BEEP BEEP BEEP

The alarm rang as loud as a church bell. With my head still shoved into the pillow, I reached over to my nightstand to put my clock on snooze like I always do, but for some reason I couldn't hit it today. After a couple more annoyingly loud rings, it stopped. I flipped over and opened my eyes to my dark dingy ceiling that was in need of a renovation. It was hard to find a good house with our income, but we still called it our home. I looked to my left and saw my wife, who seemed to be cold, since she couldn't stop shivering. However, it was a cold winter morning.

I got up and did my routine wake-up stretches, but I felt different today. I felt a lot lighter. It was as if the constraints of my body were lifted. I also felt a lot calmer than usual. I walked out of my room in my usual sluggish morning stroll. Walking out into my poorly painted hall, I saw a crow perched on the branch outside my window. I’ve never seen a crow in this area before in all my years living here. Must be a special day. After looking at my very outdated thermostat, I was surprised when I saw the heater was cranked up to the highest setting, and I still felt cold. Maybe the heater was broken.

All morning I couldn’t help but notice, It seemed way too quiet this morning. I usually would hear birds chirping or the dogs barking, but there was nothing but silence. That didn’t matter. The first matter on my mind was making sure my daughter wasn’t too cold. I wouldn’t want to give her an excuse to skip school. I walked over to her room, accompanied by a floorboard creek for every step I took. I peered at her through the doorway. Her small, youthful face looked so peaceful and full of life. Her room was fluttering with drawings of butterflies. She even had a series of butterflies painted on her walls. She really liked butterflies. They were all vibrant colors of red, pink, and blue. However, one of them was a odd black color. It was the only one that was black in the entire room, and it seemed like it was moving. It moved like a stop motion projector, and it seemed like it was making its way towards our family portrait. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I walked over to get a closer look, and she started to shiver. I reached my hand out, hoping the warm touch of her father’s hand could calm her down. My hand approached her face and… fell through her face? Wh-what? As my hand went straight through her head she started to shiver more. What’s going on? I started patting myself down. I could touch myself but I couldn’t touch her. I looked back at the butterfly, which had now placed itself on my face. My mind began to jump everywhere. Am I invisible? Is this astral projection? Am I still me? I yelled to see if she could hear me. No response. I started to cry her name progressively louder and louder. Was this a prank? Is this just a dream? The one answer that my mind refused to go to: Am I a ghost?

My breathing became harder and erratic. Heavy breath, heavy breath, short breath. I tried my best to keep my composure, but I couldn’t stop shaking. The one thing I feared most in life was the cruel fate of death, and I didn’t expect it this soon. There’s so many things I haven’t done yet. However, this would explain why I was so cold, why the people around me were shivering, why my hand went straight through my daughter. I started to lose control of my head. I tried my best to drag myself back to my room, struggling to even take a step.

Suddenly, I could hear my wife calling my name. It was like a choir of angels. Hearing her voice get louder, helped my lungs go at ease. Phew, I must’ve just been hallucinating from too many late nights. “I’m coming!” I shouted gleefully. Turning the corner I see my wife sitting up on the bed, and… me? I stared at my cold, lifeless body as my concerned wife shook it violently screaming my name. I tried calling out to her but she still couldn’t hear me. Is this really it? Am I really dead? I didn’t want to go so soon. My mind flooded with emotions of regret, hatred, sorrow, and confusion. My chest started to feel heavy, as if it was magically turned to stone. I put my hand on my chest, tugging on what little life I had left, but something was unusual. I didn’t have a heartbeat. So, I really am dead. In a split second, my breathing stopped, and I started to lose my vision. A blanket of darkness engulfed me. I lost control of my body, as well as my consciousness. The cries of my wife slowly faded away.

I slowly open my eyes to see nothing but black. I was swimming through a sea of nothing but darkness, yet I felt really relaxed. It was as if all the emotions I had felt in my life just disappeared. All the anxieties I worried about and fears I had were gone. However, the happiness I felt, and the love for my family were gone as well. I was floating through the endless void, and the only emotion I felt was calm. It was serene, even knowing that I would never walk another step, speak another word, or… see my family again. Is this it for me? Will I be reincarnated? Will I just float here forever? I had many thoughts, but there was nothing else to do but embrace this fate. I just closed my eyes and drifted away. Is this what death is?

BEEP BEEP BEEP

The alarm rang as loud as a church bell.