Prologue Part 1 If I die before I wake, to whom do I pray my soul to take?

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Locking my truck I pull my hood over my head to shield my ears from the cold wind. Winter has definitely come at last, it's a bit late this year. Maybe more people will start buying into global warming...Nah I wonder that every year. At least the snowboarding should be good this season.

The tiny snowflakes begin to descend from the night sky. Chancing a peek up, I can only sigh at the murky sky. This damn city smog is blocking any view of the stars or the approaching storm.

The sleet has been trying to take over the world all day, the path from the parking lot to my apartment is covered in black ice.

My sister chooses now to call me, “Hello.”.

After a minute of her rambling, “Yes sis, for the tenth time you’ve asked today, I’m sure I don't mind watching the kids tomorrow. No I won't let the girls stay up watching slasher movies. Have a good night.”

I hang up and resume my little icy adventure in the parking lot, sliding every so often just for fun. I didn't say anything about killer space aliens, Muhahaha!

After navigating the death trap I begin my slow ascent up the stairs. The cold makes my knee sore, one of those wounds that just like to annoy you the rest of your life.

Light is coming out my front window, I unlock the door step inside.

While taking off my jacket, “Babe you here?”

Nothing, she usually texts me if she's coming over. Maybe I just left the lights on this morning.

Walking into the kitchen I grab a beer from the fridge. As I snap the cap off with my military ring I notice my dog hasn't come to greet me as usual.

“Tesla…..I'm home girl..”

Now I see it, the note on the counter.

Placing the beer on the counter with a thud I pick up the three sheets of paper.

It’s clearly written by my girlfriend, “This can't be good”

Taking a seat on the couch I begin to read, “Dear bla bla bla, she write a fucking novel? Where’s my dog?”

We haven’t even been dating a year yet, this is way over kill.

Skimming through the notes I pass many ridiculous phases; cold, irresponsible, childish… Does she not realize she’s the one who was jobless and still living with her mother?

I find what I'm looking for on the last page, she met a nice guy who owns a Laundromat and is taking my dog because she thinks I can't take care of it…. What the fuck?

I’ve had that dog for five years?!

Wow, I’ve never had to call the police on a girl after a breakup before, this is a new low.

I sigh and lean back on the couch. Construction work may not be a glamorous job but they pay me really well and have been really great working around my bad knee.

Looking at years’ worth of pictures on the wall I start to reminisce. The floor to ceiling map tells the story of my own grand adventure. The red pins circle the earth, photos show deserts, oceans, the largest cities in the world, beautiful beaches, and some of the dirtiest bars one could imagine.

On my fourth deployment a damn bullet that ricocheted off a wall and into my knee brought my fun to a bitter end.

This is my reward for my years of service, a lonely apartment and a stupid college girl stealing my dog.

Other pictures on the wall go clear back to high school, those were the days. I used to take off on the weekends and let the roads lead me on whatever grand adventure the Midwest has to see.

Sounds like a fine idea about now.

Grabbing a bottle of whiskey from my cabinet I head out my door.

The snow is picking up but I don't care, it’s a beautiful night to get lost, leave the annoying glow of the city lights behind and just drive.

As the hours slip by I managed to take count of all the girls I dated at some point...32. That's more than one per year.

I’m not sure to whether to be proud or more depressed.

My rear wheels doing a momentary fishtail brings me back into the moment. This truck just got new tires this year. The road ahead is completely concealed by my headlights reflecting of the snowfall.

A white out, fortunately this portion of the highway should be a long straight away...or not, seems I’ve been driving longer than I thought. While lost in my thoughts and my excessively loud stereo I failed to notice my gas gauge approach empty or the road signs telling me I was nearing the border.

The slight reflections of the posts on either side of the highway are the only thing telling me I’m still on the road.

If I pull over I may risk getting buried in the snow or hit by another vehicle.

I kill the headlights and use my lowlights to cut down on the refection in the snow. The road starts to curve and snake. I must be entering the mountains, this is bad.

As if to tell me ‘no shit’ the wind suddenly slams the side of my truck sending me into a slide. My tires find nothing but ice as I try to correct.

The pine trees come into view in almost slow motion, my frantic cranking of the wheel feels completely pointless in the face of this wind and ice.

I let go and sigh, “Well fuck it.”

The sound of the impact is blocked from my mind as I see the passenger side of my truck crumple towards me like a tin can. Glass shatters, branches rush in, my stomach lurches like suddenly falling, everything gets turned on its head.

My eyes clamp shut, the pain is worse than anything I’ve ever experienced. I can feel the vehicle swaying. Blood is rushing to my head.

Wind, a howling gale, though muffled it is the only sound I can hear anymore. Well, unless you count my uneven breathing.

I reach for the bottle under my seat, at the slight touch of my fingers it slips past my hand and hits my chin.

“AH GOD DAMMIT!”

Wrenching open my eyes it's clear that everything is indeed upside down. My stereo is still going with my 90s grunge… Ironically the current song is one of my favorites and the chorus repeats the words “In the pines.”

Branches have broken through every window, one of the branches happens to have impaled my arm and the right side of my chest.

Held upside down by my seatbelt and impaled by a tree I still scream along with the last verse of the song with all my might.

I cough up blood with a smile, guess the branch penetrated my lung. This fucking pine tree, from the branch stabbed into my now numb arm I’d say it’s a blue spruce

Great, a final act of defiance, I’ve damaged a state tree.

“Pardon my blood stains, who said you could grow here anyway, asshole tree.”...

Great I’m talking to the fucking trees now.

Fuck it, why not?

“Hey Blue, you don’t mind if I call you that right? Anyway, what am I doing here huh? Why did I think north sounded better than south?”

Silence…

“Too good to talk to me, huh Blue? Well go to hell... fuckin tree”

Speaking of hell, I wonder what is waiting for me here. My phone isn't getting any signal and I don't see how I’m going to move let alone get out of the truck and down from the tree. The truck being on upside-down is probably the only reason I'm not getting buried in snow.

Frozen to death was never my ideal way to go.

Hell sounds warm but I don’t like the idea of hell, seems pointless. Why bother with endless punishment, no thank you.

And heaven, fluffy clouds and happy go fuckin lucky times, booooring.

Reincarnated as some animal like an elk or whatever? Might not be too bad, at least I could still get laid.

But they get parasites, put in zoos, short lives until some jackass shoots them out of season. No thanks, I’d rather my next life doesn’t end with my head on a wall.

Well, not that frozen in this tomb is any better.

“Built tough my ass, couldn't beat Blue here could ya shitty truck.” don’t mind my bitching I’m just enjoying my icy deathbed.

That’s right a bed is a bed, as my grave I’ll lie in it.

I flick the switch to recline the seat but my impaled arm keeps me from straightening out.

At least I’ll pass out before I actually die.

I look right, “fuck you tree.”

Truly lovely last words, may they be etched on my tombstone should my body ever be found.

But last they were, after that I closed my eyes and that’s all she wrote.

Dead, or at least, in this lifetime.

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A/n: Welcome new readers and old ones! enjoy the story, heres my Twitter, i try to say when im about to post or what im workin on.

Docnoximus