• “Bury me.” That’s all he wanted. He wanted to be buried by the large oak tree in the cemetery, in the shadowy area of the property, next to her. He’d fought the guilt of it for years, the pain of being the only survivor from the horrible fire haunted his dreams.
    “When I wrote the kill, I wanted to die. I still do. But, I can’t. No matter what I do, I won’t die.” Jared said to his friend Mark, “I can slit my wrists, the blood will flow from my wrists for awhile, but I’ll never grow weak, and the wound will heal within a few moments.”
    “You’re freaking crazy..” Mark replied, “I don’t believe a word of this. And wouldn’t if I was drunk off my a** and stoned outta my mind.”
    “Fine, you straight?” Jared asked as he grabbed a kitchen knife.
    “As a nail. What are you doing?”
    “Showing you.” Jared replied as he drug the knife across his arm, from the elbow down, “Watch.” he said as the blood began to drip on the floor.
    “Dude!” Mark yelled as he grabbed a towel and wrapped Jared’s arm up.
    “Take that off and look!” Jared yelled as Mark fought with him,
    “Alright, fine.” Mark said as he removed the towel and looked at Jared’s arm. “What the hell?”
    “I told you. I won’t die.”
    “You’re freaking kidding me.” Mark whispered as he washed Jared’s arm off. “There isn’t a cut..”
    “I told you,” Jared replied as he sat down.
    “How did you find this out?”
    Jared smiled, “About three months ago.” he replied as he began to tell Mark the story of the fire.

    “During the summer of 04 I was in Canada filming a movie, I forget which one, but we’d all been joking around, and drinking of course.” he paused as Mark nodded, “Well, there was a girl there named Sarah, her and I had started a minor relationship, I really liked her. I really did. I was gonna have her move to the states with me when the movie was complete. Well, one day, we were all in the make up trailer, and the door jammed, we didn’t know it, it was after a long day a shooting and we were all drinking and removing our make up and there was an electrical shortage and it started a fire. Well, the sprinkler system had been shut down, for reasons unknown still, and the door was jammed, as I said, we tried to get out, but the door wouldn’t budge. And the fire grew, and consumed everything it touched, right down to the people that got in it’s way. The glass of the windows, some a** had made it plexiglass, the unbreakable crap, ya know? Well, I finally got the screws unscrewed and the window off, and I jumped out the window and I thought Sarah was behind me, but she wasn’t. The mirror had fallen over and trapped her. She ended up burning to death, eight people died with her. I was the only person who got out.”

    “Holy hell man, how come I didn’t hear about this?” Mark asked,
    “I don’t know. It was all over the news in Canada, maybe American didn’t really care. But, three months ago, I’d quit seeing my therapist over this, and decided I was going to kill myself, the guilt of being the only person to make it out was to much for me. I lost my girlfriend and my friends. All of them in one setting.” Jared paused, “I went to the cemetery where Sarah was buried and put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger. I woke up an hour later in the hospital, doctors standing around me in shock, the bullet had forced itself out of my head in front of them and the hole healed. They say I am a walking miracle.”
    “Sounds like you are.” Mark nodded,
    “Yea, well when I shot myself, I seen Sarah again. She told me that it wasn’t time for me to go yet, that there were plans for me, and I had to finish those plans before I could go on.”
    “Wow, man. That’s pretty deep.”
    “Yeah, well, it hasn’t changed me wanting to die. I try every day to kill myself, and I either wake up an hour later with blood on the floor and no wound or else the wounds heal right in front of me.”
    “Wow, who else knows about this?” Mark asked,
    “Just you. Don’t tell anyone else.” Jared responded. “I don’t know what the plan is for me, but I do know there is one.”
    “Creepy man. Hey, I hate to cut this short, but I’ve gotta go. I’m supposed to meet the guys at the studio in fifteen minutes.” Mark winced.
    “That’s cool, I’ll talk to ya later then man,” Jared replied “I’ve got some things I need to do also.” he finished as they both left the house, and headed different directions.

    Jared stopped his travel at a local coffee shop, he put his car in park and sat tapping his steering wheel for awhile, not sure what to do. Sighing he stepped out of his car, and shut the door, narrowly escaping being hit by a car that drove too close.
    “Oh well, wouldn’t have killed me anyway.” he grumbled as he started around his car and into the sidewalk, “Damn assholes should watch where they’re-” he stopped with a grunt as he walked into a young woman. “Oh shi-, excuse me.” he said as he turned and caught sight of the woman. “um, I’m Jared.” he said as he held out his hand to the woman. “Jared Masters.” She smiled and shook his hand, her dark brown hair falling in her face, covering her blue green eyes.
    “I’m Riley.” she replied, “Riley Tomas.”

