Flash Fictions by Benjamin D. Togate

Until the End

"Until the end?"
"And beyond..."

With these words she laid her arm around me and rested her head on my shoulder as we watched the sunset. This day changed my life. Our life.

When I woke up this morning, everything was normal. I thought about the upcoming exam. I noticed my cats food was running low. I would have to go and buy some. Maybe tomorrow. I had time.

I smiled at these thoughts. Time. Tears welling up in my eyes. We always think we have plenty of it. Even my grandma never thought of death, until one day she just died. In her sleep. At age 86. At least she had a peaceful end.

It was something I wouldn't have.

As I was waking up this morning, I was feeling fine, healthy, strong. But as the day would come to an end, I knew, so would my life. Sooner than I thought. Worse than I had ever imagined. And there was no alternative.

It had been a few months of unexplained health problems but I hadn't put much thought into them. It wasn't anything major. A few tremors, a bit of clumsy stumbling. Probably the lack of sleep, my sometimes overconsumption of alcohol or a vitamin deficiency. As a young college student, my diet wasn't the best. I stayed up late and wasn't the most active. My girlfriend Anna didn't think much of it either, but she urged me to get it checked out.

And today I got the diagnosis. Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2 - SCA2 for short. The doctors were baffled. Usually it affected people almost double my age. But tests came back with the answer and my life was cut short. Just like that. I would have a few more good years - maybe - and then slowly wither and die. That was my fate.

We both cried, when the doctor told us. Me and Anna. And after a while she looked up at me through teary eyes and said "Let's go". I didn't even ask. I just followed her into the car and we drove. One hour. Two hours. Three hours. We didn't talk. Each one of us just lost in thoughts.

When the afternoon turned into evening, Anna stopped the car on a hill. We silently walked hand in hand towards the sea and the setting sun. When my tremors couldn't take me any further we stopped by a bench. What a pretty spot. The orange glowing sun was almost swallowed by the ocean at the horizon, tinging everything around her in colors from orange to purple.

The colors of the clouds, the chilly air, everything felt so much more intensive all of a sudden. I took in a deep breath.

"Will you stay with me?" I asked Anna.
"Of course" she said without any hesitation.

"Until the end?"