By: JSwrites
"Don't worry I already paid you." William took off his seatbelt, picked up his briefcase, opened the door, and slammed it shut.
"HEY", the driver yelled.
William checked his phone for directions to the hospital and started running. He has never been the athletic type. He hates long-distance running. Whenever he participates in a race he's usually somewhere in the middle of the group but comes out all tired and gasping for air. Sometimes if the run is too long for him, he just stops running and gives up. But the thought of seeing Claire in the hospital gave William energy to run and not give up so easily. After running for what felt like half a marathon, William looked at the street and saw that the traffic didn't get any better.
Good, I made the right choice.
William kept running. A right, a left, another left. As he stepped to make another turn he slipped. His briefcase flying to the ground. There was a spot of ice underneath the snow he stepped on. He falls to the ground and hits his head. He laid his hands on his head, hoping it would make the feeling better. Then, he just laid there. He looked up at the sky with a blank expression on his face, snow all around him, people staring at him waiting for him to get back up. There was a brief moment where William just wanted to stay on the ground and rest, to stop running. But no. He stood up and hesitated before leaving his briefcase on the ground.
I would go faster if I left it.
He picked up his phone, looked at the directions, and started running again. He had to keep pushing himself, for his beloved one, Claire.
William was only 9 years old when he met Claire for the very first time. They lived across each other, so their parents encouraged them to be friends because they were around the same age. William was the quiet type, he was never really chatty about anything. Claire, however, was the exact opposite of that. She was cheerful and she could find a way to create a conversation about almost anything. They went on playdates at least once almost every week. On one of their boring old playdates, William was playing a game on his console and Claire took interest in the game.
They played and played, Claire kept losing to William but she still wanted to keep playing. That amused William. Ever since that one playdate, William actually looked forward to playing with Claire. 6 years later Claire had to move away. And by coincidence or by fate, when William was 22 years old, they reunited when they found out they're working in the same place. They catch up and hang out in their breaks. One night after work, they were walking home after hanging out in the coffee shop next to their workplace.
"Hey, William," Claire says
"Yes?" William responds
"What's the longest relationship you've been in?"
William was caught off guard. He wasn't expecting Claire to ask something about his past relationships.
"The longest relationship I've been in...it lasted for around 5 months I think."
Unexpectedly, Claire chuckles.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I beat you"
"You...beat me?"
"YES! The longest relationship I've been in lasted for 7 months"
"Oh. Well that's only a 2-month difference"
Claire sighs. "Finding someone fun to be with is hard. Relationships are such a bother. But at least I got you to hang out with." She looks at him and smiled.
William stopped in his tracks.
She turned back at him. "William, c'mon"
He stared her in the eyes. "Why not be with me then?" He says quietly.
Claire tilted her head and looked at him with confusion. "What do you mean?"
Fast forward a few years, Claire is in the hospital because she got in a car accident and William is running kilometers trying to get to her as soon as possible. William, sweaty and tired, see the hospital. The sight of it made William push his strength to the limit and he ran to it. Near the entrance of the hospital, he saw Leo, Ruby's husband. William runs up to him.
"William! Why do you look so-"
"Where is she? Where's Claire?" He says as he tries to breathe normally.
"Come on, follow me."
Leo leads William through a hallway, they take a turn and the stairs are waiting for them. As much as William was tired you would expect him to go up the stairs slowly. But no. He rushes up the stairs and Leo points at a door. He smiled as he looked at the door.
"Claire, I'm here"
He opened the door. Silence. It was as if his ears had stopped working. All he saw was Claire's face. His eyes ignored everything else. He walked up to her lying in the hospital bed and saw her closed eyes, smooth skin, and flawless dark hair. Then the rest of the picture became clear. Ruby was beside her sister. She was...crying, hands over her eyes, tears all over her face. Ruby's cries became audible. His smile faded away. He held her hand. It felt cold and lifeless. William's eyes widened. Tears came rushing down his eyes. He was too late. Minutes late. She's dead.
