Learning Purpose [Unus Annus Fanfiction]

Part 19- Final Day

(Pic Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/kittiepower01257004/unus-annus/)

(Oh my God okay it's happening ok I won't take up your time ok bye :) ALSO this isn't the final part istg. Or is it? I don't know yet. I guess we'll find out lol)

-Ethan

In 12 hours, I will no longer exist.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. I know I should feel scared, but for some reason I'm calm. It's as if I'm not processing the information fast enough. It's like a child who can't understand their own parent's death. They know something is wrong, but they don't have the emotional capacity to feel sad yet.

Maybe it'll come later. So for now I just have to wait.

I couldn't figure out what to do on my last day, so instead I'm just walking around my hometown, making a mental note of every little thing, every little splotch of color that catches my eye. The town looks so much different than when I left, yet somehow it looks like nothing changed. Maybe it's the mood of the place, it seems so boring and light and calm in contrast to the big, bustling LA.

It's like a graveyard.

No one is out this morning, all stuck inside to avoid the early frost that shelters the trees and grass. The sidewalk is covered with a thin layer of ice that reflects the pastel sun on the horizon. Each ray of sunlight is cast down, visible in the air and making dots of particles floating around with the wind.

There is no sound, only the occasional hum of the wind and the bristling of trees. By now, all the birds must have migrated south, leaving the small town a cold, barren wasteland to be explored.

But it's not gloomy, or wasteful, or abandoned. It's just beautiful. Like time stopped just for me, so that I could catch this moment of paradise among the sorrow and the tired people making their daily commute.

I breathe in a cold breath of air, savoring the taste of freshness it has in my lungs. It makes me shiver, but it doesn't deter the peaceful mood. Exhaling, the hot air seeps between my teeth like fog, dissipating into the vast void of the park. I smile, remembering all the times I compared my breaths to dragons in the wintertime, all the times I slid on the sidewalk ice, pretending to skate through the park. I know the ice isn't thick enough now, and I feel sad knowing I'll never be able to do it again. Still though, I walk around the park trail, lapping a few times as I wait for Mark and Amy to wake.

I walk around town, passing all the stores and unique houses that I thought interesting when I lived here. Every shop is closed this morning, since it is only 6:30 AM, creating the feeling of a ghost town. The wind blows solemnly, brushing my hair to the side a little.

I know I must return home soon to wish Amy goodbye, since her plane leaves at 12, but the peace out here seems so addicting. I want to savor every little detail just to give my mind some last thoughtful memories before I pass.

However, I begin walking home, walking a little faster now that my priority isn't on sightseeing and I can feel the frigid air seeping into my jacket.

When I reach the house, everything is still silent. I can hear the faint sound of something moving around in my room, and so I head up.

Mark and Amy are slowly packing Amy's things and exchanging conversation the way we discovered earlier this year, slow, but effective. Amy looks tired, and there are dark circles under her eyes that weren't there when we arrived in Maine.

When I enter, both turn to me with sad, tight-lipped smiles.

"Packing?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.