Falling to Inferno

This wasn’t something where, as I fell, my life flashed before my eyes, or anything like that dramatic nonsense. Actually, the first thing that went through my mind was, “Alex.” I know that seems kind of silly, but she was the girl around whom my life revolved. Every summer I looked forward to seeing her. Every winter I longed for her to be by my side. I had never felt more heart-wrenching terror at this moment; the thought of being without her too horrible to bear. I thought that I would die if I were without her; every second was painful.

But when she was with me, she lit up my world. It was as if she radiated light. But when she smiled demurely and looked at the ground, I knew she was shy. I didn’t know why, because she was so beautiful. People stopped talking and looked at her when she entered a room. And she was about to lose me, because I was falling fast towards scorching lava.

Suddenly I felt as if I was watching from a different perspective. I saw my black hair swirl in the volcano’s winds and my coaly eyes go wide. My lank body was flung backwards and my dark hands reached out for a purchase, and found that it was useless. I saw Alex’s wonderful pink lips part as she mouthed my name, ‘Nico’, and then I wanted to kiss her more than any other moment. I then realized that I wasn’t going to be able to; I would never have a chance to be with her. I would never get to hug her, kiss her, or comfort her, which was something I had wanted to do since the first time I had seen her.

I had been to afraid to admit it; too afraid that I wouldn’t be good enough for a girl like her. I didn’t want to face the hurt of being turned down, so I had never told her a thing. But I think she guessed. I know she guessed by the way she looked at me sometimes, in the calculating way that sometimes creeped me out. It was scary, the way it felt like Alex could just look right through someone with those bright blue eyes of hers, the ones at which, when I looked, could portray so many different emotions at the same time.

I knew, right then and there, that as I fell through the mouth of the volcano, she would miss me. At least, that’s what I hoped. I honestly didn’t know what she would think once I was gone. Would she feel freer with other guys, since I was dead? Would she care at all?

Or would she grieve my death, and swear never to be with another guy again? Not that she was with me, just that she was like my best friend. She was the person I could trust with my secrets; she was the person I knew would never betray me as long as I lived. But that was as long as I lived. And right now, I didn’t think I was going to live long, seeing as I saw falling right towards the boiling lava inside the volcano.

“Alex,” I whispered, right before I blacked out because of the heat the lava was spewing towards me.