The bridge, the night, the black water, the glisten of the moon and her reflection in a haze of street lights and stars… it all seemed so promising, so tempting. She was cold, so cold, freezing in icy air.
The bridge, the night, the black water, the glisten of the moon and her reflection in a haze of street lights and stars… it all seemed so promising, so tempting. She was cold, so cold, freezing in icy air. 3AM and London was asleep. The isolation had finally forced her out, out of her bed and onto the streets. She had pushed everyone away from herself. They hadn’t put up much protest. Everything around her seemed to have stamped out her smile so long ago…
She leaned out to stare into the beckoning depths. She had been the wrong side of a cold stone barrier for the best part of an hour. What would it take to fall? Just to let go, one fucking step and she’d plummet. Downwards, and nothing could ever stop her. No one had any control over her now; this was hers and hers alone. Nothing stirred, no one stirred. No one ever did.
Drawing back, she leant against the wall, feeling the cold solidarity of the stone against her back. Nothing was pushing her. The voiceless night and the still waters, the silent stars and distant moon, this was what surrounded her. Was this how she would say goodbye? Alone, unheard, forgotten.
She didn’t have any tears to cry. She felt like she’d dried up completely. Tear ducts were just another route to an unwanted display of emotion. She let go of one hand. “Ten”, she counted out loud in a tentative whisper. “Nine”, she remembered her home, her childhood, so happy. “Eight”, her voice gathered strength and she closed her eyes… “Seven”, she stepped onto air with one foot but still kept her grip. “Six”, she spoke out loud and firmly now, “Five”… “FOUR”, her voice was shaking but she was shouting… “THREE”, she began to lean forwards, and let her numbed fingers slowly begin to slip, “TWO” – leaning forwards she gasped as she felt the touch of a hand on her shoulder. Spinning sharply she felt herself step back into air… looking up desperately she saw the face of her love, and began to scream as she began her hasty decent downwards… “I LOVE YOU” he yelled desperately at her falling form, but it was too late, she was gone. Staring wildly at the white spray from where her body made impact, his tears followed her path… He turned to fall down to sit with his head in his hands, against the stone wall. Picturing her face, what he had lost, he screwed up his eyes with hot tears stinging his face.
Finally, he rose to walk away. His voice was nothing more than a whisper… “One…”