I stay by the grave, humming softly, not realizing how dark it's getting. Then memories hit me—how I ended up here.
It started with a trip to Japan. I was excited to explore the land… and maybe meet a few women, heh. Boarding the plane, everything seemed normal. Nothing unusual—except a tiny spark on the wing I caught from the corner of my eye. I ignored it. Not my first flight.
I found my seat, naturally a window one—I love the view. My back already started complaining as I hunched down. Why do I have to be so damn tall?
I glanced to my side. My seatmate was a little girl. I hoped she wasn't scared. Where were her parents? I stopped caring and looked back out the window.
Then I felt a stare. Irritated, I turned—only to realize it was her.
"Uh… hey, why are you staring at me?"
She stared a beat longer, then said, "You're tall. Why so tall? And your dreadlocks… why so long? Mommy says long hair is for girls. Are you a girl? Oh, and my name's Jim."
I blinked. "First, anyone can have long hair. Second, I'm tall because… veggies, milk, genetics. Third… Jim?"
She looked sad. "Kids at school always make fun of my name."
I grinned. "Well, I beat the fuck out of anyone who tried to start something with me."
Her jaw dropped. "You swore!" She pulled out a tiny swear jar from nowhere.
I stared. "What—how—Huh?"
"Dollar in the jar," she sang.
I chuckled and handed over a dollar—and five for "investments." She stuffed it in the jar, then it vanished again. How? Don't want to know.
"Got a phone to play on?"
"Nope."
"Game?"
"Nope."
I sighed and pulled out my Gameboy Advance. "Ever played Pokémon?"
Her eyes went wide. "No… what's Pokémon?"
I smiled. "Alright, first, don't call me Mister. Second, I'm HRB. Pokémon's a game where you go on adventures, catch creatures, train them, battle others, and become the best. You wanna play?"
"Yes!"
I loaded Pokémon Emerald, my favorite, and handed it to her. "Be careful. Ask if you need help."
She played for hours, eventually beating the first two gyms. Each time she swore, the tiny jar appeared—and vanished. How? Still no clue.
Time passed. She reached the third gym—and then chaos hit. Sparks from the wing. Big sparks. The wing tore off. Explosions. The side of the plane ripped open.
We nosedived. People screamed, got sucked out, hit by debris. I was wedged in my seat. I reached for the girl—she was about to be ripped out. The Gameboy flew from her hands, Pokémon Emerald's theme blaring.
"FUUUCCCCKKK!" I screamed, trying to pull her in.
A suitcase slammed into my arm. I lost my grip. She was gone, screaming. Out the plane.
Then something hit my head. Black. Pain. Darkness.
I woke up in the ocean, debris and fire everywhere. I swam to a nearby island and found a Triceratops. I scavenged for supplies—water bottles, a first aid kit. And then… I found her.
A woman, buried under debris, missing half her body, still alive. I gave her water, asked her last words, stayed with her in those final moments. She told me about her daughter, why she was here.
I rambled on, telling her about myself, until we eventually named the Triceratops: Boa Hancock. Why? Because she was the most beautiful dinosaur in the world.
And then… Sara passed. I buried her.
Blinking back to the present, darkness had fully settled. I got up, gathering supplies and debris to make a makeshift shelter—maybe a piece of the plane was intact.
I turned to Boa. "Alright girl… time to see what we can make."