The piercing sound of his alarm brought him back from the dead of sleep.

  7:35… I’m late for work, again. It’s the second time this week - or is it the third? Either way, I should probably get up now.

  Jake leaned over and turned off the alarm. “One more minute shouldn’t hurt,” he said to himself as he snuggled back under the sheets. He could already hear Mr. Gilbert, his shift manager, babbling about how he’d fire him if he didn’t get his act together and stop being so lazy. It was a common misconception to consider him lazy; he never thought of himself as that, rather, “He just really enjoys doing nothing”. And it had been like that for a while.

  He didn’t have any physical features that stood out. Average height, standing at around 5'10”. His hair was scruffy, jet black, falling in medium-length waves around his face. He wasn’t necessarily that muscular, but then again, he’d probably be able to hold his own against most opponents his age.

  Ever since Jake could remember, he could never be bothered to participate in energetic activities. He never saw the point in them. Yet, for some unknown reason, he once signed up for his school’s track team. For the life of him, he couldn’t remember what was going through his mind his last year in middle school, but for the first time, he found something he was good at. He easily passed the tryouts, ranking 2nd out of the dozen of participants. The track team went on to fail miserably at the nationals that year. It was the most attraction he’d ever gotten, but for all the wrong reasons. That was the last time he ever participated in any sort of activity that wasn’t out of necessity.

  He dropped out of high school only 3 years later as a Junior. The stress, anxiety, and work exerted into something he couldn’t care less about had gotten the best of him. A few months later, he moved out of his parents’ house. Their relationship had deteriorated to the point of no return. To them, he could only be described as a burden.

  At some point, he stopped believing anything mattered. You’re born, you grow up, get married, have kids, get old and die somewhere along the way. Whether you were completely poor or the richest guy alive, everyone shared the same beginning and ending. Therefore, nothing mattered, right? Everyone always seemed to make a big deal out of what they wanted to be when they grew up, when statistically, only the bare minimum accomplished that dream of theirs. Take him, for example, if when he was a kid they asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he probably wouldn’t have said a fast-food worker.

  He found himself a job at a local fast food place, which barely provided the funds to afford his current half- crappy apartment. But that wasn’t going to last long…

  I wonder if today’s the day I’ll finally be fired.

  He glanced at his clock and was sure of it.

  Yup, today’s my last day.

  8:10 AM

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  ***

  It was 8:30 AM when Jake finally stepped foot at work. To his surprise, instead of being greeted by his severance pay in a manila envelope, he was met by Lynn, a co-worker of his. She was actively speaking on a POTS telephone—because that’s still a thing, apparently—when he abruptly entered the office. After a few “mhmm” and “I’ll make sure to do that” she finally hung up and looked his way.

  “You’re late,” she said. “The manager called in sick today. I’ll be in charge. I managed to cover up for you, but you won’t be so lucky next time.”

  All Jake managed to do was scratch his head and raise his hand in an apologetic sort of gesture.

  Lynn sighed and, just before leaving the room, playfully punched his arm, “At least try to be on time next time… please.” If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she was worried about him.

  That would be a first.

  The following hours were like any other. He worked, lazed around, interacted, and left. At no point did he do something that wasn’t out of necessity.

  9:12 PM

  If it hadn’t been for Lynn, Jake would’ve been catching some zzz's in his apartment by 5. Instead, she insisted that he should work overtime as compensation for his morning tardy and he figured he’d use less energy if he agreed rather than argue.

  He had lost the key to his single-bedroom apartment. If not for the typical ‘under-the-carpet backup key’, he would’ve slept outside instead of going back to work to find it. He entered the apartment to be greeted by the piles of dishes in the sink. How’d they even get there? He couldn’t remember the last time he used plates.

  Good luck to the future me who’ll have to deal with it.

  He went straight to his room, not bothering to undress. Suddenly, there was a loud crack of thunder, and the lights flickered before going out altogether. Strangely, the power outage didn’t faze him as he sat in the silent darkness, listening to the downpour. Something about a rainy night comforted him. Perhaps it was the fact that it matched his mood.

  He was just about to lie flat down on his bed when he heard the doorbell ring for the first time in weeks. Who could it be? He thought to himself.

  The landlord? Is he coming for an inspection this late at night? During an electric shortage?

  Jake almost chuckled, something he hadn’t done in a while.

  Could never be me.

  Against the will of his entire soul, he sighed and went to the door. What he saw through his peephole took him aback. He opened the door.

  “Oh, hey Lynn, what gives?”

  “Um, hey Jake,” her pretty hair was drenched in water. “You forgot these at work, so I thought I’d bring them to you.” She said as she handed him a small bag that probably contained his wallet, phone, and key.

  “Well damn, can’t believe you went through the trouble of bringing them all the way here. You should come inside and dry yourself,” is what he meant to say.

  Instead the words stumbled out awkwardly, “Oh, uh, thanks. I can’t believe-”

  The bag slowly slipped away from his grip.

  Something is wrong.

  Then, the world tilted.

  Furniture scrapped across the floor. Objects inside the apartment flew. Loose change, clothing, utensils—lifted. Gravity had… shifted?

  He felt something unfamiliar.

  He staggered, holding onto the door for dear life as he heard a big thud from inside. Lynn was outside, just barely clinging onto a nearby pole, her eyes wide with terror.

  Jake looked down. His feet were no longer touching the floor. Was it an earthquake? No.

  The apartment stretched, warped, and collapsed inward. It was instead as if a black hole had torn open right in the middle of his apartment. His skin burned, depleting away as he gradually lost consciousness.

  Fear.

  Raw and in it’s purest form, it clawed through his chest.

  His grip on the doorframe slipped. His body lurched forward into the cold, endless void.

  What a hell of a way to die. Life sure is transient.