Twenty two days, four hours, and five minutes is how long I've been floating out on this ocean. Twenty two day, four hours, and five minutes since the bomb killed my brother and mother. Twenty two days, four hours, and five minutes I've gone without food and making myself sick by drinking the salty sea water. What does death feel like? I bet I could tell you. Twenty two day, four hours, and five minutes is how long I've been slowly dying on this piece of drift wood in the middle of the ocean. I shall die here all alone. I shall die on this wood and peacefully sink to the bottom of the ocean. There my dead corpse will be eaten my fish till only my bones will sit and be buried beneath the sand. I shall be reunited with my mother and brother and father. If this is my fate so be it. Alone, helpless, and a goner. The only way out…death.
I let my eyelids drop down turning my vision totally black. I feel myself sink off the drift wood into the freezing water. I allow my mind to go blank as I drift farther away from reality. I can feel myself being pulled away from this world, away from life itself. Higher and higher I'm lifted. I'm lifted above water. Suddenly I'm placed on a hard surface. What's happened? Was it really that fast and painless? Am I really dead? I force my eyelid open. My vision is blurry but I can faintly make out something black. My vision becomes clearer. The black blob takes shape as a tall, shiny boot. Now there are two boots hovering in front of my face. I can't help but open my other eye. I see the boots moving slowly away from my face. Do I dare tilt my head upwards to see the owner of these boots? No. I'm too weak. I'm too close to death. For the first time in my life, my curiosity doesn't get the best of me. Death does. My eyes begin to shut again. Before the darkness takes me over I hear one last thing, "To the ship Mr. Smee!"