After Death

The Sixth Minute

The Scientist by Coldplay

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"Hey Thomas! Get up!"

My eyes opened to a crystal midnight blue sky. Clouds seemed to be piled haphazardly across the sky that reminded me of bedhead on Josie. My back was on a cold, hard metal surface. The wind blew soft and fast, so you could hear it but weren't being whipped around like crazy.

I sat up on the hood of a navy blue car as Connor approached. His brown hair was wind whipped and his brown eyes pulled me in like an endless cup of coffee. The light kind though.

I blinked at him in shock as I realized I couldn't remember this day.

"Thomas? Come on come join the party," He said, holding a hand out.

I stuttered for a moment as I searched for an excuse. "But the stars are over here."

He smiled and hopped up on the hood beside me. "The stars will be here when you get back. They'll wait for you." He looped his arms around my shoulders from behind.

I sighed and looked to where he had come from. A few yards away, people were gathered around a fire, some dancing to soft music and others just talking and sitting in the sand. The ocean water lapped against the rocks just below this shelf of sand, and I listened, mesmerized.

I bit my lip and Connor took that as a cue to continue talking. "Your cousin is crazy with his parties. Don't ever let me come to another one of these again."

I laughed and looked back at him. "So how bad is James this time?" I asked.

"Well he's onto his fifth beer and he's got two girls hanging onto him now. So I'd say he's gonna go home and get laid around 1 am and wake up at 5 having to puke from his massive hangover."

I grinned. "We are never coming to one of these parties again." I brushed my black hair away from my face again and looked down at myself. I was wearing my green bikini that made my small cleavage look bigger than it was. Acid washed jean shorts were pulled over it and my Superman flip flops were tucked under the car.

"Thomas dear? Yes or no?" He asked as he watched me, "James is requesting your presence and I think you should honor that."

I took a deep breath and remembered something. "Are you sure I'll be ok so close to the fire?"

Connor bit his upper lip, clearly nervous. "I thought it was under control you haven't had an attack since freshman year." He sounded more concerned than pleading now as he tried to subtly watch my shoulders move up and down with my breath.

I put my fears aside and smiled. "You're right I'm sure I'll be fine," I said as I hopped off the hood.

Connor slid down beside me and kissed me, cupping my cheeks with worn, dry hands. I moved closer to him as it deepened and I pulled him in closer. He moved his hands down to my waist and held me like breakable china. And even then, he still managed to convey a sense of urgency. I tried to return it and felt, as always, like I fell short compared to him. I finally had to break away to breathe.

He grinned. "Probably not a good idea to take your breath away right now, huh?"

I smiled and breathed slowly to steady my nerves. "I'll meet you over there." I heard myself say.

Connor smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling up. He started walking back towards the fire, and my cousin James welcomed him with a toast of his beer.

I smiled as I looked around, the wind whipping long black strands into my face. The waves crashed into the rocky cliff face below, some big enough to splash the sand up here. The road, on my other side was deserted. James liked this rest stop in particular because it was so abandoned.

A car pulled into the parking space beside the navy blue small car then. A large van. The sliding door opened as soon as it pulled in. A man climbed out from the inside, where the seats had been removed to make room for something large that smelled...odd.

He stumbled over to me and grinned. "You're a pretty girly. Why don't you come join us in our party?" He asked, gesturing to the van. Other people sat around a hookah pipe on the floor of the van blowing smoke out that smelled oddly of strawberries.

"I- I really should be getting back to my friends-"

"Nonsense dear come on," He said as he grabbed my arm and started pulling me closer to the van. "I really must insist!" He giggled and burped as his grip tightened.

The strawberry smell turned sour and became rotten, like overripe fruit. I could feel my lungs begin to constrict. I haven't had an asthma attack in years- I thought as the familiar feeling came over me. This time I wasn't blacking out though, this time was a different familiar feeling. The feeling of an asthma attack.

I coughed as the smell choked me. Black spots danced across my vision and I faintly heard Connor call for me. I choked on it and collapsed into the sand next to the car. The van pulled out of the parking space at top speed and the wind whipped past my face, making it all the more difficult. I wasn't sure if I was breathing at all anymore as I struggled to stay calm and force my chest up and down.

Connor was there then, pulling me into his arms as he screamed about an inhaler and James searched the car.

My eyes felt like they were coming out of my head and my head felt hot. I frantically grabbed at Connor begging him to understand. Don't let me die like this. I thought desperately.

He tried to help with the breathing exercises as he spoke on the phone to 911. I hadn't even noticed him calling. I heard James scream in rage as he tore the entire car apart looking for the inhaler. Glass shattered as he slammed the bottle in his hand into the car.

The inhaler isn't there. I realized too late. I forgot it at home. In my desk drawer. Where it's been since I thought I didn't need it sophomore year.

My eyes started to drift shut as Connor slapped my cheeks to keep me awake. But I was too far gone, as I slipped into the dark.

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So ladies and gents, as the book runs down I just thought I should let you know that the final part, The Seventh Minute will be posted next week along with an epilogue from Connor's perspective. Anyways, thanks so much for reading and stick through it! We're almost there!

-Chloe