“C’mon, Colonel, time for you to go sleep it off.” The bartender gently positioned himself under my heavy frame, putting my arm around his neck, helping me to my feet.

It had been another good drinking binge. It was late, my mind felt disconnected from my body; I might’ve even be able to sleep. It wasn’t that I was feeling any undo stress of late and felt the need to drink; quite the opposite in fact. My life was in a very good place at that point in time and I merely was celebrating my enjoyment. 

The bartender patiently aided me until my legs recognized what was brain was saying, and graciously helped me out the front door. I put my hand against the wall, steadying myself as I staggered down the station’s promenade, ignoring the stern look of the occasional club going passerby. 

I was about forty feet from the Black Hole Pub when I heard the sound.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

I swayed my head around, everything going dizzy for a moment until my eyes focused on the front door to the pub. Just outside of the locked facility was a coffin. It made no sense to me, yet there it was.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The coffin began moving towards me.

I wasn’t one to panic in almost any situation; and I certainly had no fear of death. Strangely, whether due to the booze, my fatigue, or some other nonsensical reason, I felt a surge of fear rise up within me. It was almost as if I knew that coffin was for me.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

I turned around, a spike of adrenaline coursing through me, and began running drunkenly down the promenade towards the turbo lifts to the military levels. 

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The coffin was gaining on me. I stumbled a couple of times looking back over my shoulder, but mostly managed to keep at a full run. My breathing was heavy and laboured. I could feel sweat profusely on my brow. 

I made it to the turbo lift and began jamming the ‘Call’ button with my index finger, all the while my eyes wide, looking back at the quickly approaching coffin.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

It was less than fifteen feet away when the lift finally arrived. I let the air out of my lungs with a sudden woosh, feeling lightheaded from unconsciously holding my breath, and ran into the lift, struggling to find my security card. 

THUMP THUMP THUMP

I dared not peer out of the lift, knowing from the increase in sound that the coffin was near. I managed to get my security card out and working, and leaned heavily against the glass doors of the lift once it had recognized my credentials and allowed me to input my desired level, the doors closing.

A pleasant melody played over the lift speakers, a soothing blend of lounge jazz and cheap keyboards. It’s funny the things you recall sometimes.

I felt myself nearly have a heart attack as the lift chimed its arrival at the military level I had requested, and only then realized that I had been nodding off. The booze in my system was doing its best to assist the coffin in its morbid task. 

I shook it off and exited the lift, turning down the corridor towards my quarters. My heartrate began normalizing as I walked, my fear subsiding. I chuckled to myself, convinced I had manufactured the vision of the coffin in my drunken stupor. I wasn’t as young as I used to be; maybe it was time to start taking it a bit easier on my body.

The lift chimed behind me. My mouth fell open and I stared in disbelief from twenty five feet away.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The coffin came out of the lift, sounding even more menacing than before, if such a thing were possible. Naked terror washed over me and I sprinted for all I was worth away from the coffin down the corridor towards the military barracks. 

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The coffin was in hot pursuit.

My mind betrayed me then, drifting towards philosophical musings on my just and imminent fate, debating within itself the rightness and wrongness of my impending doom. I tried to shut the thoughts out, and focused every ounce of my willpower on making it to the safety of my quarters. 

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The coffin was relentless, closing the distance between us at an alarming pace.

I arrived at the main lobby of the barracks, and tried to stand still long enough for the retinal scanner to register me. Sweat poured into my eyes, causing the scanner to fail on its first two attempts. I slammed my open palm against the wall in frustration and dread.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The coffin was nearly on top of me. 

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, and opened them wide, praying for a miracle. The scanner pinged its confirmation of my identification and I hurredly made my way into the military barracks lobby, not pausing once enroute to my quarters.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The coffin was in the lobby. I didn’t know how it was possible, but I had given up trying to reason any of this logically. I made it to my quarters, and pulled out my keys, dropping them onto the cold floor.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

I picked up my keys, fumbling with them until I finally managed to unlock the door before me. I entered my quarters, slamming the door behind, locking it securely before slowly backing up, wide eyed in shock, trembling my exertion and horror.

I could hear and feel my breathing. My clothes were saturated with sweat. I simply stood, knowing there was nowhere else to run. I took a deep breath, willing myself to calm down; forcing myself to believe it had only been a hallucination. 

Several minutes passed, and I took off my jacket, throwing it over a nearby chair. I held my hands to my head, massaging my temples, cursing aloud for allowing myself to be so out of control. 

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The coffin was right outside my door! I back peddled, tripping over a side table, landing hard on my ass. 

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The door to my quarters burst open, tearing from its hinges, the coffin not pausing as it lunged into the room like a starved predator.

I scurried backwards from it, knocking over a vase of flowers, kicking up a floor rug, finally getting my footing back and running towards my kitchen.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

I pulled open drawers, knocking their contents to the floor, doing anything and everything I could think of to slow the reaper hunting me.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

I kept running, past my bedroom, into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I wedged myself between the toilet and shower, arming myself with a plunger.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

The bathroom door exploded into hundreds of  wood slivers. There was nowhere left to run. The coffin stood menacingly before me. I threw the plunger at it. I threw toilet paper at it. I threw my toothbrush at it. I grabbed everything within reach, bombarding the coffin with lavatory accruement. I threw shampoo at it. I threw my louffa at it. I threw painkiller medicine at it. I threw cough syrup at it.

The coffin stopped.