The End . . . Perhaps

Written for the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge with a word limit of 300.

The prompts: This story must contain the words: Surprise, Train and Mask

The End . . . Perhaps

The pain comes and goes in macabre synchronization with the morphine drip. I mostly just ignore it.

I know that I don’t have much time left; but I don’t know how to feel about it. Death is not something we train for.

Denial is a laughable possibility as my cancer is everywhere. Pretending it’s not serves no purpose.

I feel a transient sort of sadness. Early on, I mourned for myself. . . but lately, I’m mostly sad for those that I leave behind. I guess I’ve moved into acceptance.

I see my wife trying to put on a brave face as she adjusts my oxygen mask.

“You’re looking better today,” she says with a smile. Her eyes tell me a different story.

I try to smile but for some reason, I can’t seem to keep my eyes open . . .

Where is everyone? I’m feeling better; much better, in fact. Maybe I died. If so, how come I still have these tubes running everything? Where’s my white light. Damn it! I’ve lived a good life – I deserve a white light!

Wait. My family is all here.

A wall of well-wishers forms around my skin and bone shroud. I can hear their voices and feel their touches. They are alive and thus, so am I. Hopefully that white light is still out there waiting for me.

As they stand around me, I look at each face in turn. My three children are there along with their mother; my wife of forty-eight years.

I watch as the doctor enters through the door followed by a very bright light and then everyone suddenly becomes someone else. There is Mom and Dad along with my grandparents. They’re holding balloons and plates of cake and ice cream.

They all laugh and shout, “Surprise!”

Word Count 300