    Over the next few months Jared continued to see Riley, bumping into her here and there, practically every where he went.
    “I’m starting to think you’re stalking me.” Riley laughed as she and Jared had a cup of coffee.
    “I swear I’m not stalking you, but it is rather awkward that we keep running into each other, don’t you agree?” he asked as she nodded.
    “Almost like someone is trying to get us together,” she joked as Jared went pale. “What’s wrong?”
    “You’re not going to believe me even if I told you.” Jared chuckled as he continued staring out the coffee shop window.
    “Try me.” Riley replied as she stared deep in his eyes.
    “Okay, I thought I just seen my ex-girlfriend.” he said,
    “And that caused you to go pale, why?”
    “She’s dead.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry.” Riley replied, “How did she die?”
    “She died in a fire. As did several of my friends.” Jared whispered, “Three years ago, I was in Canada and the make up trailer caught on fire and the door got jammed up.”
    “You.. You were?” Riley replied as it began to rain outside.
    Jared nodded, “I was the only person who made it out sadly. I gotta admit, I‘m kinda tired of feeling guilty for being the only person who made it out.”
    “Understandable. I feel guilty for something like that too.” she replied “Why do you feel guilty?”
    “I still feel guilty for not getting anyone out, but I thought they were right behind me, ya know?” he asked as she nodded, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be using you as a therapist.”
    “Its okay. Really, I don’t mind.” she smiled, “Hey, I’ve gotta get going. I left my dog out side, and he stinks when he gets wet.” she laughed,
    “Okay, I’ll talk to you later?” Jared asked as she nodded.
    “Yeah. Most defiantly.” she smirked as she leaned across the table and gave him a kiss on the cheek, before standing up and going to her car.

    “I can’t believe I’m falling for her.” Jared whispered as he ran his hand across his cheek where she had kissed him. About fifteen minutes later he left a tip at the table and walked out the door,
    “Jared?” came a female voice,
    “Yes?” he asked as he turned to see Riley standing behind him,
    “Hi, I hate to ask this, but, some jerk ran into my car and completely totaled it. Do you think you could give me a lift to my house?”
    “Yea, sure. Where do you live?” he asked,
    “1544 Cheshire drive.” she replied, as she followed him to his car.

    As they arrived at his car he opened the door for her and ran around the other side to drivers door and jumped in and started the car up.
    “Hey, ya know that kiss I gave you at the coffee shop?” Riley asked as she blushed,
    “Yes.” Jared replied as he side glanced her, “What about it?”
    “I can do better then that.” she replied as she leaned over and kissed him deeply.

    A few moments later, the kiss was done, and Jared was backing the car out if the stall. He pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main street, and began driving down towards Riley’s house. As he neared the speed limit the lights up a head told him to pull over, that the police were needing through, as he began to pull to the right side of the road, the car the police had been chasing creamed into the front end of Jared’s car. Completely totaling the vehicle, as the man got out and began to run on foot.

    “Jared, where are we?” Riley asked as she looked around. “What is this place?”
    “I, I don’t know.” he replied as he too surveyed the surrounds. “It’s all, white.”
    “Do you think,” she trailed off.
    “That car?” he asked as she nodded, “Yea. I think it happened.”
    “But why us?”
    “I don’t know. I don’t know why it finally happened now.”
    “What do you mean now?” Riley asked, suspension in her voice, “You haven’t been able to, either?”
    “Able to die?” he asked as she nodded again. He shook his head. “No. Not for three years.”
    “It wasn’t your time either?” she asked, he nodded. “Same here.”
    “Are you okay with this?” he asked as she sat on the floor,
    “Do I really have a choice?” she chuckled, “I mean, I’d wanted to go, but couldn’t. I guess I had survivors guilty also.”
    “That sucks.” Jared replied as a bright light shown down on them.

