I stand on the edge of the protrusion of rock, my backpack and ski sticks lying several yards behind me. I didn't bring much, only enough for me to hike here and hike back out. If I hike out.
My life is a mess. I lost my job three months ago, my boyfriend lost his last month, and my parents died in a car crash two days ago. Then Tom broke up with me yesterday. I have no one left, no one to help me put the broken pieces of my life back together.
The world won't miss one more unemployed, entitled high school dropout. The scarcity of labor that I learned about in economics class didn't help me keep my job. What do I have to live for?
Slowly, I bend down, unlace my hiking boots and throw them off the edge of the rock. I listen for what feels like an eternity, but I hear nothing. They must be too small to make a noise when they land.
I stand up again and begin removing my clothes and tossing them to the wind. It's cold, but I won't feel anything in a few minutes, and that's what keeps me going. Once I am nude, I stand still for a moment, letting the wind permeate my bones, and then a gust comes at me from behind, nudging me forward, and I fall rapidly into sweet oblivion.
