Free Falling

The Attempt

It was a dark shady day in northern Georgia. The clouds were a charcoal grey, and swollen with painful memories, ready to explode at any moment. The golden leaves danced as the wind serenaded the trees.

In a quaint little suburb, there lived a man named Daniel Bradshaw. Daniel was a sweet young man, with hair as black as the deepest parts of the ocean. His nose seemed to protrude outward as if reaching for the heavens. His face held worry lines, that showed the years of torture that preyed upon his soul. His eyes were as green as a meadow, with swirls of dandelion yellow crawling towards the iris. Years of working in a body shop, had given him muscles that worked their way down his body in a taunting fashion.

To everyone who knew him he seemed to be the happiest man on earth. He had parents who loved him, a beautiful house, and a steady career.

But Daniel would tell you a much different story.

"Why?" Daniel yelled with scorn in his eyes. "How could you do that?" He had a sound of utter chaos in his trembling voice. "Who said I wanted to be saved?"

It's all wrong he thought. How could he mess this up? The one thing he's always wanted was snatched away from him in a second. How could he be so stupid? How could he not lock the door? Months of careful planning was ripped away in an instant by one simple mistake. He needed this. He needed to erase all the pain. How could his death be taken away so easily? It's all he's ever wanted.

"Danny?!" His distraught neighbor shouts as he tries to get his attention. It's not working, Daniel is in a state of shock so severe, he is unaware of what is happening around him. His neighbor, in a state of utter panic shakily picks up the phone and calls the police. "911, what's your emergency?" He replies in a quaking voice. "H-hello, my name is M-Malcolm, there's been an accident, I thi-ink my neighbor tried to commit s-su-icide." "What is the state he's in?" He looks over at Danny, who still seems to be in his own world. "There is b-b-blood everywhere, there is so much blood. Please you got to h-help him. It looks like he tried to slit his own wrist. Oh God I think he's starting to black out." "Okay, you need to stay calm, and make sure to apply pressure to the wound, can you tell me your location?" "1564 Cederwood Lane, 30997." "Thank you, the ambulance should arrive shortly."

It's cold, everything is starting to get blurry. Yes, he thinks. Maybe this will still work, maybe he will still be able to leave this cruel world. He can't stand another second in this torturous place. Just as Daniel slips from reality, he hears what sounds like sirens, then the beautiful silence. Please, I need to succeed. Let me go.

As Daniel starts to blackout, Malcolm begins to freak. "No, don't do this man!" He slightly shakes Danny to get him to keep conscientiousness. "Stay with me, the ambulance should be here soon. Just hold on."

Malcom, being the nosey neighbor he was, had decided to check up on Danny. He had noticed that Danny hadn't left his house for a few weeks. His mail was overflowing his mail slot, and his newspapers had been stacking up outside his house. When he entered the house, he was unprepared for the sight he received. Daniel was crumpled over, with a nasty gash on the inside of his wrist. Crimson blood was leaking outward into a huge puddle onto his kitchen floor. Words could not express the horror he felt.

It just doesn't add up. Daniel always seemed like the happiest person alive. Sometimes he would cook meals and invite him to dinner. They would talk about their lives. Never, did he ever imagine that he would try to hurt himself. He'd meet his parents. They seemed so happy. Daniel looked like he was the most cheerful man he'd ever meet. How could he hurt so bad that he would resort to trying to kill himself?

The ambulance arrived shortly after Daniel passed out. Thanking his neighbor, the paramedics whisked him off into the vehicle.

"He'll be fine," the paramedic told Malcolm, "you got to him just in time. It's great you were present." He breathed out a sigh of relief. He's so glad he was able to stop such a tragedy from occurring.

Bright lights shined in Daniel's eyes. Is he in heaven? Had he finally succeeded? As he opened his eyes, a sense of horrible dread filled his heart. No, this isn't right. I can't be here. Please dear God, tell me this isn't real.

I can't be....... alive!