Stasis

(1) Falling

     My feet are on the edge. I'm barefoot, and I can feel sharp stones dig into my feet. When I move more than an inch, it sends dozens of rocks clattering down the canyon. Then I listen. I can't hear them hit the bottom. The crevasse is just too deep, and all I can see is empty, suffocating darkness.

Behind me, Faye is sobbing.

"Please, Hazel," she begs, "Come away from the ledge. You'll get through this. There's people that love you. I love you."

Behind her, blue and red lights flash. The police mill about, unnerved, but unwilling to come closer. The slightest movement could send me plummeting into the void. They know that. I know that. But they don't know everything that I do. They don't remember. To them, I'm just a crazy person.

I turn so that I'm facing Faye. Her eyes, pink from crying, make her vivid blue pupils shine even brighter, as bright as the neon lights from the cop cars. I want to reach out and hug her. The moment feels so real. I want to stay. But staying means feeling like the town's crazy woman again, and I can't do that, not when I know I'm not. So instead, as my heart aches to reach out, I take a step back, over the ledge, and then I'm falling.

There's a scream, maybe mine, maybe Faye's, or maybe it's just the wind rushing by me.

Then it's just black,

                                    black,

                                              black.

I don't feel myself hit the ground.