Status: Complete
I've lost my fear of falling (A ghost story)
1/1
The girl sat on the edge of the cliff and gazed down on the jagged rocks below her, watching the water beat relentlessly upon them. The last rose tints of the sunset gave the eddying waters a translucent loveliness, but she shuddered as she looked at them. She couldn't see the beauty, only the rocks that the rocks and water were terribly far away.
"I haven't got the courage," she half whispered, her voice lost in the rushing waters. For a long while she sat quietly still, staring blankly before her. From somewhere in the distance came the shriek of a whistle.
Automatically the girl raised her head, listened and laughed--a laugh that had no mirth in it. Her thoughts, which have been a formless confusion, suddenly focused.
"The factory whistle, Brendon will be home soon. How he'll rave when he doesn't find me. If I went back, he'd beat me. But I won't go! Dear God, help me to be brave."
With the force of her prayer she clasped her hands and moved convulsively. As she did so her pump slipped off and went down into the dimness. She strained her eyes to watch, but she discern nothing in the darkness. So she listened, every nerve sense.
But she heard nothing--only the swishing snarl of the water beating on the rocks. Her slipper had gone--soon she would follow. She dully wondered if it would hurt. She saw herself lying crushed and mangled, perhaps not dead, and began to shake. Unsteadily she got to her feet. She was going away from the terror of the cliff, back to Brendon--it would be horrible, but atleast she knew what it was like.
"If I were only brave" she thought "I wouldn't go back" She buried her face in her hands and sobbed hopelessly.
All at once she was conscious of someone near. She took her hands away to look. There was a stranger standing beside her.
"What is the matter?" he asked softly. There was no light and she could not see his face, but something in his voice swept the terror away.
Without an instant's hesitation she began "I want to die." She pointed downward "but I haven't got the courage."
"Perhaps I can help you." There was deep understanding in his tones. "But first you must tell me why?"
Strangely she didn't wonder that he made no attempt to preach or dissuade her from her project. Her soul went out to the sympathy and understanding she sensed in him. Her words came tumbling out jerkily, one sentence after the another
"I love Adam--my family married me to Brendon. Brendon had money--a house. I was pretty and can cook. Brendon didn't love me, but I was useful. I hated him!" She clenched her hands until the nails, digging into the soft flesh, brought drops of blood to the surface.
"Yes?" questioned the stranger. "So--" Monosyllables which left a gap to be filled.
She went on, "I tried hard to like Brendon--I couldn't. He was a drunken beast. Adam kept on being sweet to me, brought me little things when Brendon wasn't there. Once he found me crying, saw my arms all black and blue. Then he took me in his arms." She passed a second to fully savor the joys of the remembrance.
"We decided to go away together when Adam got enough money," the thread of her memory continued to unwind. "Brendon came home early. I hid Adam but Brendon was drunk. He began beating me. i tried to be brave, but God must've been asleep that night. Adam came out to help me--and Brendon killed him!"
The stranger was silent.
She continued, "Brendon got off--he was a wronged husband. The jury was on his side. It was worse than ever for me when he came back. I can't stand it anymore. I want to go to Adam, only--I'm not brave enough."
The stranger moved a little nearer.
"It only takes a minute," he whispered, but in his low tones was a vibrancy. "One second and it's over."
Her slight figure swayed "I can't!" she gasped.
The stranger took another step.
"You won't be alone. I'll go too" he said slowly
"But why?" she began, then suddenly reached out her hand out toward him.
He ignored that and took a step toward the edge of the cliff.
"Come."
She moved forward. All at once she was aware of the sound of the water striking the rocks below--those sharp, jagged rocks. She shrank back "I'm afraid."
"Then return to him!!" He flung the words at her
"NO! NO!" cried the girl.
"You must choose between Adam and Brendon." he said sternly, and added. "once you did not take long to decide."
"Adam might not find me." she sobbed
"It only takes a second." he pleaded, "and then there is--Eternity!"
The girl shivered again. "It is very dark!"
The stranger smiled. "My arms will be warm. Come!" he said softly, and this time he held out his hand.
The girl tried to grasp it, but he was going down--down into the blackness. There was a strange luminous light about him. It didn't look quite so dark. The girl suddenly found courage.
"Wait!" she cried, "I am coming!"
From below the stranger was smiling at her with Adam's smile, and his arms were outstretched. He wasn't a stranger anymore--he was--Adam! Without one second's hesitation, she flung herself into his arms.
