She stands, contemplating her surroundings. The breeze dies down, the traffic diminishes, not even animals stir. Such calmness outlines her. She stands with the rail harassing her back. She leans away from it, alleviating the profound pressure of that railing. She stands, head high, eyes open. As she stands, she conjures up the moments leading her here. These moments, beckoning her to be elsewhere. Yet, she stands here.
These moments, these people, these memories, in their attempts to keep her away, drove her here. She thinks about the people, her relatives. Their constant questions and pressure. Telling her if she doesn’t change or make some choices she will never amount to anything, never stand out, never make waves. She thinks about her coworkers, telling her to believe in herself, take a leap of faith, they say, because if she doesn’t, she will never succeed. Despite the deep ache in her wrists, she leans forward more. She scans what lay beneath her. The fall is far, the distance spreading wider as she peers down.
She studies the waves as they crash against jagged rocks raking the bottom of the river. Their jointed edges violate the water’s surface, staring at her, taunting her. These moments, these people, these memories seem to dilute within her mind the longer she tips forward. She wonders if the people in her life are right - unsure of what the future holds. A life changing decision. She commits to make waves. With her head held high, eyes open, calmness emitting from her, she chooses to leap.
End
My name is Michelle Lindsey and I am a current MFA student. I am also a high school English teacher. It was my students that actually inspired me to write this story. They were annotating and debating ambiguous texts and they enjoyed it so much I wrote one they could dissect. Thank you for your time and consideration.