Crash Chapter 10

"When the World Ends"

Randy's POV

It's been a week now since I had that surgery done. Nine days since I was in the wreck.

Right now I'm reading in the backyard, just to try to get away from mom (but not too far away).

Mark left earlier today to go back to Cleveland, and Brad left yesterday to return to Wisconsin.

I'm still having those nightmares. Not that I expected them to go away immediately or anything, but still, how long will they last?

'Heidi ho neighbor' Wilson says. I didn't even hear him come outside.

'Hi Wilson' I say.

'So, how's the recovery process coming?' Wilson asks.

'Well, physically, I'm doing good, but I'm still a wreck mentally' I answer. I can already tell the route this conversation is going to take, so I put my bookmark in my book, and sit it next to my glass of lemonade.

'That's not unnatural for someone who has been through the type of experience you have' he says.

'I just don't understand why my brain keeps dwelling on the fact that I almost died. I've accepted the truth, or at least I think I have' I object.

'What is the truth? I think that you need to understand the truth before your dreams will stop. From what I can understand, the truth is that those doctors worked a miracle on you' Wilson says.

'They just did their jobs. The doctors found out what was wrong with me, and fixed it. There was no miracle involved' I argue, trying to play down the miracle thing.

'But it is a miracle. This surgery has only been attempted three other times before you, and you are the first to survive. The other three persons died an agonizing death, and in more ways than one' Wilson explains.

'Okay, so even if I am able to accept the fact that what happened was a miracle in the eyes of modern medicine, I think there is still more to the truth. The truth is, I came so close to death, that it has both scared and scarred me. I mean, it just seems like I'm more vulnerable to death than I was before' I say.

'Randy, you still have plenty of your life ahead of you' Wilson says.

'Yeah. Or I could die tomorrow' I say.

'What did you just say?' Wilson asks, looking at me like I've lost my mind.

'I said "Yeah. Or I could die tomorrow" I repeat myself.

'Your father and I had a similar discussion almost fourteen years ago. The thing is, what you just said, that you could die tomorrow, is the exact same thing he told me. Right down to the "Yeah" Wilson says.

'Really? Oh, was that when mom was trying to get him to make a will?' I ask. Wilson nods.

'But the difference is, he hadn't gone through anything like I have when he said that. I could seriously die tomorrow' I say.

'Couldn't we all?' Wilson asks.

'I'm reminded of the words of Dave Matthews. He said in one of his songs "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die". I guess maybe that's a line we should all remember' I say.

'Well, I need to get back inside before the nerve gas guy comes. I can't believe that I have bats in my attic again' Wilson says, abruptly ending our conversation.

I step down from the fence, half of me feeling comforted, the other half feeling somewhat morbid, but mainly terrified to think that Wilson's right, and that anyone could die tomorrow, myself or Wilson or dad or mom or anyone I know included.

I grab my glass and book, and walk back inside. Once inside, it's not even two minutes, until a hard rain starts falling. Lightning is soon to follow. It almost looks like it's in the backyard. Maybe I'm being too pessimistic, but I take that as an omen of things to come, not only for me, but for the entire family. After all, lightning may not strike the same place twice, but all it takes is one bolt to start a raging wildfire.

A/N: How's those last five paragraphs as food for thought? I was actually getting creeped out by some of that stuff, and I thought up a good ninety five percent of it. I can guarantee that that kind of stuff is going to be a recurring theme throughout the rest of this story, right up to the author's note of the epilogue. (Which I have already written).

Wow, I'm still so creeped out by that, I don't really know what to say.

Please R&R, and thanks for reading.

-Yours truly, Randy Taylor

A/N from 9/9/08: I just wanted to add that I updated Randy's Thoughts twice yesterday in honor of Jonathan Taylor Thomas' birthday. I'm updating this one today in honor of my own birthday. I will, however, only update this one once.

-Yours truly, Randy "Birthday Boy" Taylor