In my final moment of remorse and depression, I text Alice.
“I fucked up, I’m sorry. I’m done with life, just know, I love you.”
I drop the phone on the floor after the text is sent. I get dressed in my nicest clothes, black band shirt, blue jeans, and black leather jacket. I leave a note on my desk, for the entire world to see why I did what I’m about to do. The note itself isn’t anything special, just goodbyes and all the words left unsaid.
The phone vibrates on the ground. 1…2…3…4... it’s not a text, it must be a call. O well. I’m not in the mood to answer it. I get up from my desk chair and go to walk out. I turn the door knob but I hear my father enter the front door. I release the door knob. I decide to not go out that way. I couldn’t face him. He couldn’t live with himself if he saw me and didn’t know to stop me. Or I would walk by him and burst in tears. I’m not a crier but when it’s the end for people, most people cry, it’s only human.
I go to the window and jump out. I land on the wet soft grass. Light rain drops hit my face. It’s almost peaceful for me. I slowly walk all the way to the local bridge. I don’t know why I choose to be a jumper. Hanging was hard to do, because I didn’t have a beam or rope. Pills seemed like an easy way out but I had no access to them. Plus they aren’t always effective. I couldn’t shoot myself, only gun I had access to was my dad’s one. It was his old army gun, he loved it dearly. The horrible memory of me using it on myself would hurt him greatly. I couldn’t do that to him. At least my moral compass still works in some areas. I wanted to hurt people as least as possible. So I guess I was forced into jumping. I was forced by the lack of other ways out. But not just that, but also the lack of things to live for. The person I cared about wouldn’t be with me. It’s not her fault but I didn’t think I could survive life without her.
I arrive at the bridge. The moonlight hits the metal of it and it almost looks nice. It was nearly blissful. But reality comes back in frame and I know I’m doing the right thing. I step on the stone ledge. I stare at the dark and beautiful water. Seems like I’m staring into what my soul would now look like. I prepare to end it all. Memories and good times try to save me, but no, they can’t. I think of Alice in all her beauty and grace. Our memories together are strong but fail to save me either. Can anything save me?
This story of yours has a way of keeping me reading. Even though the chapters are so short, or maybe because they're so short, I find it so easy to dig into. Nice work. Keep on rocking.
*picks up megaphone and in a clearly bored and deadpan voice*
Charlie. Charlie. Step away from the ledge, Charlie. What you're doing will still hurt a lot of people, Charlie. It's okay. We can talk about this. Just think about this decision a little longer. I'd say a good half hour of thought would be plenty. If you jump now I'm out a hundred bucks. Don't throw something so precious away so easily, Charlie. A hundred bucks is a lot in this economy. You don't want me to lose a bet like that. Just a half hour is all I'm asking. Then you can do whatever you like. Charlie? Charlie wait.......
Well, there's goes my hundred bucks.
If you notice some of my work is gone, that is because it is. I trimed down to put only a few on the site. Message me if you want to know anything about me. I'm an open book more..