Cold…just so…cold… Jason awoke to the sound of police sirens blaring in the distance. He knew that they were coming from him, but he did not care. He knew his time on this world was almost at its end He scanned his surroundings, trying to adapt to where he was. He stared lazily at the ceiling above him, which had been brutally stained by the leaky pipes within. “Well”, Jason thought to himself, “I must be in my apartment.” The apartment in which he lived in truly was awful in every sense of the word. The leaky ceilings, the rat-infested walls, and the moldy, rusty appliances made this place the definition of a hell hole. He crawled out of his bed and made his way to the bathroom. One look in the mirror and Jason knew that a creature like himself really deserved to be put out of his misery. The face that looked back at him was that of a man who had truly lost all that mattered to him. His curly, brown hair was decorated with filth and had even developed a tinge of gray, despite the fact that Jason was only twenty five years of age. The gaunt and lifeless face that looked back at him made the grim reaper appear joyous. The once golden tan skin was now nothing more than a pale covering meant to protect his vital organs. But what haunted Jason the most about the pathetic creature that looked back at him with its cold gaze was its eyes. The once vivid, shining, hazel eyes of Jason Johnson were now nothing more than two pieces of coal, glancing around lazily. The wrinkles around them showed the slightest hint that he might’ve been able to laugh and smile at one point, but that time has long since past. Jason was still dressed in the clothes he wore the previous night. A simple Jordan t-shirt stained with sweat, blood, and, other foul odors that brought back the vivid memories of the fateful events of the previous night…

Jason Johnson awoke yesterday morning in his run-down apartment, in much higher spirits. “One day, I’ll get us a better place,” he stated cheerfully to a picture of him and a smiling woman. They were hugging and laughing in the picture together. It warmed Jason’s heart to look at the photo by his bed and reminisce on the happy times every morning. But, more important than the general happy moment that this photo captured was the person it was taken with. Her name was Gabriela, Gabriela Saunders. She was the reason that Jason breathed, plain and simple. Despite the fact that they were not actually dating, Gabriela meant everything to him. Her beauty can only be compared to that of an angel. She had flowing brunette hair that could be crafted into any hairstyle and she would make it look elegant. She had flawless, golden skin and a dazzling smile that could melt even a polar ice cap in a matter of seconds. But what really struck Jason as mythical about her were her eyes. Gabriela’s eyes were an exotic mix of brown, green, and even a tint of grey. Jason could look into them for days and never fail to be amazed. In Jason’s honest opinion Gabriela Saunders could only be described with one word: perfect.

This put even more pressure on Jason to try and compliment her perfection tonight. Jason and Gaby as her friends liked to call her, always had an odd relationship, mainly because they were on different ends of the “social class” spectrum. Jason was an average human being. He had recently just graduated from St. Cloud State College with a 3.2 GPA. He majored in physical therapy and athletic training. Just a few weeks ago, he had recently received his first job as a trainer for a local high school. Jason never was the smartest, most athletic or the most handsome guy in school. He put emphasis on the fact that he was just an average guy. Gabriela, on the other hand, was a completely different story. At age twenty four, she was a skilled swimmer and basketball player, making big impacts for both teams throughout her high school and college career. She was, for lack of a better word, a genius Gabriela always was the top of her class with a 4.0 GPA without much effort whatsoever.

Jason was not the only male who admired her beauty, for her entire life Gabriela was hounded by guys who simply wanted her for her looks. But, throughout it all she has, remained a poised and respectful individual, a trait that Jason found just as attractive as her looks. Despite coming from two different worlds, the two of them always managed to get along, despite the occasional squabble that was healthy in any relationship. Tonight was the night. Tonight, Gaby and Jason were going to simply go out to a movie as friends. Jason had no intention of doing anything romantic and was just excited at the thought of finally getting to hang out with her, just the two of them, for the first time in months.

Seven O’clock P.M. couldn’t come soon enough for Jason. He went to work as usual, dealing with the bumps and bruises that the young people had, chatting merrily with them the whole time. On any other day Jason loved working with the kids rehabbing their injuries and listening to their stories, but on this given day, his mind simply was not there. Before he knew it, 5:00pm came around and Jason was migrating back to his prestigious abode to prepare himself to look somewhat respectable. Gabriela had agreed to meet Jason at the movies, so that gave him slightly more time to prepare. He took a refreshing fifteen minute shower, making sure to scrub every square inch of himself as if it was contaminated by a lethal toxin. After leaving the warm, moist haven, Jason then proceeded to look at the nervous young man begging for advice and tips on the opposite side of the mirror. Jason used a pound of Axe hair jell in order to control the curly, brown ferret that had taken residence on his head. He gave up trying to make it look perfect. After Jason was somewhat pleased with his appearance, he then went on to put on a simple Jordan t-shirt and jeans; casual. Jason watched ESPN for awhile before heading out the door, excited for the night to come….

Jason glanced nervously at his Droid cell phone. 6:50 it read. “Traffic must be bad,” Jason muttered to himself, trying to stay positive. He waited a few more agonizing minutes before he decided to call her. Naturally, there was no answer. 7:00pm. “Just great,” Jason sighed, he was extremely anxious now. He didn’t want to believe that he had been blown off. He waited fifteen more minutes before he made the worst choice of the night…and his life. He decided to stop by her apartment to see what the problem was.

