Part One

One thing
After another.

This then
That.

She asks,
He yells,
She cries,
He hits,
She screams.

The world is spinning around her,
One thing
After another.

She can’t take it anymore.
So many things in her mind
Swirling around
Snapping at each other.

Everything
Written plainly
Across her face.
The hurt
The anger
Everything.
One thing
After another.

Part Two

He sees her
Standing on top of the Brooklyn Bridge.
‘How did she get up there? More importantly
How is she going to get down?’ He wonders.

She feels powerful.
Weightless
And pain free.

With her arms stretched out,
Head thrown back,
She lets the rain and wind take her breath
Away.

Scared civilians call the police and the fire department
But he knows
He is the only one who has a chance of
Saving her.

She looks down
At the tyrannical waters
Brewing below her.
She looks down on the cars,
So small and unknowing.

He begins to climb the bridge.
Hoping,
Wishing
Praying
That she won’t jump.

She thinks about her parents,
Her friends
Her stupid old boyfriend.
‘Why are they all so stupid’ she thought.
‘I am smarter; I know things they don’t,
I understand what their puny brains can’t comprehend.
They just don’t understand.’

He can almost see her again.
Going through his mind is everything he could say
To talk her into coming back with him.

But he draws up blank.

She sees him
Walking up to her.
‘Go away, just go away, please.’ She thinks.
So she yells to him,
GO AWAY, IT’S NOT SAFE. YOU CAN’T TALK ME OUT OF IT. GO… Go…away… Please…please…
Her final plea to him fades to tears.

He is now face to face with her.
The rain is pouring
The wind is screaming
The river is churning
The bridge is swaying
But all he can see is her hurting, searching eyes.

He tries to calm her
But she won’t listen.

She tries to shoo him off
But he won’t go.

“What have I ever done to you to hurt you,” Begs Riley.


“You, oh you know
Exactly what you did.”

“I have been your best friend forever, always there for you, or so I thought. Clara, I love you. I have loved since I first met you. I know all guys say that, but I mean it. I mean it with all my heart, soul, mind, and body. I. I. I Love You.”

And with that he grabbed onto her and kissed her.
She shoved him away.
“Go away Riley. You do not love me.”
She wasn’t going to jump now.

She loved him too.
He was there for her through Max and John.
Through parents divorcing and dogs diyng.
She loved him too
She just couldn’t say it,
How pitiful.

Then she slipped.

But he grabbed her hand,
As he fell to the harsh metal bridge
And hung on to the rail
For his dear life
And hers.

They seemed to hang there forever.
She is weeping, “Please, please don’t let go.”
“I won’t. Ever.”

But they could both see that he couldn’t hold on forever
He was willing to give his life for her
So he would never let go.
It was amazing that they were still holding
on.
People say it was their boundless love for one another.

“Finally a use for all those muscles,” Clara tried to joke.
He tried to fake a smile
To no avail.
The only thought on his mind
Was keeping her alive.

The fire department could not reach her.
The Police couldn’t reach her.
No one could reach her
But him.

“I’m sorry,” she said.
“You can’t hold us both. For what It’s worth,
If I had lived past this night
I would spend the rest of my days
With you.
I love you.”
She pulled her fingers out of his hand.
For a moment she hung there
In the air and looked straight into
His green eyes, rimmed with cobalt for the last time.
She always loved his eyes.
Now she couldn’t bear to look at them.
Then,
Letting gravity take her,
She fell.

He leaped after her
Embracing her half way down.
He put a hand over her head and gripped her close
Doing all he could to prepare her for the end.

They hit the water with a splash.
Instantly their embrace was broken.

He felt his bones shatter
Ribs cracking,
His legs snapping,
His arms folding back,
His head splintering,
His soul pass.

She felt his warm hand slip away.

Just then Coast Guard arrived
With a survival helicopter.
Two divers came down with a rescue basket.
They scooped her up,
All the while she was screeching for
Her Riley.

He was gone though.
Sunk deep down into the river, not to be found
For another week.
His final breaths were telling her he loved her
And smelling her beautiful skin.
He was proud though,
Even if he lost his life,
He saved a girl,
A girl he loved.