7:40 AM. Sean MacNeely awoke to his tediously high-pitched alarm. He sighed, and slapped the “off” button lethargically. Sean rubbed his face, in hopes of circulating some feeling of life back into his body; it was of no avail.

    He got dressed, a grey suit to match his equally dull-eyes, and made his way down to the kitchen. Sean checked his watch. 7:48. He quickly made a breakfast of pancakes. Sean swallowed the rubbery disks drowned in syrup quickly, to avoid tasting the poisoned fruits of his terrible culinary-skills, and made his way out the door.

    Sean pressed the button on his BMW’s key-fob, and it chirped, unlocking the door. He stepped into the driver’s seat, and turned the ignition. The BMW was not happy to be woken up so early, it seemed, as it grumbled to life. He thought about putting his seat-belt on, and decided it was a short drive. You only live once, he thought.

    8:02, Sean’s phone began to ring. He made sure everything around him was clear, and answered. “Sean MacNeely sp-” he was cut off by his co-worker, Ryan. “Hey, man. You still haven’t put me in your contacts? Anyways, check your email before you come to the office. It’s important, I promise,” and he hung up.

    He sighed again, glancing up at the road, and then back down to his phone. He opened up his email. Subject: Gas Leak. Building B, where Sean worked, was shut down for the day. His heart quickened. Does this mean the day off? he thought.  All staff to be moved to A, temporarily, until the problem is resolved. “Damn it,” he muttered. He didn’t have time to register the speeding driver behind him, on his phone, before he was hit.

    Sean flew out of his seat, his window shattering as he crashed through it. he tumbled several feet after landing, semi-conscious.

    Darkness.

Am I asleep? he thought. He could hear a heartbeat. Was it his? Sean could also faintly hear talking, some mild commotion. He was dreaming. “Someone call 9-1-1!” a woman shouted.

    Another heartbeat. He could hear his alarm going off. Or was it a distant siren? The ambulance arrived at 8:12.

    He could hear his heart beating loudly, but it wasn’t as quick-paced as usual. Sean wasn’t aware of the paramedics surrounding him. He had a random floating thought in the back of his mind: What can happen in a heartbeat can change one’s life forever. “Sir, can you hear me?” one of the paramedics yelled.

    There was not another heartbeat.