Jehosaphaty
Jul 8, 2006, 05:01 PM
The style of this little story has been in my mind far longer than the television show format of "24". With fo's prompting of stepping outside the box, here are the first two "chapters".
Countdown
24:00
In twenty-four hours there are one thousand four hundred and forty minutes, or eighty-six thousand four hundred seconds. The earth will rotate once completely around its axis; rotate one-three hundred sixty-fifth and a quarter times in its orbit. For fourteen hours and four minutes the sun will reign in the sky.
In twenty-four hours a fruit fly larva will mature into adulthood, and a panda will spend at least sixteen hours eating. The average human fingernail will grow a little less than a millimeter, hair about one half a millimeter per day. The same individual will use the restroom at least twice, and while working, they will waste a little over two hours at their job.
In twenty-four hours, I will die.
23:57
I stared at the doctor blankly. “Paul, did you understand that?” the doctor said quietly with an empathetic look. “I can only foresee you lasting that long.”
I sat, as if in a haze, and felt the edges of my eyes start to water, “Yes, I heard you. You just said I have twenty-four hours.”’ I got up quickly, but when the room started to spin I slowly sat back down. “You’re, you’re positive then?”
“I’m afraid so. Both tests came back positive; I’m so sorry. If there’s anything I can do, you’ll let me know. I’ll leave you alone; a nurse should be outside if you need something, otherwise you can leave when you’re ready.
I heard him apologize again, taking the blame for something he had nothing to do with, but I was already lost far away from the cold, white walls of the sterile room, wondering how things went so horribly wrong.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jehosaphaty on 2006-07-08 15:11 ]</font>
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jehosaphaty on 2006-07-08 15:11 ]</font>
Countdown
24:00
In twenty-four hours there are one thousand four hundred and forty minutes, or eighty-six thousand four hundred seconds. The earth will rotate once completely around its axis; rotate one-three hundred sixty-fifth and a quarter times in its orbit. For fourteen hours and four minutes the sun will reign in the sky.
In twenty-four hours a fruit fly larva will mature into adulthood, and a panda will spend at least sixteen hours eating. The average human fingernail will grow a little less than a millimeter, hair about one half a millimeter per day. The same individual will use the restroom at least twice, and while working, they will waste a little over two hours at their job.
In twenty-four hours, I will die.
23:57
I stared at the doctor blankly. “Paul, did you understand that?” the doctor said quietly with an empathetic look. “I can only foresee you lasting that long.”
I sat, as if in a haze, and felt the edges of my eyes start to water, “Yes, I heard you. You just said I have twenty-four hours.”’ I got up quickly, but when the room started to spin I slowly sat back down. “You’re, you’re positive then?”
“I’m afraid so. Both tests came back positive; I’m so sorry. If there’s anything I can do, you’ll let me know. I’ll leave you alone; a nurse should be outside if you need something, otherwise you can leave when you’re ready.
I heard him apologize again, taking the blame for something he had nothing to do with, but I was already lost far away from the cold, white walls of the sterile room, wondering how things went so horribly wrong.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jehosaphaty on 2006-07-08 15:11 ]</font>
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jehosaphaty on 2006-07-08 15:11 ]</font>