Twenty Minutes

We're going to die.

It's as simple as that. I can hear Youji banging on the door, screaming for Aya and Ken but it's useless. I've studied the layouts and can mentally calculate how far away Ken and Aya should be and how loud Youji is yelling. It doesn't add up; they won't hear him. He's just wasting our air.

It's my fault.

I miscalculated. I was studying all last night for the maths test I had this morning. I thought that just once it would be okay not to double check the door trap mechanisms, that my calculations were infallible…well, lets just hope that my calculations on the paper this morning weren't as bad or I'll have failed. But failing maths is a lot easier to live with than failing Youji…he's still banging, though his voice is cracking.

He doesn't blame me.

Youji's sunk to the floor now, and though he can't meet my gaze he's assuring me that it's not my fault. He's running through a thousand scenarios where they knew we were coming and upgraded their defences accordingly. I should correct him. I should admit that I didn't do my job properly, and that because of my stubbornness to get the best mark in class we're going to asphyxiate. I let out a bitter laugh but he doesn't acknowledge me.

Twenty minutes.

After an estimation of the room size and how much oxygen the two of were consuming I could calculate our fate. In twenty minutes it would be too late to regret my actions. In twenty minutes Youji will blame me, as he sinks to the floor gasping desperately for another breath. In twenty minutes my guilt will be at its highest, and I know I won't be able to watch him. Twenty minutes is too long, I want to die now for the suffering I'm going to cause him.

I hope that he can forgive me.

Once this is over, I hope that he'll understand that I didn't mean it. Of course I didn't mean it…I would never want any harm to come to Youji. I've put myself in danger so many times to save him, as he's done for me. We're a team, we look out for each other. I just wish…I wish…

I wish I could go back.

I wish I could go back to last night. I wish that I could tell myself to just spend a little more time surveying the systems; that the doors have hidden motion sensors…that if I don't take them out first they'll trap us like animals and promise our deaths. If I'd just spent more time…just an extra hour…half an hour…twenty minutes…

Twenty minutes.

It's almost up. The air is becoming thinner as the oxygen concentration lowers. My head is beginning to feel light and I can see that Youji has slumped down the wall. His eyes are half closed and he's not looking at me anymore. He's probably angry by now, has realised that it's my fault.

"…Here."

Youji has finally turned back to me, and is motioning for me to come over. I slowly crawl to where he's sat against the wall, and as soon as I'm close enough he pulls me next to him, his arms wrapping tightly around me.

"You did the best you could, we all make mistakes. Aya and Ken will come…they'll come…"

He still believes in them. And I believe in him. We sit back against the wall, lazily watching the door opposite, praying with all our hearts that at any second the sound of bending metal will appear as Ken claws his way through. Or of the sound of furious button pressing as Aya desperately tried to unlock the doors. But there was nothing. Just our slowing breathing. Youji reached over again, though this time as he pulled me close his grip was weak. I could feel his arms shaking as he held me, though he forced a smile onto his face.

"At least we've got each other. Nobody should ever have to die alone.

I couldn't agree more, though no words would come to my dry lips. My vision swam in and out of focus, and Youji's worried gaze stared down at me. Though I knew he couldn't be feeling much better than I, it warmed my heart to know that he still cared.

Twenty seconds.

How fast time flies when you don't want it to. My head fell onto his shoulder, but his cold hand forced me to gaze into his eyes, and he pressed his lips to mine. It wasn't the most romantic kiss that we'd ever shared, but it was the most passionate thing that I had ever experienced in my life.

This is it.

Our end.

And as my head slid back to his shoulder, content for this to be the last time our bodies ever touched, the sound of twisted metal filled the room. Neither of us had the strength to look up. It could have just been a cruel illusion by our oxygen-depraved minds…

…But Ken's voice sounded oddly real.

Owari

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Completed: 25th July 2007

Mayoki