Death Countdown
Would you want to know how long you have to live?
A Two-Headed Longcat!
They laid down and fell asleep as a two-headed longcat. It was like seeing a triple rainbow. It is a nice reminder that we live in infinity, and all things are possible.
…Time for this week’s story…
Death Countdown
Henry, like everyone in the world, was born with a number floating in his vision of when he was going to die. From the moment people are born, before they even know what numbers are or what the number means, it floats in their vision, slightly out of focus but easy to see. The number reduces by one every day.
To some people, it is a relief to know when the end is coming. It allows them to plan their lives accordingly. Some know they’re dying young and enjoy the time they have. Others plan for a long future. Science evolved to see the number through an infant’s eyes, so everyone knew from day one how much time they had.
Henry was born with thirty-six thousand, four hundred and twenty-seven days to live. That amounts to ninety-nine point eight years. A blessing to most, to Henry it was unbearable. Born into a dysfunctional family, he was either neglected or sidelined in favor of his siblings. The rules swung one way and never in his favor. The goal posts always moved and he was constantly gaslit. Everyone in the family had much shorter lives than him, so he was called selfish for wanting anything for himself. The emotionally cruel people drained Henry’s will to live by his teen years.
Graduating from college was supposed to be a boon. Unfortunately, the economy crashed the semester he graduated. Jobs dried up and he had to start paying his student loans later that year. Even minimum wage jobs were hard to come by. Soon after, Henry’s parents died. His brother and sister got everything.
At the end of his rope, Henry decided to defy the laws of nature. The timer tells you when you are going to die naturally, but was there a way to defy nature itself? Henry decided to take destiny into his own hands.
Reality decided it knew better, and it would not let Henry have his way. After walking in front of a bus, Henry took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He found himself toppled on the floor seconds later. Someone whose countdown timer was at zero had shoved Henry out of the way and taken the hit. When Henry tried driving off a cliff, another car zoomed in front of him. The driver’s countdown timer was at zero also. Henry added hospital bills to his debts and lost his car.
Henry found an abandoned house far from any buildings and doused it in gasoline. After lighting it ablaze, he sat in the fire, happy that he had finally figured out how to die without someone interfering. A retired firefighter whose timer was at zero happened by and ran in to make sure nobody was inside. Henry insisted he be left there but the large man overpowered Henry and threw him out of the second story window, sending him tumbling into the dirt yard below. The floor collapsed beneath the man. Injured and trapped, he never made it out. Unconscious, Henry couldn’t help.
After being released from the hospital, Henry found a nearby park and sat on a bench. He watched people walking dogs, kids playing, couples kissing, and took in the moment with a deep breath. Many would give anything for a long life, but they were so much happier than him.
“Why the long face? Is today your last day?”
Being lost in thought, Henry hadn’t noticed an older man had sat next to him.
“No. I’ve still got twenty-seven thousand, four hundred and forty-eight days left.”
“You’ve got a nice long life ahead of you.”
“I have seventy-five years of torture ahead.”
“How do you figure?”
“My life has been miserable from day one. My family has always hated me for having a longer life than them, my adult life is a disaster, and I can’t force this number to zero, if you know what I mean. People keep stopping me. It feels like I’m hurting people, but I just want to hurt myself.”
“How many times have you tried?”
“Eight.”
“Wow! Well, my timer is at zero today, so how about some advice before I go?”
“Sure, why not.”
“When you help or hurt those around you, that comes back to you. If you’re kind or mean to others, they return the favor. So, maybe stop trying to hurt yourself. Stop living life by other people’s standards and find your own. I’m sure there’s something you love doing. It doesn’t matter how simple, silly, or even stupid, just do what brings you joy. The rest will sort itself out, because at least you’re having fun. Make sense?”
Henry pondered the stranger’s advice. There were things he loved, and he might be able to make a living doing them. It would require some work, but it was possible. Henry wanted to take destiny into his own hands, and he could do so by taking his life into his own hands. If he was having fun, that meant he had over seventy-five years of fun ahead of him.
“You know what? You’re right. I think I know what I can do so life doesn’t suck. Thanks for the advice. I’m going to stop trying to hurt myself.”
“It’s my pleasure. When I was your age, I…” The man’s face twisted in confusion. “I… I’m not at zero! My number went up! I’m going to live another fifteen thousand thirty-two days! I’ve never heard of this happening before, have you?”
Henry shook his head. The man hugged him and ran off. Thousands reported their timers changing that day, many growing by decades. It was a phenomenal event that nobody could explain. Even Henry did not connect the dots that by embracing a life where he brought positivity into the world, many would no longer die saving him. Henry and those he saved would go on to improve the lives of others. The positive effect was exponential, and all because Henry changed his perspective on life.
Thank you for reading!
This week’s story turned out to be a little heavier than I anticipated. I thought the concept was hilarious, but then as I wrote it, it turned into this strangely hopeful dark comedy. I guess stories know what they are and if you just let them flow through your fingers and listen to what they tell you, everything will sort itself out.
Fun Fact: Did you know there was a study on “trigger warnings” that discovered that they actually prompt a reader to relive their trauma, thereby rendering them utterly useless and absolutely counterproductive? That’s why I never include them. Now you know! If you’re curious about the study, here is a link to an article about it. Further research is up to you. Have a great week!