“So This Is How I Die” – Commentary by Man Crossing Quad

“So this is how I die. Not of old age, surrounded by loved ones. Not falling down the stairs of the DUC. Not even at the hands of Mulford’s next chemistry test. No, I die here, freezing, in the middle of Emory’s quad.

“The food ran out days ago, and now the water is nearly gone as well. The little that remains is frozen in my canteen. I’ve been rationing it for the last few days, but there’s no longer any use. Only ice remains in my canteen, and certainly this cannot soothe my parched throat. The sun’s warm glow has not been visible in days, and the inevitable doom which was lurking since I set out on this fateful journey is beginning to take shape before my very eyes.

“I am loathe to reflect on what I could have done differently and what might have been now that my fate is sealed, but I can no longer keep the subject from my mind. If only I had set out earlier in the winter, while the weather was cooler! I came to Emory for the weather, and I get this? Curse these shorts of mine! Curse this t-shirt I believed I could wear year-round! The sky, she is a cruel mistress, bringing icy winds and frozen temperatures down on my poor, uninformed countenance.

“I gave up on my notebooks and laptop long ago, desperate to alleviate my burden as i weaken. They’re back there somewhere, and perhaps some other soul luckier than I will have for himself a new MacBook Air and comprehensive notes on the principles of macroeconomics. Material possessions are now meaningless to me, as I am not long for this world. All that is left for me now is to wait for death’s icy embrace.

“Of course I tried to send for help. I texted my roommate first, but he responded with ‘lab til 5. ttyl.’ My RA was next on my list, but there is still no word from him, and I no longer hold out any hope of rescue. I even tried Sarah. I thought ‘Dying in quad pls save me,’ conveyed a clear message of desperation, but all I got was a read notice at 2:03 p.m. Curse your frigid spirit, Sarah! Your heart of ice is as cold and bitter as this day on which I meet my maker!

“The end is nigh, and the reaper will not bide his time much longer. As I look back on my life, I regret nothing. I’d not trade my time at Emory for all the riches imaginable, and in the end, I even embrace my final resting place. The earth is cold against my cheek (though not as cold as Sarah’s stone heart), and at least this means I can forget about studying for Friday’s test.”