It’s dead.

I hopelessly tried my best, but it was all for not. It was utterly and completely dead.

“That damn brat,” as those words left my mouth, a few surprised passersby turned my way.

Having a shopping bag in between my legs and a party pack of “Let’s” chips in my one hand, I was stupidly staring at my phone. There was no helping it. Its battery was utterly and completely dead.

And the reason behind it was hardly a mystery either. It’s not like this happened for the first time.

“Sigh… ”

I guess there’s just no helping it. I threw the useless phone back into my pocket, picked up the shopping bag and continued my uneventful journey home.

It wasn’t a long walk to where I lived from the supermarket, but even so, it was long enough for me to feel slightly annoyed by not having music play in my ears.

Frankly speaking, the journey was boring. More than that, so far it proved to be quite bothersome.

For one thing, the bag in my hand wasn’t that full and yet the pack of chips wouldn’t fit. There were a couple of beers, a couple of packed lunches, some fruit and a yogurt in there. Surely, there should be enough space left for a pack of chips. Or so you would think.

But alas, these days only about a third of a pack were the chips, the rest was air. Artificially inflated pack was good for two things - keeping chips from getting crushed and taking up a lot of space. Normally I would deflate the pack just enough for it to fit in, but today that was not possible.

Thus I continue my journey with a pack of chips in my one hand, and a bag of goods in the other.

Looking back to it, having to carry a pack of chips separately was amongst the biggest problems I faced this week. That, and having my phone's battery die on me, that is.

Therefore I was reminded once again how boring of a life I was living.

“Ah! Aili, good evening!” I heard a voice.

I turn around to see my neighbour from an apartment below mine. She’s a kind looking lady, probably around seventy years of age, though she doesn’t look like it.

“Mrs. H, how are you this evening?”

“Thank you, thank you. I’m doing just fine.”

The time was a little past eight in the evening and the sky was almost completely dark. Pedestrians were few and far between, as most people have already returned to their homes. It was a calm and quiet night.

There was still some walking to be done before we were to reach our stairway, but somehow I wished for it to come sooner. My breathing was erratic and my chest was aching. It did not feel normal.

I wasn’t in the top shape, granted, but neither was I so sickly that walking from a supermarket would put me in a state where I was gasping for air. Rather I was taking this route every other day for the past few years without as much as breaking a sweat.

I must be coming down with something.

“I don’t see that girl that would visit your apartment much anymore,” she broke the short-lived silence.

“... Yes.”

“Such a shame… Did the two of you break up?”

“These things happen.”

“Ah, she was such a nice girl… You should really try and get back together with her.”

“...”

I felt lightheaded to an extent where it was hard for me to walk in a straight line. Even so, it’s not like I would have anything to add to this conversation.

“You look really pale, are you feeling alright?”

“Hm.”

“Must be heartbreak, eh?”

“Oh, fuck you.”

Was what I wanted to say. I stopped myself short, not like I had any energy to open my mouth to begin with. I felt my grocery bag slip through my fingers and a sound of glass breaking echoed on the sidewalk. I tried to move my hand, but my fingers froze, not responding to my commands.

I felt a vaguely familiar impulse. My brain was urging me to do something… This didn’t feel right at all, but my head was completely empty. What is it? Why do I feel so?..

…

....

Breathe.

That’s right. My lungs and my brain were screaming for air. I need to inhale. Breathe.

Breathe, damn it!

I tried opening my eyes, only to see a cold hard pavement. I couldn’t breathe in and my mind was becoming foggy. The pain in my chest was so strong I would scream out if I could.

Gasping for air I closed my eyes. So this is it, huh?

(Must be heartbreak, she says. Damn old hag.)

That was my last thought, before my consciousness completely faded.