Jump
Day: 754
I sit in my car, sipping on hot cup of coffee I had picked up from the gas station on my way out. I didn’t sleep at all last night, and I knew she’d be here soon enough. It’s drizzling outside, so I sit in the comfort of my dry car for as long as I can. I watch the clock on the stereo tick to 8:03 and get out. It’s about a mile to the cliff, a walk I’ve done a hundred times. I timed myself, it took me exactly twenty-three minutes to walk to the cliff. Giving me exactly six minutes before she would show up.
I look over the edge of the cliff, sometimes I even contemplated jumping myself. She would jump too, and we would be dead together. But I made her a promise, and I would never break it. Her soft footsteps alert me, and I turn to face her. She’s wearing the violet dress I had laid out for her before I left. She wasn’t wearing shoes; she never wore the shoes.
“Excuse me, sir, but I had plans to die tonight.” She says, her voice soft. “And you are directly in my way, and I bet you’re going to say it’s not right.” She steps towards the edge of the cliff, looking over at the crashing waves below.
“Do you know what you just said to me?” I ask, it’s the same as every other day. “Do you who you said that to?”
“I don’t care, you don’t even know me.”
“I know, but I would like to change that soon hopefully.” Her eyebrows furrow at me. “We all flirt with the tiniest notions of self-conclusion in the simplified motions. You see the trick is that you’re never supposed to act on it. No matter unbearable this misery gets.”
“You make it sound so easy to be alive. But tell me how am I supposed to seize this day, when everything inside of me has died?”
“Trust me girl,” I step towards her. “I know your legs are pleading to leap, but I offer you this easy choice: instead of dying, come live with me.
“Are you crazy? You don’t even know me.”
“I would be lying if I said that things will never get rough and all of this cliché motivation will never be enough. I could stand here all night trying to convince you, but what good would that do? My offer stands and you must choose.”
“Alright, you win,” She says softly. “But I only give you one night to prove yourself to be better than my attempt to fight. I swear to god if you hurt me I will leave; I will toss myself from these very cliffs and you’ll never see it coming.”
“Settle, precious, I know what you’re going through. Because minutes before you got here, I was going to jump too.”
I offer my hand toward her. She stares down at the waves before turning to me and nodding. She places her hand in mine and we begin walking.
“My name is Parker.” I say.
“Parker.” She repeats. “I like that. I’m Bella.”
We get to my cottage and I lead her inside. “Your house is lovely.” She says and sits on the couch. She always sits in the same spot, half way on the left and middle cushion.
“Would you like some tea?” I ask.
“No thank you, I wouldn’t mind something to eat?”
“Hm, I could make some pasta, with white noodle sauce?” I offer while digging through my cupboards.
“That sounds good.” She says. I begin cooking the meal, while she sits quietly on the couch.
“Do you have any music?” She asks. I nod. I pull out a small stereo from one of the cupboards and put it on the counter.
“There should be some CD’s in the closet over there.” I say and point to the door next to the bathroom. She stands and walks to the closet. She looks through the CD’s, picks one out, and brings it to me.
I take the CD from her, “Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, eh?” I chuckle.
“I grew up listening to him.” She says, but I know that’s not true. We listened to them together, even went to one of their shows. I pop the CD into the player and turn it on, the volume low and Tom Petty’s voice hums through the air. She sits back on the couch, humming along to the music.
I finish dinner and dish it up onto plates. “Dinner’s ready.” I say and she comes into the kitchen. Mary Jane’s last dance begins playing through the stereo and Bella’s face immediately brightens.
“I love this song!” She exclaims, and it’s true. This was her favorite song. “Dance with me.” She says, grabbing my hands. I laugh, and even though I have no rhythm, I move my body with hers.
I loved this moment. Dancing with her to her favorite song in my kitchen. We look silly, but the smile and laughter that came from her was the best sound to me. I wish every night was like this; reminded me of when our relationship was new, and we hadn’t a care in the world.
