Left Behind

I took a deep breath and a shaky step, closing my eyes tightly. My heart was quaking in my chest, but it wouldn’t be that way for long. I would be at the mercy of the water beneath me soon, engulfed and dominated by breath-taking, chilling liquid. I opened my eyes again, to survey the my surroundings one more time.

A gust of wind lifted the dead, browning leaves and skipped them across the grass. A plastic bag, exhausted and flimsy, blew across the water. I noticed a duck leading her babies right under the rickety bridge on which I stood, where I’d take my last breath.

I didn’t have a mother to lead me and care for me. I didn’t have a sibling to let me in on the secrets of life, which our parents wouldn’t. I had nothing.

Warmth spread across my cheeks in the form of tears. But there was no use for warmth any more, nor any reason to cry. Death welcomed me with open arms, as I welcomed it. There would be no more sadness or tears where I was going and I couldn’t wait. So I didn’t.

I jumped, taking one last breath of frigid air before I hit the water. It was a harsh impact and a weird feeling, jumping in with all my clothes and becoming immersed. I felt more alive in that moment than I had ever, with the adrenaline and the brisk feeling of the biting water as it enveloped me. Every nerve was sentient.

Any warmth that remained had departed and the frostiness numbed me. I took a breath, assaulting my lungs with water. It was a terrible feeling, but I smiled. Maybe not physically, as my body was senseless, but I definitely smiled somehow. And even as my thoughts drifted off and became incoherent, eventually ending, I smiled. And there my body laid in an oddly peaceful state, frozen in the water and moving in my wave’s wake.

And just as I felt myself escaping, I heard a loud splash followed by yelling. Even in the state I was, I realized what was happening and inhaled as much water as I could. They couldn’t save me and I couldn’t go back home. I deserved out.

I caught sight of the perpetrator, but I was too numb to move. No matter how hard I tried to kick or swim away, my limbs remained still. I stopped breathing as they grabbed me, roughly pulling me above the water. They struggled to swim back with my limp body and I hoped they would just give up and pretend like they didn’t see anything.

It wasn’t long before I was being dragged up onto the concrete beneath the bridge, lung seizing and head pounding. The supports of the bridge turned spotty and finally my vision went black.

: : : : : : : :

I felt myself choking on the water as I coughed it up and I opened my eyes to find myself in a strange room. I'd been bound in a blanket and I spotted my drenched shoes and coat huddled by the fireplace across the room. A tall man appeared above me, hovering and towering like an office building. My heart pounded with surprise and I inhaled a deep breath, only to give myself another coughing fit.

"Hot chocolate?" He asked, offering a dark blue mug. I gave him an inquisitive look, mouth hanging open with words and water caught in my throat. "How about some dry clothes? I bet that would help you warm up.”

My eyes went down the soft, green blanket wrapped around me. Dry clothes would be nice, but so would inexistence.

"Come on sweetheart, I bet you'd like a hot shower," he insisted.

"You're a strange man," I coughed. It was the best response I could muster.

"If I wanted to harm you, I would have done it already. Not to mention the fact that I watched you jump off that bridge and you should be dead right now. What's the worst I could do?" He challenged. My mouth closed, teeth clicking together, and he took my silence as a sign of correspondence, helping me escape the blanket. I stood up and shaking feet and nearly fell, but he steadied me and helped me to the bathroom. I leaned feebly against the counter as he turned the shower on for me. I heard the water streaming, and just thinking of having a hot and steamy shower made me shiver with anticipation. The man left, coming back moments later baring a towel and some other clothes. “I’m Oscar, by the way,” he introduced.

“Blair,” I replied, accepting the things as he handed them to me.

Once he was gone, I stripped, laying out my underwear on the toilet lid in hopes they would dry while I was showering. I stepped slowly into the shower, making sure it wasn't too hot. I sighed, feeling the water slide all down my body, warming every inch. Goosebumps rose along my arms and legs and I shivered once more.

Five minutes later, I was completely toasty and I was about to hop out, but I hesitated when I heard an unfamiliar voice. I shut the water off and the conversation became clearer, even through the door. I grabbed the towel, finding it to be soft and plushy, and wrapped it around myself. Curiosity burned in my mind and I poked my head through the now open door.

“She almost drowned,” Oscar was saying. “I had to save her.”

“That may be true, but you didn’t have to bring her back here,” the other man argued. He caught my eye and looked between Oscar and I. “Is that my towel?”

“You‘re the only one with towels in this house, so yes,” Oscar replied with a goofy grin. He turned to me with a smile and motioned me over. “Blair, this is my brother, Alan,” he introduced, hands pointing to his brother like he was presenting him to me.

Just another day in the life, standing in front of two strangers in a towel after almost succeeding in killing myself. I didn’t know what to say to either of them, so I just smiled.

“How about you change and I’ll whip up a cup of hot chocolate for you?” Oscar suggested. Alan opened his mouth to protest, but his brother elbowed him in the stomach, effectively stopping him from saying anything. “And Alan can throw your clothes in the drier,” he added.

“You know what? I’ll just be on my way,” I responded. I hated the feeling of being unwelcome and since I could avoid it, I decided I’d be out of there as fast as I could. “Thanks for the shower, though.” I turned on my heal, intent on heading back into the bathroom to change.

“Darling, I’m sure you don’t want to go outside in wet clothes like that,” Oscar drawled, grabbing my arm and spinning me back around to face him. I gasped at how cold his hand felt on my bare skin.

“Hate to point this out, but I didn’t even want to be here anymore. So what if I catch a cold?” I asked. I tried my best to keep the venom out of my voice because he had saved my life, which would be very noble in most cases, and with a clear head, I could admire that. I could tell he was a kind person just trying to do the right thing, so I remained light hearted in my tone.

He pulled me in closer and I subconsciously jerked back. It took a minute to catch my breath, but when I did, I stared up at him curiously.

“Don’t mind Alan. He’s all bark and no bite,” he whispered into my ear. “He’s just bitter.”

I slipped my arm from his grasp, briefly marveling at the fact that his hand hadn’t left a mark. His grip hadn’t been tight enough to hurt, but it was definitely enough to leave finger prints.

I watched at Alan walked by with an armload of my clothes, picking up my jacket by the fireplace as well and disappearing behind a door. Was that his way of telling me that I was welcome? Was he buckling after barely any convincing from Oscar and I?

I sighed, making my way back to the bathroom to get dressed.