"Next stop: Promittere-Bridge." Announced a woman's voice from the speakers. After staring out the bus' window into the beautiful night lights of the city, Neoma picked up her backpack and proceeded to the bus' door. It was a cold January night and her runny nose was a pesk adding to her countless problems. But in a few minutes, it shouldn't mind her anymore. In a few minutes all her problems would disappear, even her runny nose -if these where destinies plans.
The bus stood still and she exited through the now opened bus doors. Her boots land on wet pavement with a crunching sound. It was a midwinter night but there was no snow in sight and even when it snowed, the ground was too warm that it could stay, leaving disgusting, muddy and slushy-like snow on the ground. The wetness of this so-called "snow" would penetrate her boots after walking a few meters in them and the sensation she knew she would feel in a few minutes, did not at all excite her. "What a nice winter-day it is." Sighed Neoma with a sarcastic undertone only a fool wouldn't be able to understand.
Across the bus stop, she sighted her destination. It was an all too familiar bridge build with typical Victorian architecture and decoration from the early 1800s. The bridge was built for pedestrian and crossed over a 170m wide river connecting the North and Southside of the city. It was designed so that the sun rises from the east, while the moon sets from the west.
She entered the south entrance and went on her way. A few meters in and she stops in the middle of the bridge arriving at her destination. Gazing upon the rising moon on her right, the moonlight glistened upon the river. Something about this view made her melancholic but maybe it was also the fact that in a few minutes destiny would determine upon her future. After a short struggle, she managed to stand at the bridge's railing, looking down at the water, which must be freezing in this time of the year. She stretched out her arms down at her sides, pushing her chest out and shoulder back. Wind from the south waving her hair across her face.
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Breath in.
Breath out.
It was now or never. The railing was quite thin and the wind was strong, making it hard to keep your balance. If she had a meaning in life then destiny will make sure that she will survive this. She was waiting for a sign to step down. A sign to abort her mission, that she had a meaning and that this attempt was silly. Anything. It doesn't have to be a person or any being. It can be a sound, a small shift of the wind or a flicker of light.
Nothing.
Her heart was raising, her mind in a frenzy.
So much was going on.
She was able to feel everything around her. See everything around her. Hear everything around her. It was a weekday at night so not many people crossed the bridge. She was alone with no one to stop her.
Her hands were trembling.
Her breaths became hastily and more shallow.
Breath in.
Breath out.
She could feel the wind lashing her hair against her face. It was cold. So icy cold that she couldn't even feel if her nose was still running. Her eyes fixated on the water below her. The water was freezing. Thinking about diving into the river made her shiver. If she didn't die of drowning then surely of hypothermia. She looked deeper into the water and over thought the icy sensation after plunging into the river...
She couldn't do it. She was a coward. A pussy. She hated herself so much for that. Afraid of mere cold water. Afraid of death like any other mortal creature.
She turned on her heels to descent from the railing. Then a loud bang filled her ears, startling her. A weird sensation filled her stomach. It was the kind of sensation you would feel when the roller coaster was racing downhill. It felt like her inner organs where being left behind in the air. Her feet couldn't feel the weight of her body anymore. She felt like she was floating. Instinctively she reaches for something to hold on to but she grasped on air. Only now she realized.
She was falling...