Changing Seasons

chapter one

Winter dragged her fingers across the scratchy cement of the wall. Her feet dangled over the edge of the 12 story building, with shoes laces untied in a fit of clumsiness, and her boots threatened to slip off and just..

fall.

Fall without anyone noticing, except for a couple bystanders, who probably wouldn't bother to locate the sources of the boot. Or boots.

The city that never slept, never, well, slept. It was always moving. People were always yelling. horns were always honking, cars and trains and busses and cabs never ceased to zoom down the packed streets. Didn't the world need a rest every once in a while? Winter's face scrunched subconsciously. How could everyone just keep moving? You see pain in someone's eyes, or on their hands or feet or anywhere, and you just keep walking. How does the weight of the pain the world is in not settle on your shoulders? Everyone ignores the fact that they're dying. Even if you have buckets of money or anything that's of worth to people now, it covers up the fact that the world's in pain, but it keeps moving. The world keeps living, even though it's dying.

So why can't I? Winter thought as the wind bit at her skin through her thin sweatshirt. Having enough of living was making a statement. You suffer so much you think it'll hurt less to rip your soul from the earth than it will to continue suffering.

Rain started to fall, making the masses of people walking below her start moving inside.

"I guess it's time to go," Winter murmured. She propped her hands on the edges of the wall, loose gravel sticking too her palms, preparing to push herself off and let gravity end her life. She had no one to write a letter to, no one would cry. These thoughts that lurked in her mind just encouraged her to jump.

Her muscles tensed as she was about to push, when she heard someone let out a simple "Don't." behind her. Whipping her head around too quickly to see a tall teenage boy around her age with warm brown eyes and brunette hair, she lost her balance on the edge and started tumbling but the boy caught her around the waist and hauled her back up onto the roof.

Winter turned her head away from him. "Not going to thank me for saving your life?" he chuckled dryly.

"I didn't need to be saved. I chose that," Winter bit out, her words colder than the rain that was proceeding to soak the pair of them.

"I didn't want to see a beautiful girl take away her beautiful life," the boy said as if he believed every word he was saying. Winter just looked at him and crinkled her nose.

"Name?" he asked.

Winter bit the inside of her mouth. "Sarah," she finally decided on.

"Hm," the boy tilted his head.

"Yours?" she asked, mimicking his movements.

"I'm not telling you," he said, crossing his arms.

"Well, why not?" Winter scoffed.

"Because you didn't tell me your real name."

Winter's eye brows furrowed. She let out a sigh. "Why do you want to know my name so badly?"

"Because I saved your life, so now you're in debt to me. I like knowing the names of the people who owe me things."

She rolled her eyes at him, turning away and walking towards the door that led back into the building. "I don't have time for your humor," she yelled back at him. "I'm going to go find another, more peaceful roof," She grumbled.

"Why aren't you afraid?"

Winter turned around. "What?"

"Why aren't you afraid of death? I don't see that you've been crying, or screaming. You don't seem afraid." his warm eyes followed hers to the edge again.

"Because.." she started. "Because I think I've been dead for awhile. I died when everyone stopped noticing I was alive. The last time someone said my name, I died. I'm just a body now. A body that still hurts, and I'm tired of hurting. I'm tired of living even though I'm already dead." she shook her head to cease her rambling.

"Then tell me your name," he said simply. "Tell me your name, and you'll be alive again."

"You don't even care about me. You stopped me because you pitied me, not because you actually care. You're a stranger."

"I don't have to be." His hair was dripping from the rain, and at that point they were both shivering from the wind that had started to pick up.

She turned around and headed back to the door. "Winter," she yelled back to him. "My name is Winter."

Just before the door shut behind her, she turned her head to see the boy's eyes light up. "Hello, Winter."

And for a couple seconds, she felt alive again.