MONDAY

"Look, you've been caught drunk at work several times now, Shane. And I can't have you here. It's out of my hands."

Morris' words burned like flesh to a fire. Boiling underneath it all, he wanted to fight it. He needed this job, for himself, but mostly Jas. But what could he do? Morris was right. He was showing up drunk. So he grabbed his things and calmly walked out of the JojaMart.

Morning sunlight and clean air past 9 AM felt wrong, The leaves whistling through the fall breezes and chimes from the Mullner's residents filled the valley's peaceful atmosphere, and all Shane couldn't wonder was, Why me? Why am I here? He stopped at the stone bridge and looked down into the tranquil river it arched over. The tiny currants withered away at the rocks they rubbed against, and the planet life that made a home in an environment that didn't want them flourished and adapted. They reminded him of Jas. He was here because of her.

The universe used him as a means of bringing her to Marnie. As for Shane, who stared down at the life below him watching what sank or swam, he knew the universe was done with him. It was desperately trying to rid itself of his existence. The clouds moved just right, and he saw a fish carcass under the dirt that had been carried down the mountain, stopping to rest at this spot. Its flesh was long gone, either eaten away by scavengers and parasites or washed away by time. It didn't have what it took to thrive, and the universe acted accordingly, just like it was doing to Shane.

I'm a failure. Everythings only getting shitter and shitter. The world doesn't want me. So why should I stay?

From where he stood, he could see Alex right outside his grandparent's home, leaning against the adult oak tree. He used to be Alex at one point in his life - A star athlete just out of highschool. What had happened?

He happened. He did this to himself. All his problems came from his own stupidity. He lost his job because he couldn't stop drinking, because he couldn't get over betraying his friend, and how his actions had caused their deaths, with all of the bruden falling onto the last person it should've affected - Jas. The universe wasn't out to get him, it was paying him back for all the evil he had caused.

You're right. I shouldn't stay.

As he went to walk away, he saw Haley walking up to Alex. Both of them were smiling as she twisted those wavy blonde locks between her fingers. Part of him wanted to be jealous. If he just wouldn't have been…

No, that's just an excuse. You didn't want to deal with it and you ruined your own life. You knew better.

He watched as the two walked south, happy and giggling at the unknown, probably going to the beach to enjoy the last little bit of warm weather before it would become too cold. He could've had that, but he was too scared. It was time to stop being so terrified of what he should've done a long time ago.

2:00 P.M.

More drunk than he had ever been, and strapped with all the bottles of booze he could carry in a backpack, Shane wandered the cindersap forest. His second half-gallon bottle of vodka was half gone. The sun was refusing to set. He was going to do it. He was finally going to relieve everyone of their suffering from his existence. He took another swig of the cheap rye distillation.

Deep in the forest, but still skirting around the edge, Shane laid down next to the river, staring down the thickening brush, tears swelling up,

I can't do this…

He covered his face with his knees and began to bawl.

No, I have too. I can't keep being so selfish. All I do is ruin my own life and everyone around me. I'm a leech, a parasite. Marnie is Jas' next of kin if I'm gone. I can't keep hurting them. she better off if I'm dead.

Light rain drops from clouds he swore he thought were farther in the distance began to fall.

5:00 P.M.

Under clouds that still didn't mask the sun, a soaking wet Shane finished off his third bottle of a half gallon of vodka - a mess of emotions, tears streaming down his face, vomit on his shirt and jacket, screaming at the nothingness.

"Come and get me mother fucker! Come and fucking kill me already!" Shane drunkenly tried to wail but couldn't actually make out the words. "You wanna kill everything else? Why not me?! I don't want to be here!"

Falling to the ground to grab another bottle of hard liquor from within his backpack, he found that he had gone through all the vodka and he was down to a fifth of cheap bourbon and a few cans of beer. As he struggled to open the bourbon, he began to sob uncontrollably. All those dreadful thoughts were cheering him on to continue with his behavior of self destruction. As he got the cap off and took his first gulp of the hot, harsh drink, he vomited it up. Shaky and beyond intoxicated he stared between trees. Everything was spinning, but he could feel somewhere in his rotting guts that something was watching. Before his brain knew it, his feet were on the ground, the bottle of bourbon in hand, screaming and crying towards where he thought the monster stirred.

"Come and fucking kill me!" he repeated over and over again until his voice became hoarse.

When the demon of the forest wouldn't grant his wish, Shane wandered closer towards the edge valley itself; the cliff, the drop into the Gem Sea, the answer to what he had been screaming for this so-called monster to do to him.