They went down and down, toward the bottom. Adam's lips were warmly on hers. She did not even know when the waters enveloped her completely.
The End.
"I haven't got the courage," she half whispered, her voice lost in the rushing waters. For a long while she sat quietly still, staring blankly before her. From somewhere in the distance came the shriek of a whistle.
Automatically the girl raised her head, listened and laughed--a laugh that had no mirth in it. Her thoughts, which have been a formless confusion, suddenly focused.
"The factory whistle, Brendon will be home soon. How he'll rave when he doesn't find me. If I went back, he'd beat me. But I won't go! Dear God, help me to be brave."
With the force of her prayer she clasped her hands and moved convulsively. As she did so her pump slipped off and went down into the dimness. She strained her eyes to watch, but she discern nothing in the darkness. So she listened, every nerve sense.
But she heard nothing--only the swishing snarl of the water beating on the rocks. Her slipper had gone--soon she would follow. She dully wondered if it would hurt. She saw herself lying crushed and mangled, perhaps not dead, and began to shake. Unsteadily she got to her feet. She was going away from the terror of the cliff, back to Brendon--it would be horrible, but atleast she knew what it was like.
"If I were only brave" she thought "I wouldn't go back" She buried her face in her hands and sobbed hopelessly.
All at once she was conscious of someone near. She took her hands away to look. There was a stranger standing beside her.
"What is the matter?" he asked softly. There was no light and she could not see his face, but something in his voice swept the terror away.
Without an instant's hesitation she began "I want to die." She pointed downward "but I haven't got the courage."
"Perhaps I can help you." There was deep understanding in his tones. "But first you must tell me why?"
Strangely she didn't wonder that he made no attempt to preach or dissuade her from her project. Her soul went out to the sympathy and understanding she sensed in him. Her words came tumbling out jerkily, one sentence after the another
"I love Adam--my family married me to Brendon. Brendon had money--a house. I was pretty and can cook. Brendon didn't love me, but I was useful. I hated him!" She clenched her hands until the nails, digging into the soft flesh, brought drops of blood to the surface.
"Yes?" questioned the stranger. "So--" Monosyllables which left a gap to be filled.
She went on, "I tried hard to like Brendon--I couldn't. He was a drunken beast. Adam kept on being sweet to me, brought me little things when Brendon wasn't there. Once he found me crying, saw my arms all black and blue. Then he took me in his arms." She passed a second to fully savor the joys of the remembrance.
"We decided to go away together when Adam got enough money," the thread of her memory continued to unwind. "Brendon came home early. I hid Adam but Brendon was drunk. He began beating me. i tried to be brave, but God must've been asleep that night. Adam came out to help me--and Brendon killed him!"
The stranger was silent.
She continued, "Brendon got off--he was a wronged husband. The jury was on his side. It was worse than ever for me when he came back. I can't stand it anymore. I want to go to Adam, only--I'm not brave enough."
The stranger moved a little nearer.
"It only takes a minute," he whispered, but in his low tones was a vibrancy. "One second and it's over."
Her slight figure swayed "I can't!" she gasped.
The stranger took another step.
"You won't be alone. I'll go too" he said slowly
"But why?" she began, then suddenly reached out her hand out toward him.
He ignored that and took a step toward the edge of the cliff.
"Come."
She moved forward. All at once she was aware of the sound of the water striking the rocks below--those sharp, jagged rocks. She shrank back "I'm afraid."
"Then return to him!!" He flung the words at her
"NO! NO!" cried the girl.
"You must choose between Adam and Brendon." he said sternly, and added. "once you did not take long to decide."
"Adam might not find me." she sobbed
"It only takes a second." he pleaded, "and then there is--Eternity!"
The girl shivered again. "It is very dark!"
The stranger smiled. "My arms will be warm. Come!" he said softly, and this time he held out his hand.
The girl tried to grasp it, but he was going down--down into the blackness. There was a strange luminous light about him. It didn't look quite so dark. The girl suddenly found courage.
"Wait!" she cried, "I am coming!"
From below the stranger was smiling at her with Adam's smile, and his arms were outstretched. He wasn't a stranger anymore--he was--Adam! Without one second's hesitation, she flung herself into his arms.
They went down and down, toward the bottom. Adam's lips were warmly on hers. She did not even know when the waters enveloped her completely.
The End.
♠ ♠ ♠
=)