Chapter One - Still Alive
Chapter One - Still Alive
Grey could hear his own heartbeat.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
He could hear his own breathing.
Loud and steady.
He could feel his chest rise and fall with every beat of his heart.
He was alive.
He could feel it.
But why did he feel like a dead man walking?
—
Four months.
That's what the doctor had said.
Four months to get his affairs in order. Four months to say goodbye.
Four months to live.
Grey had nodded as though he'd been told the weather forecast.
He walked out of the hospital and hailed a cab.
"Just drive," he said.
The driver gave him a strange look, but Grey couldn't care less.
He watched the streets they passed, the familiar yet strangely unfamiliar views.
He watched the passersby on the sidewalks. The busy coffee shops. The businessman angrily talking on his phone. The cheerful girls exchanging gossip. Friends sharing afternoon tea over leisurely conversations.
Finally, he looked up at the sky.
He watched the line outside the movie theater as the cab came to a stop.
He handed the driver the fare and got out. Then he walked over to the line and waited.
Finally, it was his turn.
He bought a ticket, a bag of popcorn, and a drink.
He found his seat and settled in.
The movie started.
He chewed on his popcorn.
Sipped his Coke.
People laughed.
So he laughed.
He laughed so hard that the people in front of him turned to look at him.
He didn't care.
People laughed again.
He laughed again.
Too hard.
His stomach hurt.
The movie was over.
He didn't know what it had been about.
He got up and threw his trash into the bin. Then he followed the crowd out into the street.
He looked around.
Faces he didn't know.
He stood there.
It started to rain.
People rushed to find shelter.
He stood there.
Someone bumped into his shoulder, mumbling a quick apology.
He stood there.
He just stood there.
Tick tock.
Time waits for no one.
Not even the dying.
