my book of wonders

do me a favor . . . save my life

I dragged my feet across the wet pavement, groggily pushing past pedestrians as I hurried to work, already fifteen minutes late. Can this day get any worse? It's not even Monday and I have the luck of a black cat with one life left.

Sales people outside of businesses shouted out their newest deals, the warm smell coming from nearby restaurants wafted in the air and hit me in my face, from afar I could hear the laughter of an infant and I couldn't help but wonder that all of this interaction just did not compare well with the gloomy, cloudy sky. Or maybe it just didn't compare well with my mood.

A block or two away from work, twenty two minutes late. And six hours I could be in the comfort of my own home, drinking my life away and waiting for the day to repeat itself patiently. My shoes came to squeak as I stopped dead in my tracks and a high pitch shriek pierced my ears. I looked around frantically and a girl caught my eye with her crazy blonde hair, sitting on a balcony of a tall building and people crowding around, looking up at her with gaping the mouths.

I shuffled over, leveling my bag on my shoulder. In the front row, I noticed my neighbor from my apartment complex, Rex. I nudged him with my arm. "What's going on?" I asked.

He sighed, "Shes gonna kill herself, has a bottle of vodka." He sighed once more. "What a waste."

He said it so nonchalantly that it angered me. Without hesitation, I pushed through the doors of the building and ran up six flights of stairs. Six windows up, four windows to the right, and I wanted to inquire myself on why I had remembered that and what the hell I was doing.

I knocked on the door, waiting for any sign that it was the crazy blonde haired girl. "No one's home," her words slurred as I heard her giggle. I open the door effortlessly, slowly walking through the unfamiliar space, bottles upon bottles scattered the floor.

"Hello," I called out.

It was quiet for a few moments. The humming from the air conditioner filled the silence and my steady breathing. "I said that no one was home," the young girl deadpanned.

I looked through the balcony doors, and there she was, opening yet another bottle, pouring herself a drink. "What do you want?" She asked.

I swallowed the throbbing in my throat but it refused to go down. "I was just wondering what you were doing out here," I eased, approaching slowly.

"What does it look like?"

"But why out here?"

"I like the way the people are looking at me," she replied, smiling.

"What's your name?"

No answer. I stared at her intently, contemplating my next move. She shuffled a little on the edge, making my heart pound against my chest like a hammer to a table. She slowly stood up, not hesitating to grab the bottle in the process.

"I'm Angeles! The fallen angel!" She shouted, spilling the vodka over the balcony. How ironic that she would call herself that. She kicked her glass over and the people crowded around, gasped and simultaneously took a step back.

"Oops," she giggled. "I've got to go get that now . . ."

"No, no, no," I said quickly. She looked at me with her bloodshot eyes, pouting out her lower lip.

"If you're upset, we can settle this over lunch," I suggested. "Just get down from there." I mentally face-palmed myself. Who am I to become a hero?

I felt bad for her, whatever her reason was, no one deserved to die like this. It was like staring at myself in the mirror, and tears stung at my eyes the longer I looked at her. I closed my eyes in an attempt to break the gaze.

Pull yourself together, I thought.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"You'll find out soon enough," I said. "Just come down."

"Why should I? I don't even know you?"

Neither of us spoke. The sound of bypassing cars and people talking amongst themselves filled in the silence, including the heavy breathing coming from the both of us. Forty three minutes late, no point in going now.

"Do me a favor . . ." I said. She wiped the tears from her face, listening closely.

"What?" She asked, in almost a whisper.

I pointed to my chest. "Save my life," I replied. "Please."

She gasped and covered her mouth, jumping off of the balcony and into my arms, sobbing uncontrollably, the faint sound of clapping from the audience on the ground.

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this was very fun to write. we watched a film in class and this was the follow up assignment.

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