Status: In progress.
Chasing Neverland
Falling Forever
It had rained all day, but when Willow awoke late that night, the rain had stopped. The sky was purple from the overcast, and all was still outside, except for the croaking of frogs and the distant howl of wolves. She threw open the bay windows of her bedroom, sweating and her heartbeat racing. She felt ill, and she knew it wasn't because of sickness; she'd had that dream again.
The same one almost every night for the past seven years.
She would sleep, but never really feel rested. Her imagination haunted her, even in sleep. And it was hard for her to find any reason other than it being her fault.
If only she'd said something; if only she'd called out to the shadow of the boy creeping past her windowsill. At ten-years-old, she'd been terrified by the unknown figure, but at the same time, she had so badly wanted to call out to him, to see why he was there, watching her sleep.
She hadn't, though, and that was something she will always regret.
She'd watch him and the little ball of light at his side slip out the window and disappear into the waning night sky. Why hadn't she spoken up? Why had she let him disappear?
The moon struggled to shine through the thick cover of clouds, leaving the ground below completely dark in places. A chill hung in the air, and as Willow breathed deeply, she could see soft puffs of air float before her face, white and whimsical. It would be winter in a few months, and without school to go to, she'd be forced to spend her days in close contact with her dreadful mother.
Maybe it was the cool evening breeze running through the thin fabric of her night dress, but she suddenly sprung out in goosebumps with the premonition that something huge was about to happen.
With weak knees, she climbed up into her windowsill, staring out ahead of her, not below at the frosted grass or deserted streets. With a sudden drive, she turned and reached up to the ledge of her window, sliding herself out onto the slanted shingles of the roof. She hesitated only long enough for one of her feet to slip, which made her slide onto her hands and knees, crawling to the flatter rooftop.
She sat up there like she'd done many nights in the past, looking out over the roofs of the other houses, into the darkness of the evergreen forest and on nice nights, into the never-ending vastness of the stars above. But on this night, it was too gloomy to stargaze, so she sat there with her knees folded up to her chest, one of her palms brushing away the dirt on her knee.
A curl escaped from the bun in her hair, and she scooped it behind her ear, ignoring the chill running up her spine. There was something about being awake when everyone else was awake that appealed to her; maybe it was her adolescence begging for one last run around the block, but she felt giddy and full of energy. Forcing herself to her feet, she drew in a deep breath and let out a long, agonizing scream. It echoed off the rooftops and she saw a light down the street flick on, then flick back off a few moments later. A few small birds flew from their roosting spot, and sought refuge in a quieter place. It was then that Willow began to cry.
She hated everything in that moment. She hated her mother for not loving her, and her father for drinking every night. She hated God for giving her soul as the child of these horrible people. She cursed herself for being so beautiful, yet not strong in any sense of the word.
She hated herself for not calling out to that boy.
She hated herself.
When the thought came up in her mind, Willow stopped crying. Tears still traced silently down her cheeks, but she no longer sobbed. She told herself she wanted to die, and she believed it.
So, Willow, a young girl of only seventeen, decided to end her own life. She carried herself over to the edge of the flat rooftop and wiped her cheeks free of old tears. She smoothed out the fabric of her nightgown as best as she could in the breeze and held up her arms high at her sides. She lifted her small figure onto her tip-toes and began to lean back with all of her weight.
When she began to fall, Willow closed her eyes. She was content to die, and except for the rushing of the wind in her ears, the loudest sound was her own resignation. She fell for a long time, and eventually, she lost consciousness mid-fall.
---
Little did she know, someone was there to catch her. And that someone had been watching her for a very long time.
The same one almost every night for the past seven years.
She would sleep, but never really feel rested. Her imagination haunted her, even in sleep. And it was hard for her to find any reason other than it being her fault.
If only she'd said something; if only she'd called out to the shadow of the boy creeping past her windowsill. At ten-years-old, she'd been terrified by the unknown figure, but at the same time, she had so badly wanted to call out to him, to see why he was there, watching her sleep.
She hadn't, though, and that was something she will always regret.
She'd watch him and the little ball of light at his side slip out the window and disappear into the waning night sky. Why hadn't she spoken up? Why had she let him disappear?
The moon struggled to shine through the thick cover of clouds, leaving the ground below completely dark in places. A chill hung in the air, and as Willow breathed deeply, she could see soft puffs of air float before her face, white and whimsical. It would be winter in a few months, and without school to go to, she'd be forced to spend her days in close contact with her dreadful mother.
Maybe it was the cool evening breeze running through the thin fabric of her night dress, but she suddenly sprung out in goosebumps with the premonition that something huge was about to happen.
With weak knees, she climbed up into her windowsill, staring out ahead of her, not below at the frosted grass or deserted streets. With a sudden drive, she turned and reached up to the ledge of her window, sliding herself out onto the slanted shingles of the roof. She hesitated only long enough for one of her feet to slip, which made her slide onto her hands and knees, crawling to the flatter rooftop.
She sat up there like she'd done many nights in the past, looking out over the roofs of the other houses, into the darkness of the evergreen forest and on nice nights, into the never-ending vastness of the stars above. But on this night, it was too gloomy to stargaze, so she sat there with her knees folded up to her chest, one of her palms brushing away the dirt on her knee.
A curl escaped from the bun in her hair, and she scooped it behind her ear, ignoring the chill running up her spine. There was something about being awake when everyone else was awake that appealed to her; maybe it was her adolescence begging for one last run around the block, but she felt giddy and full of energy. Forcing herself to her feet, she drew in a deep breath and let out a long, agonizing scream. It echoed off the rooftops and she saw a light down the street flick on, then flick back off a few moments later. A few small birds flew from their roosting spot, and sought refuge in a quieter place. It was then that Willow began to cry.
She hated everything in that moment. She hated her mother for not loving her, and her father for drinking every night. She hated God for giving her soul as the child of these horrible people. She cursed herself for being so beautiful, yet not strong in any sense of the word.
She hated herself for not calling out to that boy.
She hated herself.
When the thought came up in her mind, Willow stopped crying. Tears still traced silently down her cheeks, but she no longer sobbed. She told herself she wanted to die, and she believed it.
So, Willow, a young girl of only seventeen, decided to end her own life. She carried herself over to the edge of the flat rooftop and wiped her cheeks free of old tears. She smoothed out the fabric of her nightgown as best as she could in the breeze and held up her arms high at her sides. She lifted her small figure onto her tip-toes and began to lean back with all of her weight.
When she began to fall, Willow closed her eyes. She was content to die, and except for the rushing of the wind in her ears, the loudest sound was her own resignation. She fell for a long time, and eventually, she lost consciousness mid-fall.
---
Little did she know, someone was there to catch her. And that someone had been watching her for a very long time.
♠ ♠ ♠
This is just the beginning.... (: