A Tale of Heroes

Chapter The First

Alright, well there's no point in stopping now - not since I already basically told you my life story. So let's just cut to the chase: you want to know how I died.

Just a warning, this isn't a pretty, romantic tale with a happy ending. This is a hardcore, true story. Every. Single. Word.

Anyway, the story of how I died starts on a rainy evening with the love of my life standing, and ready to willingly jump off the slick granite edge of the Creek Way Bridge.

* * * * * *

Only one thought was shooting through my mind as I trudged through the filthy rainwater collecting in the gutters and overflowing from the storm drains along the Creek Way Street; I was convinced my feet were going to fall off it was so cold.

This wind was gusting like it was nobody's business, and the rain was flowing down in torrents of icy arrows jabbing into my skin repeatedly, simulating the feeling of being pricked
by multiple needles.

In the distance, lightning struck like a warrior angel being shot down from heaven.

The sun was setting and as preoccupied as I was with the unearthly chill that was seeping into my very soul, I knew that I needed to return to my temporary apartment before it became too dark to navigate the streets and forest roads. Not to mention I was probably going to get hypothermia.

Quickly, I slopped though the rushing water. Now because the water level was so high and still rising, I wasn't really paying much attention to anything but my numb feet.

That was until I began to cross the Creek Way Bridge.

On my first surveying glance, I hadn't seen much of anything of interest along the pitch black asphalt, slick granite sidewalk, and metal railings.

There it is, or should I say who. On my survey however, I caught sight of a sinuous black shadow through the sheen of raindrops that happened to be annoyingly restricting my vision.

As said before, the ominous shape looked astoundingly akin to a human being but I could not be entirely sure until I had had a closer glance.

So, being the curious creature that I am, I slowly, so as to not startle whoever or whatever it was into falling over the edge of the 46 foot abyss below, approached. (Put into perspective; this is the height of a five story building.)

As I slowly made my way towards the silhouette I quickly came into a realization of several important factors of the situation.

First of all, unlike my first assumption, the figure wasn't just standing ahead of me near the edge of the sidewalk, it was literally standing on the edge of the precipice entirely, as in outside of the guard rail.

I quickly became alarmed at the present situation and greatly increased the speed at which I approached the rain drenched figure.

By now, I was close enough to observe several other factors that ultimately led me to make one conclusion about this suspicious person.

From where I was standing, I was near enough to perceive that first of all, he was, of course, male - and young; maybe around 18 or 19 at that. Second, he presently had his hands clenched and his head bowed.

And third, not to mention most disquieting, he only had one foot on the railing: one in mid-air.

Conclusion: this guy's a jumper.

Now over the years, this particular bridge has actually been quite the common and favored spot for many a suicidal person itching to make their last mark.

It's not uncommon for you to drive by and see search and rescue teams out and about or even attempting to fish bodies out of the creek below.

So, knowing this and simultaneously - with much horror - realizing that this guy was going to take the final leap on this cold, rainy, wet night, into the colder, and even wetter overflowing creek beneath us, I probably made the stupidest decision someone in my situation could probably have made when a human being was standing on a slick granite drop off in the pouring rain: I shouted.