Two friends are lying on the sand. It's a cold night. They're looking up at the stars, listening to the waves crash against the shore.
Do you ever think about dying?
Sure.
Like how it would feel?
Yeah.
What would you want it to feel like?
If I had a choice?
I'd want it to feel good.
Of the available options, I mean.
Quick. Or like sleeping.
Do you think about this a lot?
I just don't want to hate it.
Hate it?
Like, foaming at the mouth, body convulsing...
So, rabies.
Or an overdose...
Does that happen?
I don't know! It feels wrong to research that kind of stuff.
"What does an overdose feel like"?
Well, there's no one to tell the tale.
Sure there are— lotsa people.
Not successful ones, I mean, like, all the way successful.
Guess not.
So, poisoning...
Similar.
But not the same.
Okay.
You know, vomitting.
Surely that's both.
Eh. Bullet to the head?
Now there's your no survivors.
You'd be surprised!
That one you looked up.
More "stumbled across".
Hm.
Y'know what I'd want?
What?
A button.
Can I ask you a question?
Sure.
You ever think about living?
In a dorm room, clouded by smoke. Soft chatter is hard to make out over the explosions of light and sound coming from a wall-mounted TV.
Did you ever go on Omegle?
No, ew.
It wasn't all like that.
You sure?
Ok, it was mostly all like that.
But it was good too.
How'd'you mean?
Well, ok, one, there was a chat-only feature.
Yeah, a/s/l?
But no dicks in my face!
Low bar.
You could talk to people from anywhere!
Any walk of life!
How did you know they weren't lying?
...you didn't.
Refined.
Whatever!
Two, there was a question feature.
The question asker couldn't talk, but they were like a spectator.
Voyeur.
Shut up! It was cool.
Sounds cool.
Fuck off.
Dude, I'm listening.
Ok, so you could set up a question and watch people go.
But sometimes they'd ignore the question part altogether.
And leave?
No, they'd stay connected and talk like normal.
Like no one's watching.
Did they just forget?
Maybe. Or maybe they figured the asker would move on.
Would you?
No.
Did you ever see anything interesting?
Bots going back and forth, people becoming friends...
Mostly just a/s/l.
The light is low. Still, their gazes sparkle.
I don't remember the last lullaby she sang me.
Your mom is still alive.
Well, yeah, but she doesn't sing me lullabies.
Huh.
My parents never sang to me.
I've tried to get her to sing to me again-- uh, a few times actually.
Oh?
Yeah, our-- when our dog was dying, ha, I sang her those songs.
To the dog, I mean.
She sat across from me, my mom, and I saw her notice out of the corner of my eye.
Didn't say anything?
No, I... I knew she wouldn't, but I still tried.
We're just always at odds now. I think if she sang to me I'd start crying.
No offense, but that's not saying much.
Hey!
It's not a bad thing. I like that you're sensitive.
I do a great job of not crying, like, all the time.
Okay.
I just-- in private I let it out. I hold back a lot.
Okay, sweetie.
I love you.
Don't cry!