They say you are supposed to see a light at the end of some tunnel when you are close to death, but all Diane could see was darkness. She had already become accustomed to the loss of most of her bodily functions, but this latest development was something else entirely. She had read somewhere a long time ago that diabetes could sometimes cause blindness, but had never paid it any attention. She had no one to see, so she decided not to let this setback bother her too much.

She had chosen to never have any children because they always seemed to be a nuisance when observed in restaurants, movie theaters, or any other public place in which they were allowed. She never married either. A man would have taken away too much of her freedom, her independence. Not that she hadn't enjoyed men, she most certainly had. She always found it incredibly amusing to make them fall in love with her, only to cruelly dash any self-esteem they possessed.

Now she lay in this accursed blackness, not knowing if the pain-in-the-ass nurses were making faces at her, or sticking their tongues out like children. She had definitely not made it easy on them. Ordering people around had always brought pleasure. Her assertiveness had created a very successful business and she considered herself to be highly respected for her ruthless practices. She had never been afraid to cheat, lie, steal, and once kill, to get what was rightfully hers. Hadn't she struggled from the very bottom to rise like a Phoenix to the top? Shouldn't she be admired for all the risks she took? She had even been on the cover of a magazine once. Of course, she had been younger then and incredibly more attractive than the pitiful creature alone in the ICU ward of the hospital.

Diane's lungs labored heavily with the small amount of oxygen reaching their deflated forms. Her body could not last any longer. She felt the black hole calling to her; telling her it was time to let go. With no regrets or remorse, she willingly let go and floated toward the dark abyss that was the end. By the time she heard the screams of anguish that were waiting for her, it was too late to turn back.