I died.

The meaning of those two short words cannot be fully comprehended until they are

experienced. My death came about as a series of unfortunate circumstances, which stacked up to bring about this less than desirable outcome. I am, however, proud of the original action in my final minutes even though it set of the chain of events that caused my death.

It all started with a decision to go for a late night jog. The crisp cool night air made for excellent jogging weather. As I was passing my first mile marker, a gas station, I notice that an altercation was taking place in the parking lot. Two men are grabbing and pushing a young woman around. My first thought was to call the police and let them handle it. I am not especially chivalrous or anything. I pull my phone out of my pocket to dial the police but the girl shouts loud enough for me to hear over my headphones. The combination of the girl’s shout and the adrenaline pumping music changed my mind. I took out my headphones and walked over towards the group, full of intent to protect the girl. Unfortunately the first mistake I made that night was that very action. If I had called the cops or had been listening to more relaxing music maybe it would have ended with less disastrous results. Regardless, I made the choice and I’m still glad I am the kind of man who would protect rather than the kind that ignores a bleeding person on the street.

As I approach the group I start to be able to make out what they are shouting about.

“… Hey, get your hands of me you jerks.”

The girl smacks the guy’s hands of her and shoves him away.

“Woman, how dare you!”

One of the guy’s grabs her by the hair and throws her to the ground. Crap, this is getting bad rather quickly.

“Hey, what are you doing to a girl!?” I shouted as I ran over.

I push the guys away from the girl and help her to her feet.

“Are you alright miss?” I asked

She wipes the dirt off her skirt and looks at me fearfully.

“… yea… thanks.” She said shakily

“Hey you, this is none of your business!”

Wow, what a bad guy phrase. I turn back towards them and look them over. One man is a rather large but it appears more like fat than muscle. The other is more solidly built and is closer to the ground. Neither of them seem to be injured and they don’t appear to be particularly dangerous. I did, however, smell alcohol on their breath. Honestly, I could probably have taken them after all I am rather accomplished Martial Arts practitioner. I was however, taught to be a fair man by my father so I thought I would at least hear them out before fighting with them.

“Hey, you should get out of here okay go on.” I said over my shoulder.

“..Okay... are you going to be alright?” she asked with a sliver of fear in her voice.

“Yea just go.”

I nudged her towards the gas station away from the two guys. One of the guys moves to intercept us to stop her from leaving.

“Hey where are you going, bitch did we say you could leave?”

“Listen man, I don’t want any trouble okay just leave the girl alone and get out of here.” I said in my calmest voice.

“Naw man, screw you that bitch isn’t any of your business so you should get on up out of here if you know what’s good for ya?”

The bigger guy continues toward the girl and I position myself between them.

“Hey man, you should probably let her go okay. You’re a little drunk okay so just go walk it off alright?” I said trying to reason with them

The guy shows no sign of stopping and continues towards me. The smaller guy also starts his approach.

“Negotiations have broken down huh...” I sighed.

“Man, just get out of the way before you get hurt.” The smaller man shouted.

“No man, it’s too late for that lets take this guy down then we’ll deal with her.”

The large guy charges towards me or actually more like lumbers towards me. Since the girl is still behind me I can’t really throw him or redirect his charge so my options are rather limited. I quickly move into his charge and step down on his knee. His knee makes a popping sound and he crashes to the ground.

“Oww… My leg.” He said writhing in agony on the ground

The man is rolling on the ground holding his knee and I see the blood dripping down from his hand. The smaller man is looking at his partner with utter shock on his face.

“What are you waiting for Howard take him down!!?” The fat guy shouted angrily

“Alright, Lenny I’ll get him for you.” shouted Howard and with what can only be described by as a war cry he charges towards me.

This was the second mistake of the night. I stepped into Howard’s charge and clotheslined him. Unfortunately, I missed his neck and instead hit his face. I see his eyes roll up and he drops to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

“HOWARD!!!” the girl screamed

The girl runs out from behind me and pushes me out of the way and grabs Howard's head. It appears that they all know one another. I sort of thought I was cool protecting a Damsel in distress but the look that this girl is giving me is a look of hatred more than affectionate. It seems like I got involved in a domestic dispute instead of an attack. Lenny starts crawling towards the girl and Howard.

“You stupid girl, I told Howard to leave you but he just had to come discipline you this is all your fault.”

