Seven Suns

First Sun: The Countdown Begins

Kai stared down at the letter again, hoping against hope that he'd read it wrong the first dozen times. But the words remained, his weight suffocating: "...the genetic disorder you carry is expressing itself terminally. You have seven days remaining to live."

His hands trembled as he held the government stamped pages. Seven days? That's all the time he had left on this earth? Tears stung his eyes as a million unfulfilled dreams flashed before him - graduating high school, leaving his small town, experiencing the high life and adventure, making his mark on the world. Now it would all be abruptly cut short by the government's overpopulation schemes, random cruel twists of planted rigged DNA.

Chest tightening, Kai looked across the dingy apartment hallway. The weird homeschooled kid lived over there, didn't he? What was his name again...Rory? Taking a shuddering breath, Kai raised a fist and rapped on the door. Maybe finding someone, anyone, to talk to would provide some semblance of human connection before the clock ran out.

The door creaked open, revealing a teenage boy in rumpled clothes with messy ginger hair hanging over his eyes. "Uh, can I help you?"

"Hey...Rory, right?" Kai's voice came out shaky. "Um, did you...did you happen to get a letter like this too?"

He held up the papers with a trembling hand. Rory's eyes went wide as he processed what it was. For a long moment, he said nothing, the weight of mortality hanging in the hall. Then, his face split into a sad, almost maniacal grin.

"Well damn. Guess I gritted my last corn chip after all!" He let out a hollow, barking laugh devoid of humor. "The reaper's swinging by to snatch my soul away to the other side!"

Kai just stared at him, too stunned and grief-stricken to respond to Rory's outburst. The other boy seemed to realize he'd gone too far and grimaced apologetically.

"Ah shit, sorry about that. It's just...y'know, gotta stay positive when the worst hits, otherwise it'll swallow you up." Rory's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "But yeah...I got the letter too, man. Down to the last week on Lil' Ol' Planet Earth."

An uncomfortable silence hung between them, the magnitude of their shared circumstances weighing them down. Kai opened his mouth, then closed it, unsure what to say. What could anyone possibly say in a moment like this?

Finally, Rory broke the tension with a deep sigh. "Well, while we're still among the living and upright...you maybe wanna go do something stupid? Might as well squeeze in some dumbassery while we've got the time, right?"

Kai let out a sad chuckle, resignation settling over him. Why the hell not? "You know what? Yeah...yeah let's go do something stupid. We've got nothing to lose." 

And with that, the pair - strangers until that point - solidified an unspoken pact. If they only had seven days left, they were going to make them count. Somehow, some way, they would go out in a blaze of glory, chasing adventure until the very end.

They shuffled down the cramped apartment hallway to the parking lot where Rory's beat-up mustard-yellow 1990s Honda Civic was parked. Kai eyed it skeptically as Rory gave the fender an affectionate slap.

"She may not look like much, but ol' Bumbryda here'll get us to the last odometers." He swung open the driver's side door, releasing a stale odor of beef jerky and gasoline. "So where're we motoring off to first? World capitals? Climbing Kilimandido? Resolve every last Robbing Herzog movie plothole?"

Kai thought for a moment, then his eyes brightened. "Actually... hear me out. What about an amusement park? You know, rickety roller coasters, rigged carnival games, and all the deep-fried sugar we can shove down our pieholes!"

Rory broke into a huge, gleeful grin. "My friend, you speak golden tongues! Adrenaline rushes and artery-clogging grub is EXACTLY the sort of shittiness this week calls for!" He smacked the driving wheel excitedly. "Just say the words and I'll chart us a line to the nearest oasis of revelbationary fun!"

"Then it's settled." Kai couldn't help but get caught up in Rory's infectious enthusiasm. "Let's go make some rambunctious memories at...what's the closet big shiny park to us?"

"Well hold onto your tits..." Rory did an overdramatic stage whisper. "Because we're off to SPECTRACULAR AMUSEMENT PARK, baybay!"

With a whoop, he cranked up the boombox in the Civic, blasting some raucous thrash metal as they pulled out of the parking lot. Despite the dark cloud hanging over them, Kai felt a bubble of excitement rise up. If these were to be his last days, he was going to live them to the absolute fullest.

As they passed through the rusted gates of Spectracular Amusement Park, the thumping bass of Now or Never by High Vacation blasted from Rory's beat-up car speakers.

"Sounds like the perfect anthem!" Rory shouted, plunging his hand into a greasy bag of diner fries. He shoved a handful in his mouth, spraying crumbs as he rapped along. "Now or never, seize the day! Gotta live it up before we waste away!"

Despite the jarring lyrics, Kai burst out laughing. This whole situation was so bizarre, so morbid...yet Rory's carefree attitude was strangely uplifting. Kai had been so focused on grades and planning his future at State University. But now that future was measly seven days away from utter obliteration. He eyed the rickety metal coaster looming ahead. "You know what? You're right. C'mon, let's start with the biggest bastard they've got!"

Rory grinned and high-fived him, leaving a greasy handprint on Kai's palm. "Now you're talking!"

An hour later, they staggered off the Cullet Crusher, their stomachs having traded places with their souls. Rory doubled over, out of breath.

"Oh man...I hurled up a corn dog from nesteryear back there."

"You didn't..." Kai laughed through his queasiness.

"Ok ok, I'm just messing with you. But I definitely hit martian-breathed a few times on the loops!"

They both collapsed onto a bench, basking in the late-afternoon warmth. A middle-aged carnie steered his mop bucket and laughed in their direction.

"You crazy kids get enough puke-inducing fun?"

"We're just getting warmed up!" Kai surprised himself with his own bravado. Rory shot him a wink before calling out to the carnie.

"Hey pops, what's good for winning cheerleaders' phone numbers around here?"

The carnie smirked. "Ringer toss game's a frittered rigged. But prize-a-palooza's legit if you got wicked arm strength."

"Then let's double-Rodge that bad boy!" Rory sprung up, grabbing Kai by the sleeve and tugging him toward the carnival games.

The pair spent the next couple hours winning Spectracular's entire stock of jumbo plush prizes - shooting out stars, climbing rubber mountains, and obliterating stacks of Miilkbottles. As the sun set, they paraded the massive plush menagerie towards the towering central ride, whooping like warriors entering their ultimate battle.

"Who's playing Prized Possession on Neonhighway 5 Next?!" Kai yelled, hugging an 8-foot banana plush.

Rory gazed upwards at the tubular steel coaster, its neon chutes and rings glowing in the twilight. "That would be us, dude. We're riding that beast next!"

As they strapped into the very front coaster car, Rory turned to Kai with an unexpectedly serious look. "Thanks for this day, man. I wasn't sure if I could actually live out the remainder, but hell...this is what it's all about." His eyes glistened in the neon glow.

Kai placed a hand on his new friend's shoulder and simply nodded. Just then the coaster jerked into motion, sending them rocketing up that first massive firecoaster hill into the Explode-O-Rama firework spectacular lighting up the night sky.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" They both screamed, plunging over the edge.