Chasing Stars - A Midnight Mafia Novel

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Falling backwards.

I was thankfully falling backwards. Not that it was any less scary in those brief moments I was through the air but I was not falling off the bridge, I was falling back onto it. And when I landed boy did it hurt.

The force that had pulled me backwards was sitting on top of me and holding my hands to the ground. I blinked several times and looked up to the man sitting on top of me.

He looked to be twice my age and half my weight, his hair appeared to have greyed prematurely and his large glasses took up the majority of his face. Beads of sweat were gathered around his forehead

I could relish in only a moment of joy in noting that he certainly didn't belong to any Mafia before the headache in my head caught up with my realization of safety and won over my attention.

"Don't do it. I know you've fallen on hard times but there's always a way. The sun will come out tomorrow, for every dark night there is a brighter day, happiness is a journey not a destination, say yes to happiness! Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem!"

I was rendered speechless as I ran through everything in my head. I suspected he had posters hanging on his wall that said all of those thing. "W-wha?" I finally managed.

"I know it may seem hopeless sometimes but you are here for a reason. You have a purpose. You have people who love you even if you don't realize it. Focus on those people, find your purpose. Don't kill yourself no matter how dark things may seem." I opened my mouth to speak again but he yelled out "Stars!" As if he'd had a sudden epiphany. "The darkness never stops the stars from shining. Be your own star!"

"I wasn't going to kill myself!" I finally said quickly for fear he would interrupt me.

"You have people who want to help you but they can't do that unless you ask and accept it."

I wondered how I could explain that no, I wasn't going to kill myself, I was just going to climb hundreds of feet into the air on top of the bridge. With my face damp with tears and a desperate insanity in my eyes I knew I looked the part of someone who was ready to give up. But I wasn't going to give up, I was going up to find the strength to keep going. And suddenly.

I started laughing.

I laughed so hard that he sat up, releasing his feather light grip on my wrists to give me a confused stare. I wiped the back of my hands across my eyes as I laughed until I cried. "I wasn't going to kill myself." I managed through giggles.

He gave me a doubtful look.

"There's a ladder. On that pillar. I was trying to reach the ladder. I wasn't trying to jump." I assured him.

He glanced to the pillar and back to me. "Y-you weren't going to kill yourself?" He sounded doubtful and I could offer little more than more laughter.

"No. But this concussion you gave me could."

He blanched and was suddenly on his feet and dragged me to mine. "I'm sorry." He frantically patted me off, wiping dirt I didn't see nor care about away.

"No, no." I laughed. "I'm fine, it's fine. Honestly, I needed a good laugh. And I mean, how sweet are you! Not many people would go to that extreme for a stranger."

"I, well, I work at a suicide hotline. Not work at, I run one. Started from the ground and brought it up. You have no idea how many times I've wished I could reach through the phone and pull someone back from the ledge. I saw you and I just thought-"

"And I thank you." I said with an ear to ear grin. "I'm Kate."

He wiped his hands frantically off on his pants and then took my hand and gave it a feverish shake. "Norman." He said quickly.