Seven Seconds

Moments Before Death

Chapter 03

The sun rises.
Birds chirping.
Humming noise from the fan.

Salar with his eyes wide open, it's clear that he couldn't sleep all night.

: "It's finally the day."

Salar walks to the window and witnesses the beautiful colours that sunlight brings with itself. As he keeps gazing on the transition he ponders how the sun diminishes the long night. It's not like Salar was witnessing a sunrise for the first time, but it's different today. The air, the scenery, the birds and their soothing voice. It all feels different today.

Salar looks at the table beside his bed

: "No hat for today, huh? I legit stayed up the whole night so that I might get a chance to talk to you but such a busy man."

Salar gets ready for school and leaves after breakfast.
On the other hand, Julie reaches school early today. She couldn't sleep either but because of all the excitement. She has been thinking about the festival and all the time she is going to get to spend with Salar. She feels she has gotten closer to him and she can proceed further now.

Julie stood by the lockers and waited for Jenny, Hayate and Salar.

: "Redhead is already here Jenny" says Hayate
: "Oh yes, of course. Empty classroom dates, hmm?" Jenny loves to tease Julie.

Julie blushes as she actually hoped that Salar might have come earlier than the other two and they could talk for a while all alone.

: "I don't see Salar though" Hayate looks around.
: "Too bad I wanted to talk about the myth I have read in this article (Moments Before Death)."

Deep voice
: "What does it say?"

Salar asks as he pats his hand on Hayate's shoulder from the back.

: "You're late" says Julie
: "A black cat crossed my path so I had to take a long route."  says Salar and laughs.

Everyone laughs.
: "I can't believe you believe in such myths" says Hayate
: "Oh I do and I'm really curious about the myth Jenny talked about" says Salar.

They keep on talking as they walk towards their classroom and settle down.

: "So it says that a person gets a flashback of all his life before his last breath, the flashback is of seven seconds which covers almost each of your memory from your childhood to the age you may die at." Says Jenny.

: "Well, we will have to ask this from a dead person now, hey bro? Did you have a quick recap of your life before dying?" says Hayate jokingly.

: "Shut up, Hayate. Death is not a joke." says Julie.

: "What do you think about it Salar?" asks Jenny

: "Well, it's interesting. But as Hayate said, we can't confirm it."

: "True"
: "True"
: "True"

: "If it's true I hope when my life is flashed back in front of my eyes, I smile at the seventh second. I hope I don't have regrets at that time. Maybe the other six seconds will bring back all the trauma and pain a person goes through but the seventh second, the ending and the conclusion of life, I hope it brings a smile to my face. I hope I am satisfied with everything at that time" says Salar.

Awkward silence in their group.

: "You legit take these myths so seriously" says Hayate.
: "Haha, yes man." continues Jenny.

Julie couldn't stop herself from staring into Salar eyes' when he was talking. She could feel the shallowness and sadness that he always hides. She could feel there is so much more to him that he hasn't spoken about. She wanted to know about traumas and pain he talked about but deep down, she was reluctant. She didn't want to cross her limits. She didn't want to be nosy.

The classes start and gradually the topic ends and their excitement about the festival begins. They decide to meet at 7:00 pm at the gate of the shrine.

Julie in the meantime, had decided to make progress with his feelings for Salar. She knew Salar won't accept now, but she wanted to convey her feelings to him. She was desperate to get closer to him.

Julie reached out to Salar after the school and asked him to reach the gate at 6:45 pm. 15 minutes prior to the original plan. Salar asked her for a reason but she refused and told him it will be our secret but he has to wait.

: "I won't forgive you if you get late. I don't care who crosses your path." says Julie to Salar.

For the whole day, Salar didn't talk to Julie. He was trying to avoid her to keep his task easy. Salar was no longer emotionless; he could feel it. As he walked from his school to his apartment he was thinking about all the memories he acquired in those days. Her voice was echoing through his constellations of memoirs. He somewhat had idea what she had to say to him.

As Salar reaches his apartment, he sees a brand new YZF-R1 parked outside. Salar takes the elevator and reaches to his floor. Salar sees that his apartment is already unlocked. Salar walks in and finds the key of the bike with a letter on his table. The letter was signed with the name of "Black Blade."

Salar opens up the envelope and opens the letter which has only two words written in it.
"Good luck"

Salar snapping out of his facade starts preparing for tonight.

Phone rings.
Salar picks up the phone.
The same voice.

: "Code 7, Mr. Wilson and her daughter will reach the shrine around 6:30 PM. You are assigned to finish them both without fail. You are to choose whatever strategy you find the best to convey your mission."

: "Is it necessary to kill both of them?"

: "What do you mean, Code 7? We are assigned and being told to do so."

: "Yes, I'm sorry."

Phone disconnects.

Salar picks up the keys, his Orsis T-5000, phone, his black coat, his bamboo hat and locks his apartment. He reaches up to the spot on the mountain and places his sniper aiming at the shrine and sits down there thinking of a plan what he has to do to efficiently conduct his mission, which is to kill Jullie Wilson and Mr. Wilson without fail. Failure has never been an option for him or for his group. He looks at his wrist watch. 6:25 PM.

Salar is no longer Salar but a renowned mercenary who works for a man known as Black Blade. Code 7.
As he looks from the scope of his gun, he looks at Julie and his father entering through the gate of the shrine along with four guards. People from the shrine management come to receive them.

Code 7 looks at his watch again.
6:34 PM.
He decided to shoot Julie first because he knew she'd go to the gate alone at 6:45. And then in the chaos he decided to quickly aim at the car where Mr. Wilson will be accompanied by his guards. He calculated that if he kills Julie before Mr. Wilson, his location won't be given and he can take the next aim comfortably as compared to the other way around which is to kill Mr. Wilson first which will gain the attention of the guards right away as they are beside Mr. Wilson. The guards are specialists too, it won't take time for them. The security is tight other than his personal guards as well. As Mr. Wilson is a big shot.

He looks at Julie walking to the gate.
He looks at the time.
6:42 PM.

: "It is time" 

Julie walks up to the gate and looks around

: "He is not here"

Though Julie had asked Salar to come here, her heart was beating in an unusual manner. She was very anxious. She wasn't even sure if she could say the words. But she wanted to. She wanted to let Salar know how she feels for him. How she wants him. How she craves for him.

Julie looks at her watch, it's 6:43 PM.

Julie is anxiously waiting for Salar to come in the white kimono she chose for him. Julie was sure how good Salar would look in it. Julie started rehearsing the words she wanted to convey to Salar.

Salar could see her moving her hands, her lip movement. Salar tried to figure out what she was trying to say. Salar looks at the time it's 6:44 PM. A few seconds left to 6:45 PM.

For Julie, it was the beginning of everything.
For Salar, it was the ending of everything.