MWC DEATH

The Night Death Tried To Follow Me Home

A true story about two friends who had a close-call with death

Photo by Ussama Azam on Unsplash

When Final Destination premiered in theatres, I was only twelve years old. What seemed like a mildly scary movie to some folks terrified me. Death seemed to be waiting behind every nook and cranny. Any household task, like boiling water for tea, could easily turn into a catastrophic event. If death wanted you, neither running nor hiding could save you. I once had a run-in with death that felt like a deleted scene from the franchise.

All of my friends wanted to go to the same place to celebrate their 18th birthday — Bourbon Street. So it became our New Orleans right-of-passage. Nothing screams “adulting” like walking through one of the world’s most infamous red-light districts. Sure, we explored the French Quarter before this. But, this time, we wouldn’t be attached at the hip to our parents.

The day death tried to follow me home began at my best friend’s house. Let’s call her Callie. We lived in the same neighborhood, but she was Latina and Black. She often celebrated her birthdays in grandiose style, so I came over ready for anything, or so I thought.

Before our outing, I sat patiently as her parents and their friends showered her with money. Her smile was…