Crystal Waters

Was this what death was like? I didn't feel dead. I had no idea what dead felt like. I felt sleep. All that people say about resting in peace is a bunch of bullshit. My sleep wasn't peaceful. A replay of the last few minutes of my life played before me as if I was the only person in the audience of a small walk-in theatre. I saw Jeremy. His lower lip seemed to vibrate. He was scared as hell. And then there was Rock, his hand itching towards his gun.The dispute of the tunnel.Then the back draft of fire and wind when the warehouse roof seemed to cave in. I saw myself vividly saying, "You got a better idea?" Then Jeremy, "Yeah." "Well, don't just sit there mothafuckal What is it?" Then Jeremy. "The elevator!- We didn't waste any time questioning his decision. We sprinted for the elevator. Rock, Jeremy, me, and the two Dobermans. As soon as we entered the elevator Jeremy hit the button for the second floor,and in between the first and second floor he pulled the EMERGENCY STOP. He opened the little phone box door and started tampering with wires. I saw a small spark,and then everything went dark. He somehow sparked something and It shorted all the power in the building. Little sound that go unnoticed,white noise,was now amplified. My ears started to tune in to minute noises that were muted only seconds ago. Icould hear the scurry of little mice or something coming from somewhere in the walls. I could no longer hear the sounds of the activity going on inside the warehouse,but the poisonous smoke from the burning helicopter was penetrating the walls.We were lodged directly above it. Ihad started to feel the heat from the flames begin to warm the elevator floor,that's around the time I had passed out. That's aliicould remember. But now my thoughts intruded on my instincts. How did the feds know we were here anyway? So soon? And why would they raid? Why now? That's whenIrealized my eyes were open. I was alive! I could hear the dogs,or what Ifound out seconds later,one dog,Sheba;the female, whining and growling and scratching herself as if she had crabs. As my consciousness began to come back to me, my senses sharpened. There was no more smoke. But there was something else. Pain. Serious pain and itchiness all over my neck,face, and arms. And feces. Someone shitted their pants. Then Iheard a sound. Low sniffles. "Jeremy? Rock?" No answer. There was a little things crawling on me. Every now and then Iwould get a little sting, then a numb feeling. Iquickly searched my Glrbaud jeans. Ifound my lighter. Flicked it on. The first thing Ilooked for was the location of the sniffles. It was Jeremy. He was sitting crouched snuggly in a corner with his legs pulled to his chest. His face and arms had welts all over them. They looked like large hives the color of the yoke of a boiled egg. Then Isaw through my peripheralvision,only a few feet to my right was Rock. Iheard a loud gasp from somewhere. Then Irealized it was me.That made me angry. Ihated to show even the slightest weakness in front of people,and Ialmost never did,but Icouldn't suppress the overwhelming sadness of what I saw. instinctively Icovered my mouth with my hand,and I dosed my eyes as tight as Icould. To witness one of my comrades die a tragic death of such magnitude was something I simply couldn't process. Rock was laid-out on his back. His eyes were open.So was his mouth. He was alive, but his body was completely covered with small insects. I thought they were ants, at first, but upon closer inspection I realized what they were. Spiders. Small black spiders. And fast. Very fast for a spider. They were eating him alive! Though me and Maurice been going to church with Josh and Josh's grandmother, Mrs. Benson, every Sunday since we were very young, I was still never considered a religious man, but it's weird that after I saw what was happening to Rock, and what I felt almost certain was gonna happen to me; that not only was my life going to come to an end, but that It was gonna come to a tragic one • I called on God. I prayed like I never prayed before. But this time I felt absolutely sure that God was l istening. And at the end of my prayer I asked God to guide me. "Let me know what to do now, God." "You're gonna have to kill him."