The Fall

The sun shone bright through the lightly clouded autumn sky, painting the gray concrete sidewalk with intermittent islands of shade. The old Main St. bridge welcomed light traffic as the afternoon commute wore on. It was a typical day, of no particular note.

Anne strode along the narrow sidewalk of the bridge, her long brunette hair lightly reflecting the patches of unshaded sunlight. She wore a light blue sundress, patched with white flowers, her white Converse sneakers worn dark with use. Anne was of average height with a slender build, the result of tireless nights jogging around the small town she called home. She would often remark to friends, “jogging is my favorite escape.” An escape from the troubles and expectations few of her friends ever saw or could understand.

Nearing the middle of the bridge, two woman deeply engaged in conversation approached  Anne in the opposite direction. In the distance Anne wasn’t able to recognize their faces. As they continued toward her, their faces became clear and Anne’s stomach sunk with fear and apprehension. She averted her gaze to the sidewalk below her and hoped they would continue past her without recognition.

The woman on the left began laughing loudly at the folly her friend had described and turned her attention down the sidewalk. When her eyes fell on Anne, only a few yards ahead of them now, her laughter quickly ended. She lightly nudged her friend on the shoulder and lead her gaze to Anne. The two woman feel silent as they approached. Anne looked up from the sidewalk, strained a polite yet sorrowful smile and slowed for the requisite small talk. Both woman, without breaking their stride, returned a disapproving sneer and continued past her. The weight of the rebuke hit Anne like a bullet. Her head fell in shame. She knew things would never be the same.

By outward appearance, Anne was an attractive woman. She had a long, slightly rounded face, high cheek bones adorned with rose colored cheeks, centered by a well proportioned nose. Her lips were full and naturally flushed red, accented by her favorite brand of lip gloss. Her deep, dark brown eyes held a welcoming gaze, warm and inviting, yet strong and decisive. Her features we strong and expressive. Men became lost in her smile, which would envelop her entire face in warmth and joy. She was often told in her youth that she could be a model or actress. She lamented at how uncomfortable those platitudes had struck her in her youth, but how she now longed to hear them said again.

Anne made it to the middle of the two hundred yards long bridge, paused and turned to the waste high concrete railing. She bent down and softly placed her elbows on the rough concrete, peering out over the rambling river that flowed below. The light wind softly blew back her long hair and rustled her blue dress. As she wiped aside the few locks of hair that had blown in her face, she attempted to push aside the doubts that slowly crept into her mind.

Anne took a deep breath and slowly slid the gold wedding band from her finger. She set it on the railing next to her and stared longingly at the symbol before her. A deep pain wrenched in her gut. The memories of her past and present failures flooded her mind. She had wanted more from her life, from herself. She had tried to be the things others wanted her to be. But she had failed in almost every way. The weight of her failures fell on her with crushing force. “It wasn’t my fault,” she said. But the time for excuses had passed. She bore the responsibility for her past transgressions and knew the decision she had reach was best.

Anne looked to her right, hearing approaching footsteps. A middle aged man in a green derby, nine yards from her, had just come from the market. He was carrying two brown paper grocery bags, filled to the brim with items. Anne didn’t recognize the man as he approached. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, lost in his own life. White headphones dangled from his ears as he gingerly continued down the bridge sidewalk. Their eyes met only briefly, a polite smile slowly appeared on the mans face. A fleeting connection that warmed Anne’s heart. The man could sense a disturbance in Anne’s face.

Before the man could approach further, Anne gracefully stepped up onto the railing. The wind was strong and she struggled to maintain her balance. Just as she steadied and stood erect, she heard a muted yell from the man in the derby.

“NO!” he exclaimed, dropping his groceries and sprinting towards her. His bags hit the ground violently and tore open, spreading his grocery items across the sidewalk. Anne turned her head to the man, their eyes once again connected. A soft, full face smile washed across her face. Peace and contentment filled her dark brown eyes. She inhaled one last deep, soothing breath of autumn air, held for a second, exhaled calmly and stepped into the abyss.

The man lunged the last few feet, desperately attempting to grab onto her. He felt the fabric of her dress slip past his fingers. He missed by only inches. He dangled over the railing and watched as the water below swallowed the woman in the blue dress. The impact produced a sound he will remember the rest of his days. Tears welled in his eyes, his heart swelled with sorrow, his cans of beans rolled down the sidewalk and rested at his feet.

The fall had taken her.

--T