“Hey man, just stop okay. I put a lot of force into the kick and your leg is probably broken. Let me call an ambulance okay?”

“No man, screw you. You stay out of this its family business...” Lenny said as he continued pulling his body towards the girl and Howard.

“Lenny, Howard’s not breathing what should I do!” she cried out

“Shut up, Jen, men are talking. Now you back off.”

“Wait, he’s not breathing? Move over let me see him.” I said panic seeping into my voice

This is my third mistake, I approach Howard and turn my back on both Jen and Lenny. I grab Howard’s wrist and check for a pulse only to find none. Just to make sure I also feel his neck for one but still to no avail.

“Crap, hey you, Jen right? Call an ambulance and tell them that they have one guy with a broken leg and another with no pulse. I’m going to do CPR okay, so I need you to move.”

I started compressions on Howard with sudden joy that CPR no longer requires mouth to mouth. A small trickle of blood is rolling down from his nose and his mouth has a large amount of blood coming from either side.

“You stupid girl, this is all your fault if Howard dies you won’t be far behind.” Lenny shouted

“I didn’t do it… he did… Lenny… It’s not my fault.” Jen said weakly

“Guys shut up and call the ambulance already.” I yelled at them both

“You hear that stupid do as you’re told!!”

“Lenny… Howard’s dead….” Jen cried out

“And whose fault is that! Oh yea yours!” Lenny retorted

“… No… Lenny… It’s his… not mine…That’s right it’s all his fault!!” Jen shouted angrily

I feel a sudden sharp pain on my back just below my shoulder blade. And another and another and another. I stop CPR and turn around I see Jen standing there with a bloody knife in her hand. I am rapidly losing strength in my arms and I can feel my blood pouring from the multiple stabs wounds. Jen stretches back for another stab when my hero leapt forth.

Lenny knocked the crazy woman to the ground, how he stood up I’ll never know but he did it. With my remaining strength I search my pockets for my phone and dial 911. I try to bring the phone to my ear but my hands are so weak that my phone falls from my grasp and lands on the ground.

“You… Grarggglee… Ugh…” Lenny spat out

I look over towards Lenny and see Jen covered in blood. No way, is that all mine it can’t be. I look at Lenny more closely and I notice that the knife is stuck in his throat.

“No… not Lenny… Not him too…” Jen cried

She pushes Lenny’s body off her legs and starts crawling towards me with death and rage in her eyes. Her eyes were not that of a sane person and she had a strange smile on her face.

“You did this… Ha-ha-ha it’s all your fault… All of it is your fault… Howard… Lenny… DIE!”

She pounced towards me with her knife posed to strike. With the little strength I have I try to move out of the way and barely manage to succeed. The knife pierces Howard’s chest right where his heart is if he wasn’t dead already he would be now. I swing weakly at Jen and manage to wrestle the knife from her grasp but not before she manages to slip the knife through my ribs and piece one of my lungs. I am gasping for breath but I start to cough up more blood instead. It suddenly hits me, I am going to die. I decided that if I am going to die I’m at least going to get revenge on the person who caused my life to end. I take the knife and run it across Jen’s windpipe with as much force as I can muster in from my failing body. The blade easily sliced through her neck, severing the jugular along with it.

“GOT YOU…. Gaugh…” I barely cough out.

Hot, sticky blood sprays all over my face as Jen grasps her throat trying in vain to stop the blood from pouring out. As my remaining strength fades I collapsed onto Howard’s body and my head lands on his chest. I starred at his face and notice that his nose is busted and seems to be jammed into his head. That probably killed him instantly, I was just wasting my time trying to save him.

I mustered up my remaining meniscal strength to turn to look back at Jen. She is still holding her throat but she has fallen on her side and it appears as if no more blood is spurting from her wound. Her eyes stare at me devoid of any signs of life, the blazing hatred that was in them just a few minutes before is totally extinguished and the dead eyes just stare vacantly.

“What a stupid… way…to die…so point…less. She wasn't... even.. cute...” I said to no one in particular.

I started to feel oddly warm. I had always thought that death was supposed to be rather chilly. This is where I am going to die. Out here alone in front of a gas station. Well, I didn’t really do much with my life then huh. I was just starting out, almost finished college but I guess this is how my story ends. I can feel my conscious begin to fade as the corners of my vision begin to darken and then nothing.