The Ledge (Short Story)

The elevator door slid open, and I stepped inside. No one else was inside. I’d thought about do this for nearly my whole life. The thought of doing it sent chills down my spine, but for once, I was going to do it. The doors slid open once again and dinged, but not to the right level. I was only on the thirty-fourth floor now, and I had to get up to the fiftieth, to do what had to be done. As the doors opened, I saw a boy enter. He was tall, unlike me, and he had messy black hair that hung in his eyes, waiting to be brushed away to see the bright hazel orbs staring at the back wall as he walked in and stood beside me, turning to face the door he just entered through.

“Hi,” He said politely. 

“Hello.” I mumbled, trying to seem not interested in this boy at all.

“I’m James,” He started, trying to be nice. “What’s your name?”

“Hazel.” I muttered, not wanting this conversation to go anywhere. 

The elevator door opened once more at level forty-eight, where James got out. 

“I hope to see you around Hazel.” He promised, looking down at me. I brushed a few strands of brown hair out of my eyes and looked up at him. I waved him off as he left the small room, with the doors not only closing themselves, but closing off my last connections with anyone ever again.

“Not likely.” I muttered to no one in particular.

I heard the dinging sound before the doors parted, revealing the small corridor that led to the fire escape door. I slipped out of the elevator and headed toward the big, white, heavy door. It opened with ease, and I walked out into the dark night.

The cold air nipped my skin, making me feel the wind hitting my body at a hundred miles an hour. I really shouldn’t have worn a dress with out a jumper of some sort to protect me from the cold. I wore my old, black, thin strapped dress, my pale shoulders completely exposed, and getting hit by the wind. On my feet I wore my only pair of nice (Well, if a pair of black converse nice,) shoes, tied with white laces, and pulled up to be above my ankles. My hair flailed about it the wind, swinging in every direction. I wrapped my arms around my thin waist and walked out of the shelter.

The sky was amazing. White dots scattered across its black surface, gleaming their bright colours down on everyone. I looked down and followed my feet until I tilted my head back up. I was going to miss this, the beauty of the night sky, the cold air and wind.The whole experience of being here. Being anywhere. Being Alive.

I looked around to see if anyone else was on the top floor, looking away from the beautiful sky. I checked all around the small area, looking back up at the sky. Every little one of those stars was gone now. All dead. Killed. Destroyed. But no one noticed, no one cared. I did, though. My thoughts drifted away as I let my feet direct where I was going. I walked like this, looking up at the stars letting my feet lead the way, until the ends of my shoes hit something. A ledge. I took one more step forward, so that I was standing on the it. I looked at where my feet lay and stared at the world below me. The lights of cars driving past filled the roads, and the sounds of people chatting and laughing stood in the air. The people walking on the streets below me looked so happy, filled with joy and love. 

I looked back up to my eye level and stared at the horizon of the city. The lights of the skyscrapers lit up the star filled sky. My left foot hovered over the city below. My right foot was almost off the edge of the building. 

Then I stepped off. 

Just as I was thinking what would be the last thought of my life, my arm was pulled out from it’s socket. 

“AH!” I screamed in pain. My thoughts were a mess. What the hell was going on?!

I could feel my self being dragged up from where I was, hanging onto the only thing that would keep me alive. But my hand was slipping from the one holding onto mine, belonging to the person who chooses if I live or die. I was falling again. It was as if life didn’t want me to live. Like it was taunting me, You want your life back? Well you can’t have it. 

But another hand grabbed onto my forearm, and wrenched me upwards toward the top of the building. I was practically being dragged across the window covered walls of the building, and lifted to the ledge which I had just tried to jump off. I was now lying on the roof top, me breathing heavy and loud, my heart beating like a skipping record. 

After two minutes or so of getting my breath back, along with my savior, I lifted myself up off the floor and looked to see who gave me my life back. My eyes focused the black hair I had seen not five minutes ago, and those hazel eyes staring up at the night sky. I sat upright now, and had my legs stretched out in front of me. James got up and was in the same position. 

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” I whispered, looking into the hazel eyes that were staring back at me, and smiled. “Why did you... how...?” I questioned him, wondering why he would do this, because if it were anyone else, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be alive.

“I told you I’d see you around.” He said and smiled back

-*-*-*-*-*- This was a school project, so that's why there'sno swearing or any sort of roamnce going on... But I got the top mark in my class for the story, so I'm happy. This story goes out to my bitch Rachael (drugmonkies), who wouldn't shut up about the story.