• I was walking down the street on a windy day in March. Winter had not gotten it's last kinks out of itself, so I was pretty damn cold...
    I then saw him sitting on the side of the congress building. He was dressed in his usual business attire and black trench coat. Taylor was always a business man at heart, and he was always dressed for success. I hadn't seen the guy in months, but I was going to talk to him today, while I still had the chance...
    But as soon as I looked up, he was about five feet away from me. A fast mover he always had been. He spoke, and his voice was immidately recognizeable. It was that kind of gravel-ey... like that of a smoker. He was, of course, but he Never smoked in public, always in his parlor. Not only was Taylor a business man, he was a gentleman. Not my style, but I respect his decisions, I thought to myself with a smirk.
    "How's your wife?"
    "She's good.... Had another surgery on her lungs the other day."
    "God, man, I'm sorry. How is she recovering?"
    "She's doing better than her last surgery."
    "Man, things have never been the same since the accident"
    "Yea. Taking a hit to the chest like that will do that to you..." I said meekly
    "So what have you been up to lately?"
    "Just relaxing... It's been difficult, not impossible, but difficult."
    I had forgotten how easy it was to talk to this guy. It had been what... 5 years? And he was talking like he hadn't been out of contact for more than a few days.

    "So what are you doing here?"
    "Just visiting..... Thought I'd come back to the places where me and Jullieane used to hang out...."
    "How have you been doing with that, man?
    "Better" He answered abrutly.
    I felt really bad for the guy. He had lost his wife in a fire about 10 years ago... Come to think about it, I was at the wedding, and when I thought about it more...
    "Holy crap man, I totally forgot..."
    "Yea. It's our anniversary this Tuesday."
    I thought about if for a few seconds... This was.... Sunday, judging by the fact that Church Bells were ringing. I realized quickly that I had better say something, but before I could, he burst into tears.

    These weren't the kind of tears that came from everyday wear-and-tear. These were tears of pent-up mourning for years upon years upon years.
    "Dude, I'm so sorry."
    "It's ok" He sobbed, "I just can't keep living like this."
    "What do you mean?"
    "Every day, I keep going over that night in my mind... Hearing the POP of the spark, seeing the house go up in flames, and running. And I hear her freaking voice in my head over and over again.
    "TAYLOR! HELP!!!"
    And the screaming... Dammit, the screaming is the worst. Listening to the crackeling of the house and knowing that she was in there and I couldn't do anything but RUN. I'm a freaking coward and I'm ashamed of myself...."
    I had never seen Taylor like this... And it was pretty scary... So, as quickly as I could, I gave him a quick hug. This seemed to calm him down, and Then I followed up with a breif "I'm sorry man..." and I tried to calm him down. Then, he suddenly dissappeared...

    Then that's when things really got freaky... I realized something... It wasn't Sunday. It was Monday... I looked hurriedly around, and then I realized that it wasn't Church Bells I was hearing... it was funeral bells. I saw ran down the Streets of Seattle, with my face in a stoic but paniceked expression, he heart in a frantic run.
    When I finally found the Grace Community Chapel, where the Bells were coming from. I saw the people carrying the coffin to the hearse, and I saw on the sign: FUNERAL - TAYLOR TRENT PARKIN. I realized then, That I was very warm...
    I looked up and saw a bright light, and then I heard a voice say, "Mr. Donry, can you hear me?" My sight went foggy for a few seconds, then It came to focus, and I realized I was laying in a white room. There were many people around me, and They were all in pain, though, they didn't seem to know it.
    I then looked up, and saw the weizened face of a kind, older Nurse. I jumped, and then I heard her call out to the surgeon. "Mr. Donry, Are you ok? How many fingers am I holding up?"

    "Three... Why do you ask?"

    "Sir, I'm afraid there were some... complications with the anisthesia. You've been alseep for four days."
    "Really?"
    "Yes."

    "Well... damn." I said with a grin on my face. It was a new day... I had won again.