Status: Finished. Thoughts?
The Scream That No One Heard
1
He walked quickly to the edge of the bridge, his feet moving faster than his mind could will them. Reaching the final railing that separated him from the sea below, he stopped and looked around. Below him, only sea. Above him, only sky. He contemplated his ability to fly just then. If he believed hard enough, could he take off toward the clouds? He shook his head to remove the idea from his thoughts. Impossible. Only birds fly. Only birds are free.
Looking behind him, he was being approached. Shadowy black figures unmasked by the descending sunset were coming up close behind. He reconsidered his options. Below him, sea. Above him, sky. Behind him, capture. Which would hurt him most? He took another second to think. And then, as if he’d finally lost the last bit of his quickly dwindling sanity, he took his hands and pressed them to his face. And he screamed.
He screamed because he could not penetrate the barrier created by the sky. He screamed because he was unable to evade the inevitable fate that threatened to overtake him. He screamed because the woman he loved did not love him. He screamed because he was not loved and he did not care. He screamed because this fact scared him. He screamed because he longed to feel something. And he screamed because he did not.
He looked down at the water. He felt a sudden urge to connect with it. It was calm and clear, like the eyes of the woman who did not love him. The surface was so smooth but he could tell that underneath it something would be brewing. He suddenly felt a compulsion to feel its embrace and allow the water to rock him to sleep.
And so, he stopped screaming. And he took a step. He looked up. Above him, only sky. He took another step and looked to the horizon. Behind him, only capture. He took one more and looked down. Beneath him, only freedom.
And with that, he was submerged. The chill against his skin was instant but then so was the relief. Suddenly he felt calm. Suddenly he felt loved. And so he screamed once again. Screamed for himself, for his happiness, for his freedom. The water began to fill his being and he allowed it to, staying still so that it could reach every crevice of his body. He was now exactly where he belonged and he never planned on returning. Somehow he knew that his soul lay at the bottom of the ocean floor. And somehow he knew that he was meant to go and claim it. What he did not know was that his scream of fear would be documented forever.
And only he would know about the scream that no one heard.
Looking behind him, he was being approached. Shadowy black figures unmasked by the descending sunset were coming up close behind. He reconsidered his options. Below him, sea. Above him, sky. Behind him, capture. Which would hurt him most? He took another second to think. And then, as if he’d finally lost the last bit of his quickly dwindling sanity, he took his hands and pressed them to his face. And he screamed.
He screamed because he could not penetrate the barrier created by the sky. He screamed because he was unable to evade the inevitable fate that threatened to overtake him. He screamed because the woman he loved did not love him. He screamed because he was not loved and he did not care. He screamed because this fact scared him. He screamed because he longed to feel something. And he screamed because he did not.
He looked down at the water. He felt a sudden urge to connect with it. It was calm and clear, like the eyes of the woman who did not love him. The surface was so smooth but he could tell that underneath it something would be brewing. He suddenly felt a compulsion to feel its embrace and allow the water to rock him to sleep.
And so, he stopped screaming. And he took a step. He looked up. Above him, only sky. He took another step and looked to the horizon. Behind him, only capture. He took one more and looked down. Beneath him, only freedom.
And with that, he was submerged. The chill against his skin was instant but then so was the relief. Suddenly he felt calm. Suddenly he felt loved. And so he screamed once again. Screamed for himself, for his happiness, for his freedom. The water began to fill his being and he allowed it to, staying still so that it could reach every crevice of his body. He was now exactly where he belonged and he never planned on returning. Somehow he knew that his soul lay at the bottom of the ocean floor. And somehow he knew that he was meant to go and claim it. What he did not know was that his scream of fear would be documented forever.
And only he would know about the scream that no one heard.