One Last Day

The Story

"I'm sorry what did you just say?", I found myself asking but the man in front of me steeled his resolve as he looked me in the eyes. His eyes were light, almost colorless and he was going bald; he had been a doctor for many years. "I'm sorry Elrin, truly I am, but whatever this thing is in your system, it's expanding at an alarming rate and there's nothing we can do to stop it", he answsered me and I only looked at him; my mouth unable to form words. The room seemed to shrink around me, my skin felt tight against my body and I could not breathe. "How long do I have until?", I questioned him but I couldn't bring myself to say I died. "You have one day left, do with it as you please, I truly am sorry Elrin", the doctor said to me his light eyes filled with genuine sadness. One day? That's it? I thought silently and I shook my head and took the doctors hand firmly. "Thank you doctor", I said to him as I left the room and made my way to my car. Sititng behind the wheel, I breathed heavily; my rational mind still could not process what I had just been told. "You're going to die tomorrow", I whispered to myself as I gripped the steering wheel tightly, until my darker skin turned white at the knuckles. "Dammit!!!", I cursed as I punched the wheel and tears left my eyes, and I sat there for some time. My body trembled as I sat there and stared at my hands. "One last day Elrin, what the hell are you going to do?", I whispered as I left the parking lot and returned home. Time seemed to crawl as I sat there and wrote away; carefully signing the bottom of the paper. Sighing, I stood as I looked at the clock, and then looked at the ground. "Alright Elrin, it's time", I told myself as I picked up the box I had placed on my bed and gone out to my car. Driving, I went to downtown and parked my car in front of her house and walked up to the door. Sweat beaded on my body as I raised a tentative hand and knocked on the door three times. "Coming!", a voice called through the dark wooden door. The sweat that covered me did not stop as the door opened and a woman smiled at me. She had fair skin, with chestnut brown hair. Her eyes were a dark brown, almost like onyx when you stared right at them but in the light they became melted chocolate; soft and warm and inviting but when she was angry, they became the rocks that ships crashed against in the night. She had light pink lips, much like cherry blossoms in bloom. Kana smiled warmly at me "Oh hey Elrin! I wasn't expecting you what brings you around here?", she asked me and I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. Kana was my best friend, one of the people I trusted most in the world. "Everything okay?", she asked me and it took everything I had to not break down right then.

Kana

"We need to talk Kana, can I come in?", Elrin asked me and I nodded "Yeah come on in", I answered him as he walked in and I closed the door. Elrin and I had been friends since I met him in middle school, we had been really close all throughout those three years but we lost touch when we went to highschool. We had recently gotten back in touch through a mutual friend and we've helped one another through a lot this past year. Elrin had dark skin akin to oak and he was somewhat built. His black hair was always short atop his head and his almost amber eyes were always filled with concern. He was a wonderful friend, he cared for my well being so much and I had come to know him very well in the time we had spent together. Something was bothering him however, I could see it in the way he sat there and stared at the wall. It was almost as though he was burdened with something incalculably heavy. "Everything okay Elrin?", I asked him as I sat in front of him and he met my gaze, his amber eyes wet with tears. "I, I'm sick Kana", he whispered and fear gripped me tightly, the timbre of his voice making me much more nervous than I had ever been. "W, What do you mean sick?", I questioned and he ran a hand over his head and let out a lengthy exhale. "I'm dying Kana, I only have one day left, well now like 16 hours", he answered me and the room spun around me and my breath caught in my throat. Tears filled my eyes as I stood and looked at him, silently praying that this was not true. "I'm not lying Kana, I wished that I was", Elrin answered me and I looked at him completely dumbfounded. "No Elrin you can't just be dying! There has to be something!", I screamed at him as tears left my eyes and I stared at my friend. "Kana, listen I know this is a lot to take in and I'm sorry", he said to me "Elrin, you have nothing to be sorry for. But hey one day isn't so bad that is quite a long time", I chuckled my irrational mind trying to lighten the mood. Much to my own surprise Elrin laughed "I can do quite a lot in a day", he said and smiled warmly at me. "Is there anything I can do for you? I'm here if you need me", I said to me and Elrin nodded, "Yeah come with me, spend the day with me old friend if I'm going to go I'll at least spend a day with my closest friend", he told me and I tilted my head at him "What about your family? Your other friends? Don't you want to spend time with them?", I asked him "It's what I spent the last few hours doing, you're one the last few faces I want to see before I go", he said his voice getting softer at the end "Then I am honored by that Elrin Gold! I'll make today the best day of your life", I offered as I took my sweater from the chair and left with him.