"Seasons In The Sun" sung by Terry Jacks

"Sven, do you realize you are about to die?"

"No, that can't be true." Sven thought viciously back at his consciousness.

"Yeah, then why is your life flashing before your eyes." Sven had to admit to himself that in that instant of intense agony as he felt that huge blade ripping down the length of his back and the feel of the warm blood that suddenly gushed forth, that there was a distinct possibility of it.

"Goodbye to you, my trusted friend We've known each other since we're nine or ten Together we climbed hills or trees Learned of love and ABC's Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees"

Sven, Lance, and their new friend, Derek, stood at the top of Old Man Whendelthrop's hill. It was a great hill for coasting, there were a few trees but that made for excitement and a hint of danger.
&Sven and Lance had been coasting there for years. Old Man Whendelthrop was a friend of Lance's parents and he had given them permission to coast there whenever they wanted to.
Sven and Lance had met Derek at the start of the year and became fast friends. Derek was a bit of a nerd and no one really seemed to want to be his friend.
Derek and Lance had become close but Derek and Sven got very close. Derek attached himself to Sven because they had a lot in common. Derek lived with his mother, his father only visiting on weekends. His mother drank a lot and tended to hit Derek when he was in the way.
Lance held up his toboggan and brushed the snow off the blades. "Well, what are we waiting for? It's a long walk back up. I'll see you at the bottom."
Lance jumped on the toboggan and headed down the hill at breakneck speed. He howled with glee all the way down.
Sven went next. He loved the feel of the wind in his face and through his hair. He twisted around the trees easily and came to a rest at the bottom. He felt Lance catch him lightly in his arms.
Sven looked up as lance called for Derek to come, Sven gave Lance a pat on the arm.
"Thanks for spotting me." Sven stood up. "We'll both stop him when he gets to the bottom."
They watched Derek start down. As he came speeding closer, Lance and Sven could see a look of uncertainty on his face.
"If he tips it now he'll be in shit up to his eyeballs." Sven hissed. The as if it were a prediction or Sven's sixth sense at work, the worst happened. Derek's sled tipped and he went flying off with breakneck speed. He hit a tree with a sickening sound. He did not get up again.
Lance and Sven ran to him quickly. The snow was quickly turning red around Derek's head. It didn't take much to know that he was dead. As they ran for help they knew that there was no help in the world that would save Derek now.

Goodbye my friend, it's hard to die When all the birds are singing in the skies Now that the spring is in the air. Pretty girls are everywhere When you see them I'll be there.

The funeral was hard. It was the hardest thing Sven ever had been through. He and Derek had been so close. It had been like they were brothers. Now Derek was gone and was all his fault.
He knew that hill had been steep and Derek had never done something like that before. They should have had him on a smaller hill until he got used to sledding then take him on the bigger hill. But it was too late for that and now his friend was dead.

We had joy, we had fun We had seasons in the sun But the hills that we climbed Were just seasons out of time

"I'm sorry, Mr. Anderson. There's nothing more I can do for him except make him comfortable."
"Thank you." Sven moved further into the hospital room and sat in a chair beside his father's bed as the doctor left.
"Dad? Can you hear me?" "I'm surprised you came." Came the harsh whisper as Micheal Lee Anderson opened his eyes.

Goodbye, Papa, please pray for me I was the black sheep of the family You tried to teach me right from wrong Too much wine and too much song, Wonder how I got along

"You might have put me through a lot of misery as a child but you are still my father and I wouldn't be much of a son if I didn't forgive you on your deathbed, which I do. "I forgive you. I never understood why you felt it necessary to punish me so brutally. I didn't think I was that bad of a child."
"I am so sorry, Sven." Micheal Lee reached out and Sven took his father's hand. Micheal Lee squeezed it as best he could.
"It's all I knew. That's how my father raised me. That's all I knew. I can only hope that when you have a family all your own you will not fall in our footsteps. "I know that I had no right to hurt you as badly as I did for such stupid things and I know that I can never forgive myself but I am glad that you have found it in your heart to forgive me.
"I love you my son, and I will die a happy man knowing that things have been squared between us."
"It has." Sven gripped his father's hand as he leaned up to kiss his father on the forehead.
At that moment, Micheal Lee took a deep, peaceful breath and passed away.

Goodbye, Papa, it's hard to die When all the birds are singing in the sky Now that the spring is in the air Little children everywhere When you see them I'll be there

"She's your daughter, too, Sven. We made that agreement when we decided to keep her. I thought you loved her."
"I do, Melissa, that should have been clear to you when I made the decision not to tell Marshall Graham when I was accepted into the Space Program."
"Why is it so wrong to have a family? I still don't understand that."
"Because the program that I have been accepted for, I may not come back from. Marshall Graham is big on families, he hates to see them separated or divided."

Goodbye, Michelle, my little one You gave me love and helped me find the sun And every time that I was down You would always come around And get my feet back on the ground

Goodbye, Michelle, it's hard to die. When all the birds are singing in the sky Now that the spring is in the air With the flowers ev'rywhere I wish that we could both be there

Sven felt himself falling to the ground. The voice inside his head louder than ever with its facts.

 "I am not going to die." Sven hissed back at it viciously. "But if I do, I am going to take someone with me." Sven lifted his head slightly, blood running down his face. He looked around for his sword. It was just within arms reach. He made a dive for it wishing that he could close his eyes and all the agony would be gone.

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun But the stars we could reach Were just starfish on the beach

Sven gripped the hilt tightly then threw it. He couldn't hold his head up any longer, he let it drop. A small smile sat on his lips as he heard the screams from the old witch. He didn't have the energy to look up and see what he had done but he knew it had to have been good.
He left himself relax, the pain overtaking his body. From somewhere in the back of his mind he could hear the ancient lyrics of a song his mother used to sing to him and with that, Sven closed his eyes and slipped away from consciousness.