    “Jared Masters and Riley Tomas?” a woman asked as she walked out from the light, they nodded, “Right on time,” she paused as a book appeared in front of her, “Or rather. You’re early and late at the same time.”
    “What do you mean?” Jared asked the woman, “Sarah?”
    “I was known as Sarah one point in time, and what I mean is you both were supposed to die in the fire, but managed to make it out.”
    “What?” Jared asked, “She was in that fire also?”
    “Yes. She was brought out unconscious.” Sarah replied, “She didn’t know of you until today. And you both were supposed to die that day along with your friends.”
    “Why don’t I remember you being there, Riley?” Jared asked,
    “I worked in the background. The assistant of the make up artist, I was in the bathroom of the trailer when the fire started, and ironically, the door jammed also.” Riley replied as Sarah nodded,
    “You’re both worthy of heaven. But since you made it out once, you have been granted a new life. You’d return to your bodies, and be okay, or you can stay here and your earthly bodies die.” Sarah told them, “I’ll give you a few minutes to think and talk it over.” she said as she disappeared into the light once more, leaving Jared and Riley alone.

    “What are you going to do?” Riley asked from her position on the floor.
    “I thought I was ready to die, but, I’m not really ready. I still have so much I want to do.” Jared replied as he sat next to her.
    “Same here.” she sighed, “I want to end the pain of my earth life, but yet, I’m not ready to go.”
    “So, you lied about being okay with this?” Jared laughed as Riley shook her head,
    “If I wasn’t given the option to go back, I would have been okay with it. But, I know if I stay here and you stay, we’ll be together, if we go back we might not be.” she replied,
    Jared smiled, “I really doubt that’d happen. When I left the coffee shop I knew I’d finally found happiness once more, and I don’t want to loose that, even it it’s me going to heaven and still able to be with you. Because all the things I want to do, I want you to share it with me.”
    “So, we’re going back, together?” Riley asked,
    “Together.” Jared replied “And we’ll stay together until it’s our time.”
    “I can tell you that if you do go back, you will leave together, again.” Sarah said as she appeared once more. “So, two tickets for earth?”
    “Yes.” Riley replied as Sarah smiled,
    “So it is done.” he said as the white light began to rush away from them both.

    “Jared? Jared can you hear me?” came the voice of a man, as Jared felt a cold wet sensation on his skin.
    “Riley? Riley, if you can hear me give me a sign.” came the voice of a woman,
    “Jared?” the man’s voice said becoming a little more excited as Jared gasped, filling his lungs with the earthly air once more. A few seconds later, Jared heard Riley gasp for air as well, as he felt people hoisting him onto a stretcher.
    “Riley?” Jared groaned as he tried to open his eyes, “Riley?” he said more forcefully his eyes opened as he looked around for her,
    “Jared?” came Riley’s voice, “Jared, where are you?”
    “Riley, I’m coming.” Jared said as he tried to sit up, even though the paramedics pushed him back down on the stretcher. “Let me go, I’m okay.” he said as one continued to look him over,
    “Jared, we need to take you to the hospital, you’ve been in a bad car crash. Ms. Riley will be right behind us in another ambulance.” the paramedic said as they put him in the ambulance and rushed him to the hospital.

    Within an hour, Jared’s cut eyebrow had been stitched up, as he sat waiting for them to finish stitching Riley’s forearm.
    “It’s a miracle you two even survived that crash. From what I’ve heard the car was completely totaled. They said you both were completely caged inside the car, it took them almost an hour to get you out.” the doctor said as he finished Riley’s arm. “The paramedics said that you both appeared to be dead on the scene, and they had called the cornier and everything.” he laughed, “Then suddenly, you started becoming pink again, the blue gray coloring was fading and you were moving, scared the s**t out of the cornier.” he paused as he put the last stitch in, “So, where will you go now that you’re both still alive?”
    “I’m not sure yet.” Riley smiled, “I’m just happy to be alive.”
    “I am too.” Jared replied as he and Riley left the hospital, where they would start their lives together, and more then likely, end them together.

    “I want to be buried in the cemetery near the old oak tree next to you when I go. Okay?” Riley asked as Jared laughed,
    “Yea. We’ll be buried together.” he said as he laid a red rose on Sarah’s grave. “Right next to her, the one who gave us a second chance.”
    “Sounds good to me.” Riley smiled as she laid a rose down also, “Thank you Sarah.” she said as she and Jared walked off towards the car. Thunder rumbling in the distance as the rain began to fall.

    “Your welcome.” echoed in the thunder as they drove off.

    So, this is another story I wrote, the story idea came from the song "The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars. I also have another story called "The love of Death" up