They say your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. As Cleetus and I laid there, injured from our fall into ice from a great height and encircled by a horde of angry mecha dragons, my life did flash before me- but it was specifically the times that those close to me had died.

First, I was brought back to my fourth birthday party and the lonely empty chair at the end of a decorated kitchen table.

"When's grandpa getting here?" I asked my mom.

And that moment, the phone rang in the other room, and I heard my father answer. A moment later, in a horrified tone, I heard him exclaim "but he doesn't even like bulldozers!"

At the time in my innocent child mind I thought he was discussing a present for me with someone- and I most assurdly did like bulldozers. It was only later that I learned my grandpa had just been run over at a construction site.

Next, I flashed to sixth grade as I got off the school bus and saw my mom patting freshly dug dirt on a mound in our front yard. She jumped a little as I approached.

"Oh! Cole! Didn't expect you so early!" she said nervously putting the shovel behind her back.

"What're you burying?" I asked her. She remained evasive.

Ha ha ha," she laughed awkwardly, "nothing, Cole! Nothing at all! Certainly not Mr. Rumbleruff, you beloved cat."

...I soon discovered it certainly was Mr. Rumbleruff.

Then I shot ahead to my early twenties and the knock at the door in the middle of the night. It was two somber looking men in black suits.

"You Cole Rapp?" they asked. I nodded.

"Your parents ran a drug smuggling ring," one frankly said, "I'm afraid they both just died in a shoot-out with police."

"We're gonna need to search this residence for evidence," the other added, "please step outside."

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

My parents had always claimed to be professional but low-level Essential Oil sellers so the news of their criminal activities startled me at first. But in hindsight, they both drove a Lexus, and no pyramid scheme pawn could afford that kind of ride.

Then, I flashed back to that fateful day I blew up the Earth, and then to the fire at Martha Ann and Dan's...taking me to the present, where I waited with eyes closed for my inevitable and unavoidable end. But as these memories finished, I was surprised that nothing had happened yet- we were easy prey for the mecha dragons- why were they keeping us alive? Hesitantly, I opened my eyes.

The dragons were all still above us, yet they seemed to now be vibrating. Their heads and tails flailed about as if have a seizure; none of them appeared to have any control over its body anymore. I turned to look at Cleetus, who, like I had been, was watching the creatures with a look of confusion.

"I don't know what's going on," he answered, anticipating what I was about to ask, "they just suddenly started shaking like that."

"Could it be an error in their programming?" I wondered. Could enough corrosion from the sulphuric acid started to effect them?

Cleetus and I didn't really have much time to ponder. Seemingly out of nowhere, one of the dragons suddenly exploded, just as if it was a firework. Bits of metal and parts rained down from the sky, barely missing us as they slammed into the ground.

"Jesus!" exclaimed Cleetus. I was thinking the same thing.

Soon, the next dragon exploded, raining down from the sky like confetti.

"Are they all self-destructing?" I asked, "if so...why?"

Another dragon exploded.

"I would have thought the two of us would be easy kills," replied Cleetus.

Yet another dragon exploded.

We watched as one by one each dragon dropped to the ground in fine broken pieces. Though it a sense it was relieving to have survived, it also was worrying- were they blowing themselves up to escape something worse? But there was no perceived threats in the area, and other than ice and snow, nothing too unusual about Mars at the polar ice caps.

As the last mecha dragon body hit the ice besides us, I forced myself to sit up, despite the sharp pain. Slowly, I surveyed the scene.

But it was exactly as it seemed- the mecha dragons were all destroyed, broken into indistinct bits across the terrain.

"...what the fuck is going on?" I said. Cleetus tried to shrug but with his injuries could only wince in pain. We could not explain what had just happened, other than that it was weird and unexpected.

Then, from behind us, came a familiar voice: "Cole! Cleetus! Are you alive?!"

I didn't need to turn to recognize who it was, as after he stopped speaking he let out a sizable fart. Yes, it was clearly Dr. Snively. But his sudden presence here at the ice caps only made things more confusing- how did he get here?

I looked again at Cleetus who in turn was looking at me. But we both didn't know what to say. Things had been weird for awhile now.