The Degradation

What do the 100 days mean?

Song: Every Avenue – I can't not love you

***

97 days earlier.

"I did what you said."

Friday night, 10:45 pm, his voice pierces the silence of the audience. The professor raises his head, frowning.

"Really?"

"Yes. About Louis Tomlinson. I talked to him."

"How did it go?"

"He doesn't know it's me."

"What?"

"I wrote him on the campus chat forum without telling him who I was."

"Why?"

"I didn't want him to start judging me based on rumors and stereotypes."

"I think that's a good idea."

"I asked him what he would do if he had only 100 days to live."

"Harry..."

"I know."

"Are you still planning on doing it?"

"Yeah."

"You know it's not a solution..."

"For me it is."

"Harry... Death doesn't solve anything. You're young, you have so much to live for."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Perfect. Did he reply?"

"Yeah."

"What did he say?"

"That he would try to live."

"I like his answer."

"Me too."

"What did you tell him?"

"I didn't answer."

"Will you try?"

"Try what?"

"To live."

"97 days, yeah."

***

110 days earlier.

Because there're fears that can touch the soul, words that obsessively ring in your ears, and situations that leave you no choice. Which you have no way of reacting to. You can't find a way out. What could a professor of philosophy do after his 19 years old student told him that he didn't want to live anymore?

"A year, Harry. Give yourself another year."

"100."

"100?"

"100 days."

"Why 100?"

"Because it's a round number."

"You know I don't agree with you, right?"

"I know."

"And when will these "100 days" begin?"

"When I'll be sure I want to die."

***

8 days before the first email