Someone Out There Loves You

Damn! They had put a fence up around it. That wasn’t there last time. It was over a year ago. I guess they had taken up the necessary precautions much to my disadvantage. I silently cursed but pulled up as close to the fence as possible. Will groaned when the front of his car clipped the metal.

“Where are you going now!?” He asked when I got out of the car. I ignored him and studied how high the fence was. Maybe I could get over it? I just hoped a spike didn’t impale its self into me. I clutched a post, wincing as it dug into my palm, and hauled myself up onto the bonnet of the car. Will shrieked and quickly exited the car so he could watch me destroy it from a better angle.

I ignored his protests and jumped so I was gripping the top of the fence, one hand between spikes. I slowly dragged myself up and swung my leg over. Will watched helplessly on the ground. I wasn’t that far up. He could grab my foot if he wanted too. He wasn’t going to though. I took a deep breath and swung my other leg over.

I didn’t land as gracefully as I planned. Instead I landed on my knees and earned a couple of nasty cuts and grazes. I gritted my teeth as I brushed the dirt from my body. Then I went.

“Gabriella!” Will shouted from the other side of the fence. I didn’t turn around and a few seconds later I heard a dull thump on the ground which could only have been Will joining me on my adventure.

The trees were thick and the weeds and grass had grown so long it had covered the path up. It seemed that this forest had been abandoned or closed down. I wonder why?

I knew where I was going. Straight forward then it would take me to the edge. I could hear Wills rugged breathing from somewhere behind me but I didn’t ask if he was okay. Branches greedily grabbed at my arms and body. Thorns scratched my skin causing pink marks. None of these mattered.

I suddenly caught my foot on a tree root and tumbled forward. Pieces of grit and rocks embedded themselves into my palm as I tried to push myself up again. “Here,” Will mumbled grabbing my waist. I could feel myself melting into his body for a moment before I caught myself.

“Thanks.” I said quietly and bitterly. I looked at his face. Tears were welling up in his eyes and I knew he was scared. I truly had gone crazy this time. I fought the urge to stroke his cheek and carried on walking.

The whole way I could hear Will trip and grumble in pain but not once did I turn to see if he was okay. I couldn’t. He might have persuaded me to come home then I would never see. Finally I was there.

The trees began to thin out and the moon was shining determinately through the leaves. The muddy, uneven floors became covered in a soft moss and flattened out. I ignored the signs that said “Warning” or “Danger”. Just like she had.

I stopped and gazed ahead of me feeling a huge smile stretch across my face. I heard Will gasp beside me. It wasn’t because the sight was beautiful; if anything it was the opposite. There was a cliff.

Well, I didn’t know if was an actual cliff. It could have been man made or natural. It didn’t matter; either way if you fell off of it there was good chance you would wake up dead. I left Will and crept closer to the edge.

I could see the bottom. There wasn’t some magnificent blue sea or anything pleasant at the bottom. Instead, there was burnt out cars, mountains of rubbish and litter and left over bonfires.

The smell wasn’t nice. It stung at my nostrils. I smiled lightly and started swaying.

Onto my tip toes and back onto the heel of my foot; again and again. If I leant a little too forwards, that would be it. I would be dead. There was a fine line between life and death. Nobody knows when they are going to die unless they choose the day themselves. That was what she did.

You could wake up in the morning and not know that the bus you ride to work would crash. They could be considered accidents but what if another person decided to end your life deliberately. That was what she did.

You could die by getting shot, or you could fall down the stairs and break your neck or you die of old age and be left in your home to rot. There is a fine line between life and death.

I suddenly leant too far forward and then that was it. I was going to fly. I could feel the cold wind whip my hair back and freeze the tears on my pale face. I could see the stars above me twinkling, ready to greet me when landed. I could feel a pair of strong arms wrap around me saving me once again.

“What the hell are you doing!?” He screamed at me. I flinched at his sharp words and struggled against his hard grip.

“I’m doing you a favour!” I yelled back, kicking and scratching at him. I didn’t really want to die. I was just sick of it all. Every one who I loved let me down. Including her, but she had a reason; she was ill. Suddenly I stopped moving and slumped into his arms, sobbing. I couldn’t take anymore.

“Gabriella,” He whispered softly. I looked at him through blurry eyes and saw tears streaming down his own face. “What’s going on? Please, I-I need to know. I can’t...”

I silenced him by placing my finger on his lips. If he wanted me to tell him he needed to let me speak. I removed his grip from my body and he stood next to cautiously in case I decided to throw myself off a cliff again. He would try to catch me.

I took a deep breath, letting the dirty air fill my lungs then with the stars above me, the moon in front of me, a rubbish tip below me and Will beside me; I told the truth for the first time in a long time.

“This is where my Mother killed herself.” I explained softly. I watched as his mouth gently opened in shock ready to comfort me or offer his sympathy but I shook my head. I wasn’t done yet and I needed to finish. I had to. I let the air fill my body once again.

“This is also where she tried to kill me.”