“Maybe she forgot?” Jason asked himself. The idea seemed unlikely, but he thought he would go and see. The ten0minute drive over to her apartment flew by as Jason imagined all the scenarios to why Gaby had not shown up. He pulled up to Rosemount apartments and walked inside. Jason made a beeline to apartment #131. Once there, he sheepishly knocked on the door. No response. He knocked again. He was greeted only by the sound of his own breathing. Just when Jason was about to turn away and vie up on his plans, he heard a playful giggle emerge from the apartment. At first Jason thought he was simply paranoid and was hearing things. Then, the giggle came again, louder, more vivid. He could tell it was Gabriela’s But, what disturbed Jason the most was that it was accompanied by a male’s hearty laugh as well Jason shuffled back to the door and tried to open it. To his surprise, the door was unlocked and he crept inside out of pure curiosity. He followed the sounds of the grunts and giggles to its source in a room in the back of the apartment. Jason, with a surge of boldness, opened the door to a sight that murdered his soul in cold blood. So much pain! Just make it stop! Pleeeasse! Just so cold….

The sight that awaited Jason when he opened the door to Gabriela’s bedroom was too hard to process right away. Gaby and another man jerked up from underneath the sheets in her bed with initial looks of shock and confusion. Jason felt like he was five years old again, not quite understanding the sight in front of him. They were obviously both naked and looked as if they both ran a 5k marathon seconds before Jason arrived.

“Jason?!” Gabriela asked and stated at the same time. Jason was paralyzed. The more he started to realize what he was witnessing, the colder he got. “I…you…I thought…who’s?” Jason stammered. Jason was finally able to shift his gaze to the male accompanying Gabriela. At the sight, his heart dropped below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The man that stared coolly back at Jason was Shawn Williams. Shawn. The very name made Jason’s blood boil. Shawn was what Jason wanted to be. He was a man truly worthy of Gabriela, by everyone else’s standards. Tall, tan, handsome, naturally gifted athletic, respectably intelligent: he had Jason beat on every level. Gaby always told Jason that they were just friends that he ranked no higher than him, but anyone could tell just from looking at them that they just clicked. They also dated in the past. One might say that these are childish reasons to hate someone, but Jason despised him to no end. He didn’t want anyone but him to be the one to make Gabriela happy. And, now sitting before him was the very sight that gave Jason nightmares that haunted him to his very soul.

“Dude, get the hell out!” Shawn commanded to Jason as he would a dog. And that’s when Jason Johnson finally snapped. His ice-filled heart started to beat rapidly again, pumping pure hate and faming blood throughout his entire body. He lunged at Shawn with a feral cry and attacked. Jason was not an angry person. He didn’t believe in hurting other human beings. Satan himself was now at the helm, and Jason was merely a bystander to his own actions. He punched and thrashed Shawn savagely, not caring about what damage occurred to him, or himself. Jason could faintly hear Gabriela’s protest in the background, despite being only a few feet away. Shawn attacked back, brutally damaging Jason’s face and ribs. But, the adrenaline overrode the pain for the time being. Suddenly Jason was in command of the skirmish, landing blows that Shawn could simply not fend off. Looking back, Jason could’ve killed him, and probably would have if Gabriela’s last plea hadn’t finally waked him.

“Jason, please stop!” Gabriela pleaded through tears streaming down her face. The command was simple, but hearing it finally snapped Jason out of his rage. He looked down into the eyes of his victim. There’s no doubt that he would’ve attacked Jason if he had the strength. The venomous, hate filled look that Shawn gave Jason could’ve killed a small mammal, but Jason was too shocked to register anything properly. Jason arose, finally feeling some of the effects of the fight starting to take its toll. He looked at Gaby in her beautiful eyes, which were now red and puffy from crying, and, all of a sudden, all the love, hate, passion, fear-every emotion that they ever felt in their relationship-was now present. Not one word was spoken. But the meaning was clear from both Shawn and Gaby’s looks.

“Leave, never come back, I don’t want anything to do with you, ever.” Gabriela confirmed this by coldly saying, “Leave.” With that one fateful word, Jason’s rage subsided completely, and the cold was resurrected. Jason limbed out of the apartment, wondering when he was going to wake up from this terrible dream. He drove back to his apartment, and it wasn’t until he walked through his shabby door and took a seat on his moth-eaten couch that reality started to set in. Jason was like any other guy. He didn’t cry very often because it went against the stereotypical view of what a man should be. But, at this given moment, he cried. He wailed out of frustration, anger, and pure white-hot grief and sorrow. He lost the only thing that mattered to him in this world. He had truly lost Gabriela. There was nothing left to pursue or enjoy. Jason was just so cold…

Jason flinched slightly as the sound of the sirens approaching brought him back to reality once more. The police were approaching; Jason knew it was almost time. He could hear them enter the building, no doubt asking where to find Jason J. Johnson. Jason strode over to his kitchen cabinet where he held a bottle of the chemical that would finally bring him peace, hydrogen cyanide. Jason listened to the footsteps of the police entering up the steps. Paying them no mind, he opened the twenty ounce bottle of the lethal chemical and regarded it as a child would a new toy. During these few seconds, Jason tried to convince himself of a reason that this world might still have use for him. He found none. Slowly and methodically, he raised the bottle to his lips and, with one agonizingly long gulp, downed the whole bottle of poison. The results were instant. His intestines burned, his throat protested in agony, his sight became blurry. He took a seat on his couch and, finally, after twenty-five years of misery, drifted calmly into God’s loving embrace and into bliss...

The police stormed into Jason’s apartment moments later and discovered the tragedy. The news of Jason’s death spread like wildfire. The school where he worked was stunned. Everyone was saddened to hear of Mr. Johnson’s death. Jason’s family had the expected reaction of grief. When Shawn and Gabriela heard of Jason’s death, Shawn in order to make seem like he had a heart, pretended to be remorseful behind his smug grin. Gabriela was stunned and saddened to hear of her friend’s death. But like all, they moved on. The common misconception about Jason’s death was that he was miserable and killed himself to try and stop the misery, but in reality Jason was never more at peace. He was home.