Plance Crack

A Second Chance

    

     So here in Yee Yee West Virginia, we have a thing called young writers. I honestly have no idea if any other states do this. Young writers is a competition among high school students to see who can write the best story with a certain word limit. Anyways, this is the last one I wrote about two years ago and I thought I'd share it with you guys (btw I got third place in my county lol).

     She picked herself up off the ground and dusted the dirt from her black jeans as a black-hooded figure stepped toward her.  The two looked at each other with blank expressions.  "You're early," Death finally said.  He sighed heavily as his gaze moved to her feet.  There laid her body, broken and lifeless.  In the distance, several people screamed and cried from the bridge above them. 

     "Well?  Are you ready, Olivia?" he asked her, holding out one of his long, skeletal hands to her.  She was too focused on her body to hear him, though.  Death had seen the look on her face too many times before.  It was a look of sorrow, worry, but mostly regret.  He placed that same hand on her shoulder as a stray tear fell.  "Why?" he asked.

     "Why what?" she answered, her eyes never moving from the corpse. 

     "Why jump?  You're young.  You've got your whole life ahead of you," he pushed. 

     "You mean the one where nobody cares what I want?  The one where I have to step out of line in order for people to listen to me?  Even then, no one cares what happens as long as I don't do it again."

     "That's the one," Death said.  "There must be someone in your life that's different."

     "I have a dog.  Does that count?"

     "No, I mean a person who's always there for you."

     "I used to have a boyfriend.  His name was David, but he died a few years ago."

     "How so?"

     Olivia shuffled her feet as the conversation became uncomfortable.  David's death was a touchy subject for her and she had tried her best not to think about it.  "He was driving to his parents' house one night.  It was raining, so the roads weren't that great.  I don't know exactly what happened, but he was driving down a mountain road when a tree fell in front of him.  They said that he panicked and went through the guard-rail."

     "I remember him," Death said.  "He was so confused.  One minute, he was tumbling down the side of the mountain.  The next, he was looking at the wreckage from the outside of the car.  Once the fact that he was dead had sunk in, he begged me not to take him.  That he was leaving behind too many loved ones and how devastated they would be when they got the call."

     "He was right, you know."

   

     "I never said he wasn't.  I told him that, under normal circumstances, I could have given him back his life.  However, there wasn't enough left to repair.  He wouldn't have even made it to the hospital had I done it.  Did you ever meet anyone after that?"

     "A few, but none of them ever stayed."

     Death took a moment to ponder everything they had said.  Suicide is a major decision, but it seemed as though Olivia had plenty of reason to do it.  He looked up at the bridge where the sad and terrified screams were now being drowned out by the wail of an ambulance siren.  People were leaning over the rail and pointing at poor Olivia's corpse.  Then, an idea came to him.  "What about tomorrow?" he asked her.

     She was confused.  "What about it?" she questioned.

     "You never know.  What if tomorrow, you were to meet someone like David?  Someone who cared and loved you just as much as him, if not more."

     Now, she was even more confused.  "What are you talking about?  Won't I still be dead?"

     "Maybe not.  I wasn't able to give David a second chance, but what if I could give you one?  The fall may have killed you, but you aren't completely broken.  There's enough left of your body that you could make it to the hospital and recover.  Unless, of course, you'd rather see what the afterlife has in store for you now."

     This was a harder decision than it should've been.  On one hand, she could go back to her life and hope that things would get better once she recovered.  On the other hand, her life was miserable before, so who's to say that it wouldn't be just as bad if she continued to live.  Decisions, decisions.

     At this point, the ambulance and paramedics were making their way down the steep slope towards the body.  "I can't wait forever," Death chimed, "if you're going to do it, I need to know now."

     She glanced between Death's now outstretched hand and her own body.  The paramedics were now checking her pulse and performing CPR.  If she was going to give life another go, it was now or never.  Olivia took a deep breath and gave Death a nod.  By the look on her face, he knew exactly what her decision was. 

     Sixty-five years later, Death strolled onto the old, wood porch of a quaint, little house.  In a nearby, still rocking chair sat an old woman.  "Ah, finally right on time," he said with a certain twinge of satisfactory in his voice.

     "Long time, no see.  How have you been?" she asked him.

     "I've been fine.  How about you?  Better than before, I hope."

     "Much better than before."

     "That's wonderful to hear.  So, are you ready to go this time?"

     She chuckled at his words as they both stood up, the old woman leaving her body in the chair.  "Yes, I believe so."

     "Are you sure?  Those grandkids of yours might not agree."

     "Oh, don't worry about them.  I'll see them again soon enough," she laughed as she stepped off the porch, gazing at the white light before her.

     "Then, let's not wait any longer, Olivia," he stated as he held out his hand to her.  She took his hand and looked into his hollow eyes.  This time, when Death stared back at her, he saw no hint of sadness or pain.  This time, her eyes held peace as they walked towards the light together.