The Voice

Sweat slowly trickled down my forehead as I looked over the railing. The city lights which would loom over my small frame now looked like small bright stars from the height I was at. The wind blew my hair into my face, almost as if the earth was trying to give me some small measure of comfort in its own way.

"It wasn't my fault! It isn't my fault..." I kept repeating to myself as my sweat now began to mingle with the constant stream of tears running down my face. I jumped slightly as my shoulder was gripped by long slender fingers.

"Here again my dear? Oh it has been ever so long since you've last payed me a visit."

The moon made one of its many rings glint as the hand squeezed me. Ripping away to face them I could see that the manifestation, if that is what you would even call it, was a man this time. He towered over me, a long black trench coat hanging on skin and bones. He tapped his walking stick and adjusted his top hat with a grin.

"You're not real!" my hands trembled as my upper lip began to quiver. He's just a figure of my own imagination...

"Oh but you see I do exist Elise, If I didn't how would I be able to do this?" He slowly dragged the tip of his finger along my collar bone a strange rush went through me as I felt a small amount of liquid trickle down to swell just above my breastbone. My tears dried up. The sniveling stopped. I shakily raised my hand to wipe away the blood, the deep red stood out in stark comparison to the pale white of my fingertips. Entranced by the blood slowly trailing down my finger all I could do was stare.

"See that wasn't so hard was it? Now do you believe that I'm more than just a figment of your imagination? Although I will admit you've seen me plenty of times before, I just look different." The man spun around slowly his form blurred as he turned, he stopped in front of me and jumped onto the railing balancing on it as if it were merely a pathway.

"Change... what? How?" My voice only came out as a squeak while I leaned closer to the man.

"Well you see my dear... I come in whatever form I please, but it does so entertain me to be whatever you think of me up in here." He lightly tapped my forehead with the end of his walking stick.

A frightening chuckle sounded through my ears as I rubbed my slightly reddened forehead.

"Maybe I should go..." I turned around to leave but my feet wouldn't move forward.

"You know it is a terrible habit to have, you say one thing and yet, your body says another." He walks towards me in long slow strides. My arms become covered in goose bumps as he places a hand on the small of my back. "Let's take a closer look at the beauty the world has to offer."

He dangled his legs over the edge his arms lashed out as he grabbed me around my waist lifting me up as if I weighed nothing, he pulled me tightly against his body my legs only just hanging over the edge. The occasional soft touch against my hip barely registered over the erratic beating of my heart. My chest constricted making each breath harder to take. My vision slightly blurred from both the adrenaline and panic of being so close to falling to my death.

"But isn't that why you were here love? To jump and simply leave all of your problems behind." Slowly nodding I looked up to see his lip quirk upwards in a sadistic smirk.

I turned around standing up on his legs. I gripped tightly onto his hands as they were the only things keeping me from plummeting into the sweet embrace that Mother Nature offered below. After all he was right, this is what I wanted wasn't it? I stared into his eyes noticing that I really had seen them all my life, the stranger purple hue with swirls or dark grey was something you would rarely ever forget. Letting go of one hand I wobbled slightly, my body relaxing.

"You know dear the bullying won't follow you into the next life, they won't pick on your clothes, and you won't get called names."

"I'm scared..." I shivered slightly as a bead of sweat fell down the back of my neck, the memory of my parents arguing this afternoon flashed through my mind.

"They haven't even called to see if you are okay dear, they'll never notice that you're gone and when they do they'll most likely celebrate. After all they were arguing over the cost of getting you into school."

He was right. I wouldn't be missed... I'd be doing everyone a favor...

With determination I never knew I possessed I let go, flinging myself off the building. I couldn't tell how long I had been falling as my hair whipped wildly around my face. I shut my eyes smiling as the end came near the pavement spread out as if waiting to embrace me. Finally I'd be at peace. Looking up the last thing I saw was the man dusting his hands as smoke curled under his feet.

"Duty calls, goodbye dear."

Vanishing into thin air the man disappeared, a high pitch scream could be heard in the distance as someone noticed a slightly disfigured girl lying on the pavement.