Into The Unknown

07

Raegan's POV

I stirred in the sheets when I felt a gentle breeze. I lifted myself from the bed by my elbows and noticed the balcony door was wide open. I slowly got up and pulled the blanket around me. I slowly walked towards the door to close it when I noticed Chris' sweatshirt on the floor. I slowly picked it up and slipped it over my body. As I walked closer to the door, I noticed his shoes by the door. My mind began to race when he was nowhere in sight. I touched the handle of the balcony door when I noticed Chris' bare back at the edge of the balcony. My heart raced as I approached him. I remembered learning not to startle the person because that can cause them to slip. I slowly crept towards him when he lifted his weight off the balcony. I panicked then and started to race towards him.

"CHRIS!!!!," I yelled.

But it was too late...

I raced down the hall and banged on every door I could. Finally, someone opened their door.

"It is like 3AM what can you want now!?"

"My friend is going to jump off the balcony! HELP ME PLEASE," I yelled through my pants.

She quickly put on her shoes and ran down the hall with me. We entered the room and ran back to the balcony Chris was standing on. I began to sob because I was about to watch someone die before my eyes again.

"What's his name," she whispered to me.

"Chris," I sighed.

"Okay, Chris, sweetheart. My name is Amber. Can you talk to me," she pleaded.

Chris remained silent as he teetered back and forth against the balcony.

"Chris, honey, what about your family," Amber whispered.

I gasped at her words and covered her mouth. At that moment, he jumped.

"CHRIS, NO!!," we yelled in unison. I leaned over the balcony reaching for him. His body swayed against the wind as the world took hold of his body. Amber was already on the phone with the emergency department. We quickly ran down to the place Chris' body laid. I ran over to him and let my hand run across his face. I wept until the emergency department arrived. The paramedic rushed to Chris' side and checked for a pulse.

"He's still alive!," she hollered over the sirens.

Amber and I sat by the hotel's fountain when the police came to ask us questions. Amber answered most of them because I couldn't seem to say anything. My entire body was numb. I couldn't speak. I could barely cry anymore. Amber held on to me tightly while the paramedic carried Chris on the ambulance. The paramedic quickly walked over to us and asked if we wanted to ride with him. We both agreed and we were off to the hospital.

*A few hours later*

Amber scrolled through her phone while I stared at Chris' body. His chest still heaved up and down like it did at the hotel. I wondered what made him jump. Did I make him jump? Or was it when Amber said something about his family?

"Um, Raegan are you okay," Amber asked.

I nodded slowly and looked at her. The concern on her face twisted my stomach to point I hunched over in the chair. She rubbed my back in small circles as my breathing calmed.

"I'm an epileptic. I have these silent seizures when I get stressed out, you know? I kind of freeze and stare off into space. Don't be alarmed by it. I've been doing it since I was six," I managed to say.

"Oh," was all she could say before Chris moved his leg. Both of us stood up quickly and I called for the nurse. I reached over to grab his hand and surprisingly, he squeezed it back. I looked over at his face and his eyes remained shut. Did he mean to squeeze my hand?