Suffocation

“How long has it been?”
“What do you mean?”
“How long has it been since we weren’t afraid?”
“I don’t know…I guess, well, 10…11 years?”
“I feel so tired. My eyelids are so heavy. I just want to sleep forever.”
“No! Come on, you have to stay awake. Falling asleep is the exact opposite of what we want to do.”
“Suffocating isn’t going to hurt you know, we’ll just fall asleep and not wake up.”
“Shut up. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Do you still believe that we’re going to get out of here? It’s blocked. Accept our fate.”
“Stop wasting air, we’ll get out.”
“Always the optimist. You never were a realist.”
“You’re delirious.”
“So are you.” Pause “You realize that even if we get out, there are going to be guards everywhere. I opt for death by lack of air over death by torture.”
“We won’t be tortured. There are Athenian guards out there too.”
“The Spartans will get to us first. They’re better organized. They’ll see us faster than the Athenians.”
“How about you help me rather than sit on you’re butt.”
“Thanks, but I’d rather die relaxed.” Pause “Why don’t you want to talk about it?”
“What?”
“Why don’t you want to talk about dying? You never wanted to talk about anything.”
“I never want to talk about anything. I’m still planning on getting out.”
“Hm…still optimistic? Can’t you feel it?”
“Yes. I can. But I’m ignoring it. You should too.”
“I’m accepting it. That’s not a bad thing you know. You have to lose sometime.”
“I never lose.”
“Well you are this time! So stop it!”
“You’re scared too aren’t you?”
“Yes, of course I’m scared. You are too. I can see it.”
“I-I never thought about death before now.”
“It won’t hurt. It’ll be over and we’ll be fine.”
“How do you know that? How do you know anything? Admit it! You don’t know everything! Admit it!”
“I don’t know everything. I just have this feeling that it will be okay.”
“You and your feelings. You’re useless.”
“At least I’m not scared t-to die.”
“I’m not scared.”
“You just said you were.”
“No, I asked you if you were scared.” Pause “Hey. Hey! No come on, don’t leave me here! Please! Please, don’t leave me here; I can’t die alone. Please…”