Give Me Life

The Walk Home

I want this night to end. I'm so tired of everyone's bullshit that I can't see straight. This dress is uncomfortable, these heels are killing me, and my phone is dead so I can't call Lottie and ask her for a ride.

Why do I go on dates? Every time I do, it never works out. They're either perverts or they don't show up. This time he didn't show up. I don't know why I expected he would, all men are the same. I guess I just thought he seemed like a nice guy.

I was clearly wrong.

You see, when I got to the restaurant, I was so impressed that a guy would bring me here on the first date. Especially some guy I met a few nights ago at a bar. The place was so nice, perfect lighting, candles, quiet, nice food on the menu. I was prepared to have a nice dinner, but I guess Jack (maybe I should call him Jackass) decided on other plans.

As I continue on my trek back to the apartment I share with Lottie, I see a payphone. If it weren't for the heels I'm wearing, I'd start downright sprinting to it. I do speed up my walking though because I'd much rather have Lottie come than to have to walk home. I finally get there and dig through my clutch, trying to find change. I find enough, and insert two quarters, and start dialing. There is no dial tone and it doesn't make a noise when I dial Lottie's number. I've never used a payphone before, but I think they're supposed to make some kind of noise. I try again and nothing happens.

"It's fucking broken," I hiss.

Now I'm fifty cents broker and I still don't have a ride home. I'm lucky there are street lights because if there weren't, I would have a much harder time walking home.

I step outside of the booth and begin my trek again. I step off of the sidewalk so that I can cross the street, and step onto a gated sewer cover that attaches to the heel of my shoe and breaks it as I try to walk forward.

"Son of a-" I yell before falling down due to the shoe still attached to the sewer cover and my foot. I'm glad bthere are no cars driving down this street at the moment, because I cannot get my heel out of the sewer.

"Screw it," I say. I leave the shoe stuck in the cover and stand up. I guess I'll be walking half barefoot now.

Since my phone is dead, I can't keep track of time, but I think I've been walking for about fifteen minutes when I reach the bridge that I know all too well. The bridge that signifies I'm close to home.

I'm celebrating myself when if I'm not mistaken, I hear sobbing coming from further down the long bridge. I don't see anyone though...

Yes I do. I see a tall masculine looking figure leaning on the safety bar of the bridge ahead of me. Is he the one crying? I'm now determined to find out. I'm walking quickly, some because I want to see the man, some because I only have one shoe on. Right when I'm halfway to him, I see the man step onto the railing of the bridge and struggle to catch his balance.

"Oh my god," I say. He's trying to kill himself. That or he's an idiot.

I start running. Faster than I've ever run before. My one heel flies off and I don't go back. My adrenalin kicks in and I'm going so fast everything looks blurred. I finally reach him as he bends his knees, preparing to jump.

"No," I scream, "stop!" I'm so out of breath I can barely speak, but I force out a yell.

He looks back at me and says, "I'm doing this on purpose, I don't need saving."

His words are slurred and I can smell the alcohol on him from here. I look in his hand and see a bottle of absinthe.

"Please! Don't jump!" I beg. "Whatever you're going through you can get through it, I promise."