The song ends, and Bella is laughing. The sound makes my heart warm, and I grin from ear to ear. “Okay, I’m ready to eat now.” She says with a giggle.
We get into bed after eating, just lying there. She has her back towards me, and was curled into a ball. I have an arm around her waist, breathing in her warm scent.
I look over the edge of the cliff, sometimes I even contemplated jumping myself. She would jump too, and we would be dead together. But I made her a promise, and I would never break it. Her soft footsteps alert me, and I turn to face her. She’s wearing the violet dress I had laid out for her before I left. She wasn’t wearing shoes; she never wore the shoes.
“Excuse me, sir, but I had plans to die tonight.” She says, her voice soft. “And you are directly in my way, and I bet you’re going to say it’s not right.” She steps towards the edge of the cliff, looking over at the crashing waves below.
“Do you know what you just said to me?” I ask, it’s the same as every other day. “Do you who you said that to?”
“I don’t care, you don’t even know me.”
“I know, but I would like to change that soon hopefully.” Her eyebrows furrow at me. “We all flirt with the tiniest notions of self-conclusion in the simplified motions. You see the trick is that you’re never supposed to act on it. No matter unbearable this misery gets.”
“You make it sound so easy to be alive. But tell me how am I supposed to seize this day, when everything inside of me has died?”
“Trust me girl,” I step towards her. “I know your legs are pleading to leap, but I offer you this easy choice: instead of dying, come live with me.
“Are you crazy? You don’t even know me.”
“I would be lying if I said that things will never get rough and all of this cliché motivation will never be enough. I could stand here all night trying to convince you, but what good would that do? My offer stands and you must choose.”
“Alright, you win,” She says softly. “But I only give you one night to prove yourself to be better than my attempt to fight. I swear to god if you hurt me I will leave; I will toss myself from these very cliffs and you’ll never see it coming.”
“Settle, precious, I know what you’re going through. Because minutes before you got here, I was going to jump too.”
I offer my hand toward her. She stares down at the waves before turning to me and nodding. She places her hand in mine and we begin walking.
“My name is Parker.” I say.
“Parker.” She repeats. “I like that. I’m Bella.”
We get to my cottage and I lead her inside. “Your house is lovely.” She says and sits on the couch. She always sits in the same spot, half way on the left and middle cushion.
“Would you like some tea?” I ask.
“No thank you, I wouldn’t mind something to eat?”
“Hm, I could make some pasta, with white noodle sauce?” I offer while digging through my cupboards.
“That sounds good.” She says. I begin cooking the meal, while she sits quietly on the couch.
“Do you have any music?” She asks. I nod. I pull out a small stereo from one of the cupboards and put it on the counter.
“There should be some CD’s in the closet over there.” I say and point to the door next to the bathroom. She stands and walks to the closet. She looks through the CD’s, picks one out, and brings it to me.
I take the CD from her, “Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, eh?” I chuckle.
“I grew up listening to him.” She says, but I know that’s not true. We listened to them together, even went to one of their shows. I pop the CD into the player and turn it on, the volume low and Tom Petty’s voice hums through the air. She sits back on the couch, humming along to the music.
I finish dinner and dish it up onto plates. “Dinner’s ready.” I say and she comes into the kitchen. Mary Jane’s last dance begins playing through the stereo and Bella’s face immediately brightens.
“I love this song!” She exclaims, and it’s true. This was her favorite song. “Dance with me.” She says, grabbing my hands. I laugh, and even though I have no rhythm, I move my body with hers.
I loved this moment. Dancing with her to her favorite song in my kitchen. We look silly, but the smile and laughter that came from her was the best sound to me. I wish every night was like this; reminded me of when our relationship was new, and we hadn’t a care in the world.
The song ends, and Bella is laughing. The sound makes my heart warm, and I grin from ear to ear. “Okay, I’m ready to eat now.” She says with a giggle.
We get into bed after eating, just lying there. She has her back towards me, and was curled into a ball. I have an arm around her waist, breathing in her warm scent.