The Last 7 Seconds

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The gentle tapping pulled my attention from my sleeping husband. I straightened my back with a ricocheted crack and groaned. After a quick survey of the room, I continued trying to get Percy out of his chair.

“Percy, you old fart” I croaked with a dry chuckle, “come on, let's go to bed.” I grabbed his hand and shuddered. “Are you feeling okay? You feel cold as ice!”

Thump. Thump. Thump.

“One moment honey, I think there’s someone at the door.” Percy’s eyes were still closed, and his head was hung back with his mouth open slightly. His skin was pale. I think it was from the cold he had. It took me a while to get to the door, my cane felt like an anchor and my knees creaked with age.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The sound got clearer as I got closer to the door. “I’m comin’, I’m comin’.” I spat at the visitor as I approached the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

My frail arms jittered as I turned the knob and pried open the door but found no one on the other side. “Hello?” I cried out, turning my head from left to right searching for the mysterious knocker and when I stepped out onto the porch, I plunged down. The air was hollow, and I couldn't breathe. As I fell, I reached for my throat clawing at the air as it beat down against my arms. Finally, I felt a stinging smack against my back, like when you hit the water too hard in the pool doing a bellyflop and the world went black.

I woke up in a cozy room. I couldn’t see much at first, but I could hear a gurgling sound coming from the room above mine. [Where am I?”] I thought to myself and suddenly there was a glow. Small but as I wiggled my limp body through the hallway, it grew brighter. By the time I noticed the walls had gotten too narrow to squeeze through with ease, it was too late to go back. I stopped to catch my breath. After about 30 seconds I took a deep breath and wiggled my entire body, using a soft, wet wall to give it some extra oomph.

I gave it everything I had but I was stuck, and all I could do was cry. But then, a large pair of unfamiliar hands grabbed the sides of my head and yanked me out. I wanted to tell the stranger how grateful I was for their help but still, the only sound I could manage was crying.

The woman with green eyes and long brown eyelashes wearing white pawned me off on a lady with black bushman eyebrows and rough hands. I could feel the callousness beneath the latex of her gloves, but she was gentle, and she helped clean me up and wrapped a blanket around me before placing me in a toasty warm bed.

“You can rest now.” Said the lady with rough hands with her quiet voice. “You did a lot of hard work, so you go on and take a nap.”

This time when I woke up, the bed was larger and had wooden bars taller than me. The sheets were cotton and had pictures of cats. Black ones, oranges ones, gray and calico ones too. My arms and legs still felt weak, but I managed to roll onto my belly and could inch myself from point A to point B like a caterpillar.

“I love you little one.” The woman had brown hair and soft pink lips. Her face was a blur, but she planted a kiss on my forehead and began fading into the background. I wailed and grabbed for her like a breastfeeding infant reaches for their mother. I didn’t realize I was moving forward until I leaned too far and fell onto my hands. My wailing turned to screams as I found myself at the mercy of all those around me.

“She’s so tiny.” Said a giddy teenager with dirty blonde pigtails and silver braces.

“Do you want to hold her?” The brown-haired woman asked turning to a chubby guy with broad shoulders, black hair, and a button nose. The carpet scratched my hands, and I wanted to scratch them, but I kept crawling across the floor until I reached her. I grabbed a hold of her pantleg and pulled myself to my feet but when I looked up, I found myself running through a field of flowers. The chubby man with black hair frolicked with me.

“Ring around the rosy, pocket full of posies...” He picked me up, one giant, calloused hand under each armpit and twirled me around in a circle. “...ashes, ashes we all fall down.” Our bodies levitated slowly towards the ground; the field transformed into concrete, and serenity erupted into chaos.

“It hurts!” I wailed with a grip on my knee. My face was red and streaming with tears and a bike was right beside me, the back wheel still spinning from the crash.

“I’m coming pumpkin!” The man with black hair was there again, running towards me. I knew he was on his way to rescue me. He ran faster but moved further away. I reached out hand, and the scenery began to melt. I watch the landscape transform into a dark bedroom, and the concrete evolve into a soft bed and a handsome boy, who looked like a Puerto Rican Chris Brown stroked my hair as I laid on my back.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” His voice was soft and quiet, and he had a slight lisp. I smiled back at him, my eyes wide like a doe.

“Yeah.” I giggled. “Yeah, let’s do it.” I blushed and bit my lip as he unbuttoned my purple skinny jeans and slid them off my bottom. I gasped when he slipped his fingers inside of me and he kissed my lips so softly that I could hardly believe his lips met my skin at all. I sunk my nails into his back and squealed when he inserted himself and closed my eyes.

This time when I opened my eyes again, I was laying on a surgical table, with a blue tent hovering over the lower half of my body. I could hear the beeping of several different machines, and the fluorescent lights blurred the white walls of the room. I was surrounded by strangers in masks. Their phantom silhouettes circled above my head and then there was the sound of a crying infant. The rest of the world fell silent when they brought him to my side. I smiled and kissed his head before my breath became shallow, and the operating room became chaotic.

“She’s coding!” Shouted the surgeon. His icy blue eyes struck me with panic. I could feel my eyelids fluttering and my chest burning and then the world went dark again.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Ember, I’m here to get the kid. Open up.” I could hear the annoyance in his voice. I opened the door with a strained smile and greeted Robert with a polite nod. I looked down at Thomas when I leapt to my side.

“I wanna stay with mommy!” I stifled my tears and cleared my throat.

“Don’t worry boogie. You’re gonna have a good time with daddy and I’ll see you tomorrow.” I wiped a tear from his cheek, kissed his forehead, and sent him on his way. I locked the door behind them.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I opened the door to Thomas’ college graduation ceremony. I wiped tears from my face as the crowd applauded his valedictorian speech, Percy wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me close to him. When I felt his lips press to my forehead, my heart felt full.

“He’s gonna do great things.” I heard Percy’s voice crack and when he sniffled, I watched him wipe his eyes and nose with his sleeve.

“Yeah, he is.” I said, nodding my head, clapping along with the rest of the audience. The curtain squealed like race tires as it fell and landed with a metallic crash. I covered my ears and closed my eyes. Through the darkness I could see the blue and red flashing of police vehicles. There was no sense of urgency. No speed, no siren. Just lights and silence.

I watched from the living room window as officers approached my door, praying to a God I didn’t believe in that they had the wrong house. They didn’t. Thomas, his wife, and his children had plunged into Lake Erie coming back from Buffalo Women’s and Children’s after the birth of their last child when he lost control of the car and went off the Skyway bridge.

“I’m so sorry.” I felt Officer Trak place his hand on my shoulder. I couldn’t look up at him though.

“Thank you, officer.” I could hear Percy’s voice trembling. “I’ve got her from her.” I felt him kneel beside me and drape his arm over my shoulder. “I’ve got you baby.” I sniffed and took a deep breath before I had the courage to meet his eyes.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“We’re coming.” Percy shouted over his left shoulder. I took his hand and groaned as I struggled to my feet. I stumbled but he stopped me from falling. I followed Percy through the wooden door with a stained-glass window at the top. The hummingbirds in the design made me smile. We were met on the other side by a large figure with a flowing black cloak and ancient hands and sharp nails. I held onto Percy’s hand tight and turned to our ghostly guide.

“Does it ever make you sad?” I asked, “You know, leading people to the other side.” The guide wouldn’t speak but gave a slow nod in my direction. I grabbed his hand with my free one.

“Thank you for being here.” I smiled when I heard Percy speak to the guide. I smiled and gave Percy a kiss on the cheek.

“And thank you for taking us together.”