21 Days To Live

Day 3

Tuesday
7:05 am

I rested my elbows on the table in front of me, then pressed my fingers against my temple, massaging it.  The scent of coffee wafts filled my nostrils, as I closed my eyes letting the noise of traffic invade my thoughts, while waiting for my cup of coffee at a café near my house. Bodies were shuffling all around me, their conversations hushed; nothing less than a whisper to my ears.

Today hadn't been going good so far. I had a strange dream, where Gemma was crying to me, telling me to stay with her. Stay where? I wasn't sure.

But there wasn't anything I could do. I was being pulled into darkness with no one to help me out. I tried calling out to her, yet I was unable to form any words.

Rome was there too. He said words like it isn't fair, and how we didn't get to spend our lives together. And there was still a lot I had to achieve.

However, I couldn't see any one of them except for the roses I had seen on my desk yesterday morning. There were all there, light casting its presence on them. The only difference was: they were all dead. All twenty-one of them had withered.

If all that wasn't enough, this morning while I had been driving to this café, I thought I had seen a bouquet of roses in my backseat. But, when I had turned around there was nothing there.

I didn't know why those roses had started to bother me so much, other than the fact that the sender was unknown. It could very well be some crazy person who was out to get me. Yet all I knew was that I needed to get rid of them.

"Here you go, ma'am," the waitress spoke up, interrupting my thoughts. "Your double espresso."

"Thanks," I mumbled without giving her a glance.

"And don't forget your time is running out. Two days gone, nineteen more to go," she suddenly added.

I dropped the cup of coffee I had began to bring towards my mouth, immediately turning my eyes towards her ghostly expression.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked her.

Her face was blank as she spoke, her voice monotone. "Don't waste your time, instead do something useful with your last few days. Remember the roses, let them remind you of your time left."

I pressed my hands against my ears, shaking my head.

What was up with these roses?

"Shut up!" I screamed. "Just shut up. I don't want to hear another word."

I sat there for a moment collecting my thoughts, and not realizing how suddenly everything was deadly quiet.

I glanced up at the people around me, noticing everyone's eyes on me. The waitress too was supporting a confused expression as she stared at me.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I had only asked if you wanted something else," she explained, seeming sincerely confused of what she had just said.

I let out a sigh, then furiously rubbed my face with my hands.

"No I'm sorry," I apologized, getting up from my seat. I quickly placed a ten dollar bill on the table, telling her to keep the change, then hurried towards my car.

What was happening to me?

The first thing I did after getting in my car was call my assistant, Umar.

"Good morning, Mrs. Wisconsin," he greeted in his usual peppy tone.

"Umar, I need you to get rid of the bouquet of roses in my office right now," I demanded. "When I get there, those damn roses must be gone. Do you hear me?"