Now and Then- 𝓂𝒸𝓁𝑒𝓃𝓃𝑜𝓃

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒪𝓃𝑒

At exactly 10:15 on December 9th, 2030, Paul McCartney was pronounced dead.

The morning that it happened, the whole world went silent. Not a single soul had any idea of the events that would occur that day until Paul was found in his Liverpool home, alone. He was found laying in his red quilted armchair, reclining lazily, with an expression of faint peacefulness ghosting his paling, weathered face. Beside a half-open window, he sat, with the golden light of the rising sun casting its first rays onto the face of the newly dead. He had not died in agony, but rather, painlessly: in a state of silent reflection and tranquility, acknowledging his innate sense that death would soon come upon him.

He was right, of course, and upon inspection, the pathologist declared his death to be linked to his terrible heart complications. Unbeknownst to the public, he'd had these complications for fifty years now, speculatively due to the tragedy he'd undergone from the death of his first wife, Linda.

They had been so wildly in love, having fallen in love almost at first glance, and spending every possible waking moment loving each other. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that despite the multitude of partners Paul McCartney had taken, Linda was the one he'd loved more than any of them. For Sir James Paul McCartney, Linda Louise Eastman had become his everything: first true love, partner, and muse, right up until the day of her death. And now, reunited in death, they might meet again.

The media became quickly involved with Paul's passing, noting the shift in his demeanor that had occurred as his death neared. He had become placid and almost unnervingly Zen in the past months, especially in November and early December. News anchors, too, became involved, stating their opinions and educating the general public about this death.

"And so, the final remaining Beatle, James Paul McCartney, is dead. His, along with Ringo Starr's death in '28, marks the end of an era, ladies and gentlemen. The whereabouts and details of his funeral are unknown, as well as the location in which Paul requested to be buried, if at all. When such information is disclosed, we will not hesitate to inform the people. Thank you very much, this has been the daily news."

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On December 15th, 2030, the world was met with yet again another shock.

A statement was released by McCartney's managing team on Twitter, putting out his prepared final statement on Paul's former personal account.

"Ladies and gentlemen,

Upon your reading of this final statement of mine, I must already be dead. Before anything else, I would like to say how grateful I am to have lived. It's the highest honor, you know, to have lived. Not only because living is such a rare and sacred thing, but also because while I was living I had so many beautiful moments. To recount each of them would take another lifetime entirely. So this is dedicated to you, the people of the world whom I love. Thank you. I hope I've made some sort of good in your life.

Along with the beauty and tranquility of life come the heart aches and trials that I certainly dealt with. During the time in which I became so greatly acquainted with you all, I also became acquainted with Fame and her many facets which often left my friends and me in uncomfortable spots. The constant speculation, breaching of our boundaries, and lack of privacy made us, especially myself, quite wary. I wish to now share with you not only the full story of my life, but also to reveal the truths I have been withholding for years. It is indeed a shame that I had not found the courage to address my mistruths while I was still living. However, to educate you now and to offer you all my sincerest apology just may be sufficient.

PBS, 19/12/30. 7:30 GMT.

Paul McCartney."