Stay With Me

Chapter 1: Demi S.E.

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I pass by countless of people during my daily walk to the cafe, therefor I see thousands of numbers that represent the date of different peoples deaths. I keep on walking and try not to look at the numbers marked on everyone's arms.

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Some might say I've been blessed with the impossible, that what I have is a gift from the heavens, but personally I think I must've done something unforgivable in my past life to be cursed to live with this horrendous ability. I learned from early on in my life that seeing the exact time and date someone dies doesn't help me or them in any way. At first I figured I could help these people, warn them somehow, but no matter how hard I try, no matter what I do death is inevitable.

Lost in thought, I accidentally bump into a woman that seemed like she wasn't paying attention to where she was going either. I offer an apology but she just keeps on walking seeming deep in thought. I catch a glimpse of the numbers marked onto the skin of her arm without meaning to. Today, she's supposed to die today. I shake off the unwanted memories that spring up.

You know you can't save her Demi, let it go.

I repeat these words to myself over and over until I finally make it to the cafe. The little bell attached to the door makes a ding sound as I enter the establishment alerting the workers that someone just entered the cafe. "Hey boss," said one of the waiters as soon as he saw me. I give him a nod of acknowledgement and make my way towards the counter.

Lydia, our sweet 60 year old cashier and manager flashes a smile my way and welcomes me to take a seat on one of the stools in front of her. I weakly smile back and she immediately asks, "What's wrong dear?".

"I don't know what you mean," I keep smiling at her hoping she'll drop the subject and order a chocolate chip cookie. "Come on dear, I've worked for you ever since you started this place. I know what you look like when something's bothering you. So go ahead and tell Mama Lyds what's wrong." My heart swells with warmth. My parents died a few years ago so Lydia is all I have left of a mother figure and I stopped letting people in ever since I realized how painful it is to know exactly how much time you have left with someone until they're gone forever. But somehow Lyds managed to make it pass my walls no matter how many times I tried to push her away and she's been with me ever since.

I look down knowing I can't lie to her and say, "I bumped into someone on my way over here and their mark said that today is the day they die." I let the smile on my face falter and continue, "I know, I know there's nothing i can do about it but the guilt of not being able to do anything to change it is just killing me inside."

Lydia reaches out and places her hand on my chin, lifting my head up to meet her in the eyes. The look on her face does nothing to hide the sympathy she feels for me, she looks at me as if she wishes she could take all of the pain away. She hands me a plate that has the cookie I ordered on top of it, "Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. You don't deserve any of this. But honey, you have to realize that there is nothing you have to feel guilty for. None of this is your fault, death is something that's unavoidable, it's a part of human nature. No one can stop it from happening so there's no reason for you to feel guilty about it." Lydia wipes a stray tear from my face and offers me a warm smile.

I mirror her smile and say, "Thanks Lyds, I really needed to hear that." I decide eat the rest of the cookie in front of me, swallowing the gnawing guilt I feel down with it.

After I finish my snack I do my usual rounds in the kitchen, making sure everything is clean and done right, that every dish tastes as amazing as usual. I dreamed of owning my own cafe ever since i was in middle school, so I started this cafe right after I graduated college, I used all the money I saved up from a handful of part-time jobs and Lydia helped me with the rest. Five years have passed since then and it's now one of the most popular cafes in the area.

When I'm done checking everything I say goodbye to everyone and make my way outside.

Once I'm outside I'm met with a cool summer breeze. I start walking back to my apartment, retracing the steps I took earlier today.

I'm almost at my apartment, I just need to cross this street. My eyes dart around trying hard not to stay anywhere too long and that's when I see her. It's her, it's the woman I bumped into earlier. She's just a few steps from where I am right now. I risk a glance at the watch on my wrist, 12:27 pm. Shit it's almost her time, just a few seconds more. The stoplight on the street lights up as green, signaling the cars to go and the pedestrians to stop. But she doesn't stop, she just keeps on walking ahead not caring at all about everything else around her. I hold my breath knowing what's going to happen next but not knowing at all what I should do about it. A small part of me is saying that it's hopeless, that I've been in this situation a thousand times before and all of them ended the same way; my failure and someone else's death. But a bigger part of me is screaming at me to do something,  that this feels different,  that I can somehow save her, that this time I won't fail. Before I realize what's happening, my legs start moving as fast as they can. I'm running towards her, towards the busy street. I can hear a couple of people shouting in disbelief but I find myself not really caring right now. I just have to do it, I don't know why but something inside me just has to save her. And before I can think about it any further I use my body to push her out of the way just as a truck comes speeding past us, missing me by just a margin.

-end of chapter one-