DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fight Club or any of its characters. I do not own the cover image.

THE CHALLENGE: Fandom: your choice. Issuer of Challenge: Cheile. Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It:
1. Choose a canon moment where a character escaped absolute certain death by the skin of their teeth.
2. Now change that moment and have that character die.
3. Write a one-shot from another character's POV how their death has affected them.

'My eyes are open.'

As much as I squirm and wriggle, I've got no way of out of these guys' grips, their hands all clammy and calloused from working on whatever crazy kind of terrorist act they've been so hard at work on. When we would reach the top floor, they'd let go of me immediately, and I have no idea why they would at first. I sooth the sore spots on my arms from where those creepy bastards manhandled me. I would turn around and yell any number of insults at those guys as they hurtle back down the stairs in a strange, silent panic, but something else had struck me as more important- the cold stare of a man hidden by the blue-grey camouflage of the night as it seeps through the windows. It becomes the cold stare of a man that is gradually illuminated by the slight moonlight as it shoves aside dark clouds. It's him, that guy, with a pool of blood beside his neck that looks black in the low light. Well, at least he doesn't have to live with the huge pile of issues he had now. I slowly walk in closer, making myself oblivious to the horrid stench of death, and strangely, his eyes seem to have a small glint of light from the moon. They're gazing at me…I think.

I tried to forget our time together previously, pushing aside his greediness and neediness and his confusing, messed-up head and the way he liked to be one person one day, and another the next, the indecisive asshole that he was- but I guess he made me feel like I may have been…worth something? Could I have been worth something? I guess so. When he wasn't fooling around, when we had our small moments of intimacy- if you could even call it intimacy- made me feel a little like somebody wanted me in their life. Hell, he even came to see me when I'd thought it was all over. Keeping an eye on the doses was something I'd only seen importance in after I'd met him.

Burning glows of flames explode from the high-rise buildings just across the street. Normally I would have screamed, but I don't this time; I just stare into it for a little while. It's actually kinda beautiful. I sit down and watch them as they look so bright in the night. Down they come, collapsing in a neat, dusty pile. What a shame. I hold onto his palm, digging my fingers into the cold flesh and tightening my palms around it to warm it. He would have done the same for me, probably.

I think I'm gonna miss him, but I have no time to be dwelling too much on him. He's made me wonder if I'd be of any worth to anyone else. If he'd given it a try with me, I didn't see why there wasn't one more guy out there that would.

Author note: This was quite difficult, but fun practice. When I saw it, I automatically considered the ending I thought was going to happen- that Jack would die, and that Tyler would die with him, and I wondered what Marla's reaction may have been. I found her voice very hard to write, and I just hope I got this somewhat right. Also, for fandomblind readers, a small bit of canon- 'my eyes are open' is the line Jack says before shooting himself in the film. Thanks for reading!