iris [on hold]

➵ one

She walks along the lonely street, drenched to the skin. The night comforting her as the rain struggles to cloak the tears that threaten to escape. She drags her feet, and aimlessly wanders like a lost soul haunted by its own memories. She trudges on and on, until the sight of something fills her with contentment; A bridge.

A smile stretches across her face. It wasn't the kind, with butterflies in your stomach, and most definitely not the kind where your heart fills with ecstasy. It was the kind where the voices inside your head drown your own thoughts with their screams, the kind where you want to tear yourself apart limb from limb with the same smile etched upon lips.

She proceeds closer to the bridge, until she finds herself sitting on the edge of the railing, her feet dangling in the air like a stiff body tied to a noose . The rain pelts icy shards at her bare skull. She had no reason to hold back, not a thing in the world to make her stop, not like anyone bothered to do it anyway.

Her eyelids start drooping, the night was taking a toll of her, she wasn't just tired, she was drained. She had imagined this countless times, with infinite ways of her death, but perhaps this was the most convenient one.

She closed her eyes. On the count to three, everything would be okay; better. She would finally feel something, and that was enough of a reason to do it.

1.

she takes a deep breath.

2..

her heart throbbing right out of her chest.

this will be over soon, she thought.

3-

"hey wait!"

She hadn't realized she had been holding her breath until now. She realizes even later the waves of heat burning her cheeks despite the frosty rain spitting upon her.

Except, it wasn't raining. Not on her head anyway. She looks to her side, to find someone standing. His umbrella protecting her from the rage of the storm.

He extends his hand, and she accepts it. She didn't know why, just yet, but she did.

"are you okay?"

She didn't know how she was supposed to answer that, did she look okay? And suddenly, she felt big, strong arms wrapped around her, almost like a protective cage. She just stood there, arms slumped to her sides, hot trails burning through her face, as she sobbed with her face resting on his chest.

Before she could draw herself back, pathetic cries escaped her lips and she cling onto his shirt, desperately trying to grasp traces of oxygen and quiet down the waves of sobs that were drowning her.

She didn't know who he was, neither what he looked like, but deep down, she was glad; relieved even. She couldn't understand why, but she was. She discovered three things then,

a) she didn't want to die.

b) she hated getting soaked and the rain itself.

and c) hugs weren't so bad after all.

Only until he was sure that she had pulled herself together, did he finally let go of her. The shower had finally stopped, both in the sky and her eyes. And they stood there in the company of the parting clouds and flickering streetlight.

"okay?"

This time, she nodded.