I breathed heavy as I willed my legs to continue running. The summer heat was getting to me. It was thick and damp and every breath that I sucked in would be anything but refreshing. My previous evening jogs had been a lot more pleasant than this one was turning out to be.
I noticed up ahead that somebody, or something, was lingering dangerously close to the edge of the stone ledge. The ledge that overlooked the ocean. The being was simply a black speck on an orange background. I squinted my eyes to get a better look as I jogged closer. It was a person. They were looking over the edge, down to where the salty water splashed against the rocks and white foam was cast.
I couldn’t help but wonder what on earth they were thinking, risking being so near the edge. Had they lost their balance or gotten distracted and fell, they would have toppled over to their death. And of course, playing in the back of my mind was the possibility of suicide.
‘But,’ I told myself, ‘I’m sure they’re just enjoying the seascape.’ It was amazing this time of day. The colors that refracted from the setting sun were incredible shades of peach, orange, and pink. It was really quite breathtaking.
I continued on with my jog, concentrating on pacing myself. I was relieved to look back up and see that he had backed up a bit and was simply sitting down with his elbows propped up on his knees. I passed the male figure and decided that I would end the jog and head home. I wasn’t pleased with myself for retiring a little bit earlier than my ritual called for, but it was too humid. Without a supply of water, one can only go so far.
Finally, I swung my door open and heard the familiar sound of the brass knob leaving its mark in the wall. My ritual was to gulp a glass of water - sometimes two, go upstairs, flick on my television to the news station, and shower. Wasting no time, I did just that. As I was pulling off my shirt, the flashing lights of emergency vehicles caught my eye. I looked to the television - the source of the lights - to see a news anchorwoman standing in the foreground of the chaos. The harsh ocean wind blew her hair into her face, and she flung it behind her. I watched, the image of the man flashing in my mind. But it couldn’t be.
I watched with dread as the woman reported of a suicide off the very ledge that she was standing under. My heart sunk so low that I felt sick to my stomach and my vision blurred until I saw only a blue and red haze that I could have prevented.
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