Death date

My death date

I live on Earth, not any of the other inhabited planets. Not Mars, not Celles, not Kreean. I am stuck here on Earth with all of the other unimportant people. As soon as someone does anything worthwhile, they get shipped off to another planet. I'm one of the people that nothing ever happens to, or at least, that's how it's supposed to be. But that is going to change.

At birth, every person has the date that they will die tattooed on their wrist. Its one of the perks of being born so far into the technological ages. My tattoo reads: 09/02/3135. I was born on 08/07/3112.  So I am supposed to die tomorrow, at age 23. A young death. They say I need to go about my day like normal. My therapists, I mean. My friends and family pretty much forced me to go to sessions. They said it would help me deal with dying so early in life. I am terrified, because after I went to the doctor yesterday, they said I am completely healthy, that I will most die in a freak accident, and that there is no way to prevent it, so I just get to wait for it to happen. 

The machine that determines the date of death is always right, or it should be, there havnt been any recorded cases of it being wrong, and death IS inevitable, but I can't stand it. Walking, waiting, as if it is a normal day. As if I am not going to die tomorrow. I want to run, to leave, maybe spend all of my money to go to Mars, or Kreean. Maybe I should just kill myself now, take the chance away from the universe, or whatever freak decides to kill-

"Aline! Is that you? Good god! I was worried sick! I couldn't find you anywhere! I tried calling but you didn't answer and I-" I saw a boy running at me. He stopped just before he completely ran me over. Then I recognized him.

"Cameron. Calm down, I'm okay. I was just taking a walk. I needed to clear my mind, I'm scared, I'm worried, I don't want to die." I stared up at him, my eyes glassing over with tears.

Cameron is my best friend, we met in high school seven years ago and have been friends ever since. Cameron is the only one who keeps me grounded, keeps me here. I am almost certain that if I didn't have him by my side, I would have left this city a long time ago.

"I know. I don't want to lose you. I wish that stupid machine didn't exist, making us base every action off of a tattoo." He has always despised the machine, he covers his death date, he hates the idea of knowing when he is going to die. "But if there was anything I could do, anything, to keep you here longer. I would do it."

"No you wouldn't. I'm an earthling, one of the people who doesn't matter. I am going to die tomorrow and you can't do anything about it!" I exploded. I was mad. No, I was scared. I sounded like I hated him. But the idea of dying in 48 hours can do that.

"I'm an earthling too, if you have forgotten! I don't want to see you go." He shouted, and then more quietly, "I love you."

He turned to leave, and I did something that I will regret for the rest of my life, well until tomorrow, I guess. I let him go.

Just before he rounded the corner he glanced back, his stare holding for one... two...three... and he turned away. Rounded the corner, and made the last time I will most likely ever see him, terrible.

I never knew how he felt. It tore me up inside, now that I knew, I could see it. How happy he always was to see me, the way he smiled and laughed whenever I said something, the way he was always there, and came running when I asked. It wasn't just being a good friend, he always thought I felt the same way, and that that time would be the time I told him.

And I stood there. My mind racing. Full of thoughts I couldn't even begin to decipher. Feelings I didn't know how to feel. So I just stood there, let my mind race, let my body feel. And I stood there. A rock in a stream of people, surrounded by skyscraper trees, water skipper cars, butterfly Air Streamers. Still, in a word of movement. The only one who knows what just happened, the only one who knows what I am feeling, the only one who knows that tomorrow, I am going to die.

And then I started walking. I had half a mile to walk back to my apartment. So I walked, tears drying on my face, my mind racing, unable to focus on where I was going. I passed the old coffee shop, Creamy Goodness (unfortunate name, delicious coffee). It was one of the few old, one-story buildings left in Seattle, but I still loved it, sitting so out of place, but still standing, almost as if it needed to be there. It was also Cameron's favorite place to hang out. We had so many good memories with each other there. It was actually where we met. I still remember it, clear as day.