Even with how suicidally drunk Shane had made himself, the distance still held its reality. It was a long way down, and a whole hell of a lot of sharp jagged rocks ready to let him disconnect his soul from his body. He dropped to his knees, every part of him shaking.

I'm so sorry…I'm sorry, Aunt Marnie. You deserved a better nephew. Jas, I'm sorry I brought you into this…

He looked up at the crying sky, each raindrop cold against his face.

So, umm, I guess I'm going to be seeing you and Beth soon, I hope you're still not too mad at me.

Shane had never believed in an afterlife, but as he stared down his own death, he tried to think that maybe, even if all logic and science said otherwise, maybe he would see his friends again. Maybe he could exist in a peaceful place.

5:40 P.M.

The only movement Shane had made was the shivering from the rain and chilling air. He couldn't obtain the courage to end it all. Those rocks looked sharp, that fall would be painful, but it would be over quick if he was lucky. He would die if he took the plunge, but how long would it take?

Stop thinking only about yourself…

I can't do it…

Yes you can just...let it happen…

No, it'll hurt too much...

The dizziness Shane had been fighting off for so long was becoming too much. If he didn't end his life here by jumping off this cliff, the alcohol in his system surely would. He tried to stand up, but couldn't, losing balance before he even put any weight on his feet. No way out. He would die deep in the forest, and the animals would pick apart his pickled corpse before anyone would find him. Maybe that's what had happened to Linus. Maybe there wasn't a monster, just a hungry carnivore, and an old man who wandered off to die like a sick animal, just like Shane. He tried to finish off the last of the bourbon, some of it going down his throat, most of it drenching his shirt and jacket, but it brought Shane comfort knowing at least now his death would be slow and painless like he wanted - Going out in a sleepy anesthetized state. No more agony, no more suffering, just resting before his final breath.

I'm sorry Mars. I love you but I don't love myself. You'll move on…

6:00 P.M.

His vision was hazy, and his consciousness kept fading, Shane swore he saw Mars screaming, tears streaming down his face. The coldness of Mars' body was familiar as he held Shane, but what he couldn't feel were the slaps across his face as Mars tried to bring him back to reality. In the distance, Mars' spoke like he was underwater.

"Shane, wake up!"

More tears emerged and mixed with the rain already saturating Shane's clothes, in a weak attempt he tried to put his shaking hand against Mars' teary face.

"Come on, I'm going to get you out of here." Mars said, but failed to lift the inebriated man twice his size up. In a sober mind, this wouldn't make sense. Mars had picked Shane up and spinned him around just last night. What had happened to that odd strength? His eyes traveled towards the sky.

"Just stay with me until sunset," he begged. "Please!"

6:20 P.M.

Shane still had some fight left in him, and kept his eyes like slits just enough to let Mars know he was still with him,

"I love you…" Shane slurred, "I'm sorry."

Mars wiped off what vomit was sticking to Shane's face, and kissed him before holding him tighter.

"It's okay, I just need you to stay awake until it's dark."

What little bit of survival he held onto was wearing thin. He wouldn't make it past sundown. Rocking back and forth, trying to keep himself calm in the situation, Mars began to tell Shane all the things he wanted to experience with his love.

"We're going to get out of this, alright? I'm going to take you to the hospital and they're going to pump you with shit so you don't die. And afterwards, I'm going to take you out on a fancy date, then we can go see that gridball team you like to watch and… and…"

He began to sip away, Mars shook him back to reality.

"Shane, don't leave me! Marnie needs you! Jas needs you! I need you!"

What had he done? He had listened to the lies his demons told him. Yes, there wasn't much to live for. But then again how much does one need? He could've got another job. Jas happened, and now she's here, happy and adapting. His aunt would love him no matter what. And Mars… he was crying because he knew.

"I don't want to die…" Shane muttered somewhat coherently, " I don't want to die."

6:40 P.M.

Shane lost consciousness, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, breathing shallow and irregular. Mars attempted to awaken his dying love, each moment another beat away from death, and he could hear it, feel the blood ceasing to pump. He had to make choice,

"Shane, Shane!" Mars called out, shaking a non-responsive form, and prying his eyelids open with almost no life behind them, pupils in the back of a skull.

"Shane, you don't want to die right?" Mars uttered, his words shaky and stressed. "You don't want to die, right!"

He had to make a choice,

A difficult one that he didn't want to make,

And thought about how selfish he was being.

Mars entangled his fingers between those dark streams of hair.

"Hey, I'm sorry about what I'm about to do."