NOVEMBER 24th, 1:01 PM - ABOUT 3% UNTIL THE PROGRAM LOADS.
- Ninety seven percent... Ninety... Seven point... one percent...
Light from a blue screen bounced off of my cold, muggy eyes.
- Ninety seven point... one percent...
The boring, mechanical whir of the machine had blended into normal silence somewhere around twenty percent in.
Thirty minutes ago.
- ... Ninety seven point... two percent...
...
- ...
Even Marzy grew sluggish and lazy in her efforts. She repeated the same shower trick like... twice...
- Ninety seven point three... percent-
*bzzzzzzzzzzz*
The sound of a quiet florescent light... was loud... or something...
...
Boring, boring, boring.
...
I wonder what that rapist is doing?
...
---
SMACK!
My hands slammed down on the pavement.
The earth is going to explode.
"YOU CREEP! You were totally awake the whole time," the earth is going to explode, kaboom! "weren't you!!"
I can feel it in my gut, it's really going to happen. The earth is gonna go BOOM!
That lady's gonna die.
My mom's gonna die, my dad too. If they're both still alive.
"What kind of perverted, disgusting, weirdo... makes out..."
I slowly turned down the television set, and adjusted myself on the couch. I don't really care, even me, I don't really care if I die. Why don't I care?
I think I'm just going to ride it out then... No use worrying...
"Unconscious"
"That's right, none of this is real, like one long, bad,"
"Dreams!"
"Yeah, a dream... I'd be doing a favor by ending it..."
"More like a nightmare, really."
"Plus, an earth sized explosion would be sick."
"Okay?!"
"Okay? I mean... I guess some of it was..."
"That girl was pretty funny, Julie..."
"And that dog was cute..."
"Heart"
"She did have a big heart, and she wore the same shoes as me..."
"Saved"
"Yeah, I wish I could've saved her..."
"Too bad the earth is gonna-"
"Unless."
"Unless... What?"
"What can I do?"
"Blue."
"Blue?"
"Remember, Nate, try to remember,"
"Remember what? Remember blue?
"Will it help me save the-"
"Clear!"
"Clear?"
*ZAP!*
BA-BUM... BA-BUM... BA-BUM... BA-BUM...
My couch bounced in time like it was seated on a giant drum.
"Clear!!"
*ZAP!!*
*INHALE!*
BA-BUM, BA-BUM, BA-BUM, BA-BUM,
Shoot up, "JULIE?!"
The high noon sun stuck my black shadow to the dark grey pavement, and snuffed my vision in pure white.
*riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing*
A loud, unfindable noise resonated in my thick skull, muttering any scream or shout into a muggy whisper.
"sister's... sir..."
"Sis... ter?" Who's sister?
"Yes, your sister," my sister? "Is okay!"
"Wait... Jul-"
*SMACK!*
A vile, pungent odor strapped her arms around my body like a seat-belt, crashing through my muddy vision.
Her light, dirty tracksuit, her ratty, brown but orange hair, her chubby rosy, sun kissed cheeks.
"I- I thought you were totally... you know?"
Julie? But-
"I thought they got you!"
A large crowd of puppies, dogs, and their owners circled around us.
"I thought I was about to..."
But the only one I saw was the little girl clung to my shoulder.
"You know..." a big white Belly bounded and BOOM crash landed on my legs, "Start planning your funeral..."
An insurmountable weight crushed my chest, I could feel my muggy throat. Only one thought managed to break through my muggy brain.
... Wow...
... She really needs a shower...
I slowly forced my heavy arm up and held her tiny head in the palm of my right hand, and slowly guided her head onto my shoulder.
"I wouldn't make you do something like that" my vision grew muggy again, "why would you have to do something like that?"
"But that's what friends- er I mean," friends? But I just met you, "family does... Plan funerals and stuff, cause you're my brother. Just play along"
Ba-bum Ba-bum Ba-bum Ba-bum
"How can someone be so perfect..."
Her words were a clear metaphor, a zap to the heart.
"Huh?" She tried to move her head back, but I held it over my shoulder, "wait, what does that mean?"
Every shot of my beating heart, was another year I wanted to see her to be happy. I want to watch her hair turn from brown, to orange, to white. Every second swayed down my heart, like I was riding a golden weight on a grandfather clock.
"Oh! Jeez, you're really good at this! OH, YOU'RE SO PERFECT, BROTHER!! I LOVE YOU BROTHER!!" The crowd bubbled with awwwws and sobs, "they're eating it up, those pigs!!"
I pulled up my left arm, and wrapped it tightly around her tiny back. It hurt but I felt like she needed it. I don't want to scare her ever again like that, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.
My bouncing golden-hour heart forced my mouth to speak, "I'm never gonna do anything to hurt you two... you know that, right?"
Like a run-away train, my run-away heart poured out my throat.
Tun-ka tun-ka tun-ka tun-ka
"Julie, you and Belly," I gripped tighter and pushed my head past her shoulders, "you and Bella are," I scrunched up my tears,
"You're the only friends I've ever had. I'm gonna find a way to save you."
"Um... Okay, I guess?"
"Yeah, you better guess."
"Okay then, I guess!"
NOVEMBER 24th, 1:02 PM - ABOUT 6 DAYS UNTIL THE EARTH EXPLODES.