This Town (Sally Face x Reader)

Prison

       "Do you ever think about how you'll die?"

The first day of school was here. The start of senior year. 12th grade. The last year of mandatory law-enforced academia and then you were out.

Every other student was thinking about how they'll want to play out their final year. Their last chance to make an impression on people and leave behind a legacy for students to come. If they'd like to be valedictorian and what university or college they'd be going to. If they'd like to attempt a long-distance relationship with their high school sweethearts. If trade school is the right choice for them or even if no school after graduating at all was the way to go.

You couldn't help but wonder if you were going to make it to graduation at all. All of the dreams you'd been having and the fact that no one knew why they were happening or where they were coming from gave you the inkling that things weren't leading to a happy ending.

       "Do you ever think about how you'll die?" You asked towards neither boy in particular.

Your best friends were laying on either side of you, staring up at the sky. Your backs laying on dead grass and scattered leaves. It was cold enough this morning that the three of you were bundled up in warm hoodies and cozy hats. It was about 7 in the morning, only 10 minutes before the bus would arrive at its usual pickup spot in front of the apartments. Talking about nonsensical and usually hypothetical situations had quickly become one of your favorite pastimes. Doing anything together was automatically familiar and made you feel safe being vulnerable. It had been this way for a while now.

Moving was a bitch, but instantly becoming best friends with the two coolest people you knew made it easier.

       "What did you just say?" Larry said. Shocked by what you just asked. He sat up quickly and looked over in your direction. You didn't get up from where you were laying and neither did Sal.

        "I'm just asking if you guys have ever thought about it. How? When? Where? How old will you be?"

       "I have." Sal responded and sat up too. You sat up as well and looked at him. He didn't look sad or depressed. He didn't look anything, really. He had a blank expression and said it very matter-of-factly. Like it was something very normal for him to have thought about. Death made you nervous. Maybe when you've witnessed it first-hand you accept it for what it is. Sal didn't fear death. He feared death taking away someone he cared about and him being forever alone. You had a similar fear, but you were more afraid of having no control over how you go. You were only 8 when the accident happened, but you saw everything. You and Sal were more similar than you ever could have imagined.

        "You've never thought about it, Lar?" You asked the brunet who was staring at you and Sal as if the two of you had just killed a puppy.

        "NO! Of course, I haven't. The hell is wrong with you guys. Just casually talking about how you'll die."

       "Says the one who introduced me to a music genre that explicitly talks about satanism, death, cults, murder, and more." Sal said point-blank to his best friend.

       "Music is different. Just because they sing about sacrifices and death and all other kinds of dark shit doesn't mean they're actual murderers."

       "Yeah, you've got a point. I'm sorry, Lar. All of this cult stuff has just been getting to me, ya know?" You responded.

      "We'll handle it like we always do. Nothing is going to happen to you, okay? We're all going to be fine." It sounded as though Larry was trying to convince himself more than anything, but you took his reassurance all the same.