Short Stories

Jump

He sat on the railing of the bridge, staring down at the water below. Every time he came here, he thought about jumping. But each time, the deep water below seemed a little more alluring, calling to him. And now, he had decided that today he would jump.

"Are you planning to jump?" a girl asked, stopping beside him with her bike.

"What if I am?" he replied.

"Why?" she asked, and there was genuine curiosity in her voice. She wasn't mocking him, just wanting to understand.

"What's the point of living if nothing even makes you smile anymore?" he asked, looking at her with empty, dead eyes.

"I see," she said, pausing thoughtfully. After a moment, she continued, "So, you won't jump if I can make you smile?"

He shrugged. "I guess."

"I'm not good at telling jokes at all, but I bet I can make you laugh," she said with a nod.

"I doubt it," he sighed.

"No, seriously. The only problem is, you need to follow me. I can't show you here," she said, her tone a bit secretive.

He stared at her, frustrated by her persistence. "Can I please jump in peace?" he asked, turning away from her.

"I'm telling you, you'll die with regret. Please, give me the chance to make you laugh. What's living for a few more hours?" she said quickly, her words urgent.

"Sure, I can do a few more hours," he said, getting down from the railing and standing next to her. "What now?"

"Get on," she said, tapping the luggage rack behind her bike.

He gave her an incredulous look but complied, climbing onto the back of her bike. He held onto her shoulders as she started pedaling. The wind blew through her hair, and it tickled his nose as the summer breeze brushed against his face.

"How long have you thought about killing yourself?" she asked, her voice casual, but the question hit him hard.

"A few months now, that I've been staring into the water," he replied, feeling a bit awkward about the honesty her question demanded.

"Procrastinator, eh?" she joked with a small grin.

"I guess," he agreed. She glanced back at his neutral expression, knowing she still had to work hard to crack a smile from him.

"Look over there," she said, pointing at a small pond with a few ducks swimming lazily. "Aren't they cute?"

"I guess," he said. "All animals are cute."

"All animals? What about, ehh... cockroaches?" she asked, making conversation as she kept pedaling.

"Just imagine them with a little hat and a mustache, and then they're cute," he said, thinking about it.

"I hate to say it, but you have a point," she laughed effortlessly. He felt a pang of jealousy—how could she be so carefree and happy, riding around with someone who had been ready to jump off a bridge just minutes ago?

"How come you decided to try to make me laugh?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I guess if you have the chance to do something good, you should always take it," she said simply, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"So, where are we headed?" he asked, the wind still rushing past them.

"We're nearly there, just need to pass the city park, and then we're there," she said as they rode through the park. The scenery shifted around them: couples sitting on benches feeding birds, a man reading a newspaper, two women arguing over whose kid had hit the other first, and someone with headphones in, playing fetch with their dog.