburn, that was for sure.
“Yea man, thanks.” I swallowed the pain relievers with a quick gulp of water. We had been sitting in Zack’s living room, tuning some new acoustics we both bought just recently.
“What’s Mae doing today?” Zack asked as he gently strummed the guitar.
“I don’t know. She said something about shopping, but I doubt she’ll go. She’s been procrastinating on her homework all weekend.” I placed the guitar to the side, onto the floor.
“What the fuck ever. I bet its because you don’t let her get shit done.” He glanced my way and flashed a geeky smile. Some days he was a real fucking loser.
“Don’t fucking look at me like that!” Zack barked out.
“Whatever. You gonna bring out the beer or am I going to have to get my ass up, since your ass is too fat to move?” he laughed and ignored the fat ass comment.
“There’s some in the fridge. Bring me one too.” I looked back at him and flipped him off. I was a guest and he was making me do all the dirty work. I leaned forward and felt a sharp pang in my chest again.
“Ah, not again.” I pulled myself up and started walking towards the kitchen. Halfway there, I had to stop to breathe. I felt like I was having a heart attack. I somehow made it into the kitchen, and once there I had to sit down.
What is wrong with me? I tried thinking of what I had eaten the last couple of days, leaning towards food poisoning. I looked at my hands and I noticed I was trembling. I gripped the side of the chair and pushed myself up. I walked towards the refrigerator and opened it. The luminescent light shot pain through my eyes and straight into my brain.
I grabbed two beers and shut the door. As I started walking out, I forgot what I was doing. I looked around and saw my world spinning. Dark shadows appeared out of nowhere. My pulse intensified, so much that my head was throbbing. I felt my veins bulge full of blood, then quickly dry out. I heard my heart beat normally, then miss completely.
I was dying.
I opened my eyes and still saw my world spin, except this world now contained a confused Zack. I saw him mouth words to me, but I couldn’t understand. There was glass all over the kitchen floor. I couldn’t understand how I got on the floor, and why I couldn’t hear Zack. My heart beat again, and sent a thousand reminders of why I was on the floor. I started to panic. What is wrong with me?
“I need to leave. I’m leaving now!” I tried to get up but felt two hands push me down.
“Brian, don’t move! There’s glass all over and you fainted so stop moving. I’m calling Mae.” I finally understood and heard the words coming out from his mouth.
“NO!” I yelled. I was losing it. I was nervous, I was scared, and I sure as hell didn’t want Mae to find out.
“He’s not drunk Mae, quit laughing I’m serious!” I heard Zack scream into the phone he held to his ear.
I pulled myself up and brushed my shirt off. I reeked like booze. As soon as I saw the remnants of the amber glass all around, I panicked. I placed my hands over my chest, thinking it would quiet my heart. My heart beat faster and faster, each time almost bringing me down to my knees in pain. I was having a panic attack.
“Goddamm it STOP!” I yelled out to my heart, hoping it would hear me before it would explode.
“Mae, I’m taking him to the hospital. Just meet me there instead of coming here,” Zack said into his hand held phone.
“NO!” I yelled out to Zack. “I’m perfectly fine. Just tell her to pick me up, I’m only getting a cold.” I was sweating now. I was in so much pain I wanted to grab my heart and hold it from beating again. I wanted to die and I knew I was dying. I was only in denial. The next thing I remember is hearing Mae’s voice screaming at Zack through the phone
“Zack take him NOW!”
I could almost see Mae, holding the phone back home. I could see her panic-stricken face, as she grabbed her bag and keys and flew out the door. I could see Mae desperately race to Zack’s home, only she was too late. My world was dark now; no Zack, no beer, no Mae. I reached my hand out, for anyone to grab hold. The embers were fading..
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I'm sorry its so short, but I thought it was a good place to stop the chapter, ya know let the anticipation build up.Good guess Fast_Melodic! Lung cancer never even crossed my mind!