Good-bye

Ackkkk.

Needs editing.

Badly.

I'm not even sure this is the most current version.

I'll have to check it out lol.

The idea for this story is kind of a cross between the video for "No Surprise" by Theory of a Dead Man and "When You're Gone" by Avril Lavigne. Strange combination.

I stood on the sidewalk, my hands resting on the cool metal of the safety railing on the bridge. the sky was cloudless, and a cool breeze coming off the water provided a pleasant contrast to the summers heat. It was a beautiful night. I sighed.

A beautiful night for someone else to enjoy.

Disjointed memories from the past few months came back to me with startling clarity.

A man's voice came over the terminal intercom.

"Flight 301 boarding. Flight 301 boarding."

Michael grabbed his Army bag and started walking towards the plane. I grabbed hold of his arm.

"Wait michael!" I said "I-"

Can't live without you! A small voice shouted in the back of my head. I froze up.

"The planes leaving, babe. I've got to go." He looked at me, his eyes filled with concern.

"Just... just be careful, okay? I need you to come home to me."

"Of course. This is what they train me for."

The memory vanished, leaving me, for a brief moment, standing on the bridge again. Then my mind was filled with fresh memories. Not even really memories, just images, really. Mostly of the hours and hours I spent crying, and staring at the wall of our room, curled up into a ball on my side on the bed.

I shook my head, as if it would help ward off the memories I didn't want to see.

I remembered watching the newscasts about everything going on over there. None of them were near him- not until now that is. There might be a road-side bombing 50 miles away, but nothing huge or close enough to affect him- until now.

Now came the memories I knew would really hurt. Sitting on the sofa, just a few hours before, curled up with a bowl of ice-cream, just expecting another newscast about the new water cleansing process and how well it was working, but of course, that's when these things tend to happen, isn't it. Not when you're sitting there, waiting for something to happen, like those first couple months, just sitting watching because you felt sure something bad was going to happen. No, it's after it's been a while and you're used to the idea of him being over there, and you finally think that everything's going to be alright, and...and... But I was starting to rant. I needed to focus...

There it was again, the memory. Sitting there, the reporter on the TV standing in front of a vaguely familiar site, but it was in ruins... I remembered trying to figure out where it was while listening to the reporter talking. It had been bombed. None found dead, none found alive. But it was so familiar. I just couldn't place it. I sat there for a few more minutes, staring at the screen, and then it hit me. It was the camp Michael was at. He had been sending me pictures, and I recognized the area from the pictures. I don't remember the last few hours.

I know I sat there, just staring at the TV for a long, long time, and then I remember crying. Laying down and crying for hour upon hour. Eventually I got ahold of myself and came here.

I stood for a few more minutes, just remembering. I felt one slow tear roll down my cheek. Then I closed my eyes for one last time. I felt something fall out of my pocket as I leapt over the railing, but it didn't matter now, did it?

I'll see you soon, Michael.

~*~

I ran as fast as I could when I saw her grab the railing like that. I knew she was going to jump. I tried, I really did, but I guess I just wan't fast enough. I got to the railing just seconds after she had dove over the edge. Just enough time to see her hit the water. She never came up.

I stood there for a few moments, just staring at the water below, dyed black by the night. Then something started beeping. I looked down at the sidewalk to see the phone she had dropped. When I picked it up there was a message on the screen. "Text from Michael. Read?" I selected yes. I knew it was wrong, but what could it hurt? The text read, "I'm fine, Hon. Don't worry. I'm alright."

I never found out who she was. I called the cops from her phone and left it there, propped up on the railing. I went on with my life, but I never got over that night. That's something you don't forget easily. I had nightmares for nearly a month after that. Eventually my life went back to normal, but it was never really the same. I'll never forget her cell phone, beeping with a message I knew was from someone she loved, and someone she would never see again.