What Happens When You Die?

I was laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling; counting every crack, every discoloration.

I wasn’t hungry.

But that’s only because Ray keeps bringing me food.

Mikey stopped calling.

And every time I see Bob he yells at me.

Ray comes over every day to see if I’m okay.

He talks about stupid shit, never mentioning him.

I like it that way.

It doesn’t hurt.

Well, it doesn’t hurt as much.

The pains still there.

Ripping up my insides.

Making it hard to breathe and to move.

But the pain doesn’t stop me from thinking. In fact it makes me think more.

I heard my front door unlocking and opening.

“Frank, you here? I brought food.”

I stood up and walked into the kitchen where Ray was.

“There you are. You hungry?”

“A little bit.”

I sat down at the kitchen table.

“Good. Let me make you something.”

While Ray cooked I stared at the table, tracing the black and red designs with my finger tip.

“All done.”

He set the plate down in front of me. I began eating while he took a seat across from me.

After I was finished he picked up my plate and put it in the sink.

He then sat down next to me.

“Frank…we need to talk.”

“No we don’t.”

“Yes we do, Frank.”

I looked away from him.

“Frank, you can’t continue doing this. You have to move on, start your life again. Gerard wouldn’t want this.”

I jumped up from my chair.

“How the hell do you know what Gerard wants!? How the fuck am I suppose to move on when it’s only been a week since his goddamned funeral!?”

“A week? Frank, his funeral was two months ago.”

I looked at him like he grew another head.

“W-what?”

“Frank what day do you think it is?”

“The 4th.”

“Now, what month do you think it is?”

“August.”

“Frank…it’s October 4th.”

I just stood there.

He had to be lying.

It couldn’t be true.

Ray was staring at me.

I knew he was worried.

Then my mind shut down.

And all I could think of was:

I wonder what happens when you die.