Riley Anderson was an old woman now. She had lived out her life well, getting a good job, meeting a nice husband, and having three children, who were now crowded around Riley's deathbed. Her husband had died two years previously, and Riley felt herself slowly slipping away to join him. She was dying of old age.
Inside Riley's head, the emotions were saying their last goodbyes.
"Bye Riley," said Fear. "Glad we didn't die sooner."
"Your dress sense got worse as you got old," Disgust said. "But I'm going to miss you, Riley."
"I'm gonna kill Mark for going first," said Anger. "If he wasn't already dead."
"We're dying. That's sad," Sadness said. "I wish Mom and Dad could be here but obviously they're older than us so they're not here."
Joy said nothing. She was leaning on her elbows on the console, staring up at the monitor, though which Joy could see the three children—two girls, one boy—staring sadly down at Riley, willing her not to go.
Joy was smiling. Of course she was sad that Riley was dying, but she knew they had a good life together, a mainly happy one.
Joy went to the wall and pressed a button. Every person had a stash of the best memories saved specially for the deathbed.
Twelve shining marbles flew out of the tube. Two were purple, two were green, two were red, two were blue, and four were yellow. Joy was proud that she had the most memories there.
She placed one of the disgust memories onto the stand so that Riley would remember it.
It was one of Disgust's best moments: when Riley had gently but firmly turned down Harry Mane, who had proposed to her before Mark came along.
Disgust smiled reminiscently. "I remember that," she said, watching the memory. "His fashion sense was awful."
Then the next memory, when Riley had first tried broccoli as a baby and disliked it. Joy glanced at Disgust, who was looking…well…disgusted. However there was a hidden happiness in her gaze.
Joy suddenly noticed that Disgust was fading. She looked transparent. Disgust noticed at the same time as Joy but all she said was, "Ugh. Transparent-ness is not good for my outfit."
Then she looked around the other four emotions, a sad smile spreading over her face. "Bye, guys."
"Bye, Disgust," said Fear.
"Gonna miss you. Just a little," Anger said.
"Bye Disgust." Sadness started crying.
"Good luck, Disgust," Joy said, saluting Disgust, who saluted back.
"With whomever you get stuck with next," Anger added.
Disgust grinned. Then she faded away completely.
"Who's going next?" Fear asked fearfully.
The question was answered for them when one of the red memories floated up onto the stand.
"Why me next?" Anger demanded. "Why not Fear?"
"Hey!" Fear complained.
"We're leaving in the order that Riley stops feeling us in," Joy realised. "She isn't feeling disgusted or angry."
Anger's head flamed up for a brief moment, before he noticed that his memory was playing. It was when a bully had shoved Riley's friend, Meg, over in kindergarten. Anger chuckled as Riley exploded in anger and shoved the boy back, pushing him against the wall and making him cry loudly.
"Served him right," Anger laughed. "He had no right to push Meg like that."
The next one was when Riley was in high school. She had just been told by a particularly cruel teacher that she would never pass her finals and never amount to anything. The four emotions watched as Riley rushed outside and screamed at the sky, venting all her frustration.
Sadness said, "That was sad. Mrs Morgan was really mean."
"That was one of the core memories," Joy said. "One of the anger and sadness ones, a mashup. That was when
Determination Island opened. Riley was determined to prove Mrs Morgan wrong and pass her finals. And she did. She got the best grades possible."
Anger was fading. He flared up for a moment before, again, shutting his fire down. "See ya, guys."
"Bye Anger," Fear and Sadness chorused.
"Just for old times' sake…"
Anger walked over to Fear and punched him in the face.
"Ow!" Fear complained.
"Take care of yourself," Anger said.
"You too," grumbled Fear, rubbing his face where Anger had hit him.
Then Anger was gone.
Next Fear's memory floated up. The first one was the first day of school in San Francisco when the teacher called on Riley. Joy gave a chuckle as she remembered Fear's panic.
Fear placed the huge stack of papers, listing all the potential negative outcomes. "Almost finished with the potential disasters. Worst scenario is either quicksand, spontaneous combustion, or getting called on by the teacher. As long as none of those happens…"
The bell rang. Everybody sat down in their seats. "Okay, everybody," said the teacher. "We have a new student in class today."
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Fear shrieked, making the stack of papers go flying everywhere. "OUT OF THE GATE? This is not happening!"
Fear himself was chuckling nervously. "I remember that," he said. "That really was scary."
The next memory showed a heavily pregnant Riley lying in her bed. Joy remembered that day. It was the day before Riley's first baby was due.
Fear shuddered. "That was horrible," he said. "It was scary not knowing when it was going to happen…"
He started fading. Fear gave a salute. Joy and Sadness saluted back, though Sadness's arm was very listless. "Bye guys," Fear said. "I hope death isn't too scary."
"You're not dying, Fear," Sadness pointed out.
Fear disappeared but his last words hung in the air: "I meant for Riley."
It was just Sadness and Joy left.
"The original two," Sadness pointed out. "Remember?"
"You made Riley cry for the first time," Joy remembered. "I was trying to push you aside, like I always did."
"Don't be hard on yourself," Sadness said. "None of us realised what I was there for until Riley moved. Then we made the first mashup memory."
"Yeah," Joy said sadly. "I wonder who will go next," she wondered.
A moment later, a blue orb floated onto the stand. The first memory was the first non-joyful core memory: when Riley cried at school.
Sadness flopped on her face. "Sadness!" Joy said, exasperated. "This is your memory!"
Sadness didn't move.
Joy sighed and watched the next sad memory. It was when Mom and Dad died. Joy watched the policeman come to the door of forty-year-old Riley's house and tell Riley that he was sorry but her parents had been involved in a heavy traffic accident. Neither of them survived.
Joy actually let out a few tears when Riley broke down crying on the floor. Even Sadness had lifted her head up to watch. "That was awful," Sadness muttered. "That was the most upset Riley has ever been."
Joy placed her hand on Sadness's shoulder and helped her stand up. "You're fading," she said gently.
It was true. Sadness was slowly become transparent. Sadness unexpectedly lunged forward and hugged Joy fiercely. Joy hugged her back. Then she found herself hugging thin air.
Sadness was gone.
Joy turned back to the monitor to watch her memories.
Riley laughing for the first time as a baby.
Riley's first date with Mark when they both fell into the duck pond and had ducks swarming around them, looking for food.
Riley's wedding day.
And Riley holding her first baby, Alicia.
When the memories were over, Joy looked straight through Riley's eyes and saw Alicia, Marcus, and Rachel, Riley's three amazing children.
Joy closed her eyes and imagined Mom and Dad's faces, how young and happy they looked when Riley was a child. She imagined Mark, and his cheerful face.
Finally, she thought of her co-workers, the emotions. Disgust, Anger, Fear, Sadness…
And herself. Joy.
Riley's eyes were closing for the final time. Just before they closed, Joy found herself fading. She knew that Riley had a smile on her face and, not for the first time, felt incredibly happy at the life Riley led.
As Joy faded slowly into oblivion, Riley's eyes closed forever.