• A short fictional story about a man who experiences one day of unexpected surprises.

    As I got up from bed, I could tell it was going to be one of those days again. The kind where everyone around you is going to annoy you and every single sound you hear is nothing but a buzzing sound you want to get rid off. I put my jeans on and shirt in order to head for the bathroom. My routine is simple, common, but never changing. Just like any other day, my dog whom I have decided to call BamBam comes rushing at me from around the hall corner. He is always happy to see me but I never let him sleep in my room due to all the hair he tends to shed. I calm him down and head over to the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for my day. I can hear BamBam waiting outside, howling because he thinks I am never going to come out of the bathroom ever again.

    Everything else I do follows pretty much like the day before: Get up, dress up, bathroom, kitchen where I will drink two cups of coffee with eggs and ham, go back to my room and change to my work clothes which consist of a navy blue shirt and then simply putting my shoes on, grabbing my keys, cell phone with headphones and hat then head out the door. I wave goodbye to BamBam from outside. He can see me because for some reason, my house has a set of French doors in the front. He can clearly see me leaving so I always wave goodbye. I put my headphones on and start listening to one of my favorite bands Linkin Park. The music is always the same like any other day I live.

    The walk begins from my home on 5th street, heading north into town and continuing past it until I reach my destination which takes about an hour and a half. I walk past my old high school, past gas stations and head into the main boulevard. It was then that my commonly daily routine was turned for the worst. As I walked past the mini shops, a group of men walk by me, not saying anything not doing anything except walking. When they crossed my path, I began to get a sick feeling deep down in the pit of my stomach. I continue walking and then it came down on me.

    The knife pierced my back and the blade slides down into the lower half of my body as I feel the blood pouring and pain searing all around my back. I let out a small scream of pain, but to lifeless ears as everyone seems to simply continue with their business. I fall to the ground with my eyes starring off across the street and notice that everyone was simply walking by. No one turned to look at the events being done before their very eyes. The assailants then take everything from me. Cell phone gone, keys gone, they even took my shoes. I continue to stare across the street hoping someone would walk by and offer me help...but no one came. No one came for what seemed a very long time. The sunlight was hitting my cheek and I could feel it burning from the heat. Finally, a little girl walked by in the kind of dress that seemed fitting for the poor: it was torn at one end and the colors were not exactly a compliment to her big blue eyes.

    She said to me: "Que te pasa? Estas sangrando..." I really could not respond. In between the pain from the wound and the feeling of loss in my stomach deep down, I felt hopeless in some ways. Finally, I heard another voice, the child's mother I suppose. She said: "Come over here now! Don't get near him!" I could see only her footsteps, her shoes as filthy as the girls dress as she grabbed her from her wrist and pulled her away. "Can someone...help me...?" I said weakly. I wondered then what it was about the situation that made people not want to help me. Was it because they didn't want to get involved? Was it because they have never seen something like this before? Or was it plain old fear creeping up their bones?

    Time went by, but still I lived. Later, the cops told me I had been on the floor for about a good 30 minutes before the police finally arrived. 30 minutes... Is that how long it takes for someone to get aid around here? When I arrived at the hospital, the doctors took a look at my wound and fixed it right up. I stayed there for about three days. When I called my job to let them know what had happened, they said to take as much time as I needed to heal. I buried my face in the pillow where they had set me, trying to avoid anyones gaze. The doctors came back, and when I turned to look at them, the nurse had a grave look on her face.

    The doctor said: "We believe you have gotten an infection. This infection is like nothing we have ever seen. We will do what we can, but most likely, you are not going to make it past this night due to the fact that the infection has begun to shut down your body." He showed me an x-ray, but I didn't understand it. He explained to me that my organs were shutting down at rapid speed. I was surprised and in horror. I felt my heart beating faster and faster. Finally, I told them to leave me alone so I could die in peace. They all left then, and right before the door closed, I saw the nurse giving me a sad look with her eyes.

    The night seemed to go on forever. I lay there with my eyes wide open and wondered briefly if I was going to feel any kind of pain. I wanted to stay awake. I felt as if I slept, I would never rise to see the sun again. Nor my dog, or my house, not my co-workers...no one. It was then that I asked myself "What exactly are you leaving behind? Anything important?" The answer I came upon was simple, yet true. I have lived for 20 years and yet I had no children, no girlfriends, I have never done anything fun really. I had no brothers or sisters, both my parents where dead already.

    Maybe this was my time. Maybe it would be best to die here and now I figured. I closed my eyes and began counting backwards from 100. When I reached 1, I fell asleep. I awoke then in my room, dazed and confused. I looked at my cell phone and noticed it was the exact same day. My clothes were just as I had left them. I could here the footsteps of my dog in my living room. So...it was all a dream?

    When I reached the boulevard this time, instead of walking down the street, I took a side street and continued towards work. After that day, I always take the side streets and never go down the boulevard again. I could tell then that this day was going to be much like all the other days I have lived before. The kind where everyone around you is going to annoy you and every single sound you hear is nothing but a buzzing sound you want to get rid off.

    One thing was different, however. I walk a little faster to work now.