On The Edge

4... Abandoned Buildings and Abandoned People

Jake trudged his way through the tall grass growing at the end of the field, the abandoned building still seemingly far away. Jake could see the cars go by and the morning bustle of Starbucks. The animated chatter of people as they walked livened up the surroundings and the quiet city.

Jake soon made his way past the rough cobblestone path, which was reflecting the sunlight off its smooth polished surface. The building now was just a few meters away. The walls of the building had moss all over them, and had grown weak after years of wear and tear. A portion of the wall had caved in, revealing a gaping hole that led right inside the building.

Jake tried to find the fire exit route, which was inside the building itself. He clambered through the hole, his body barely fitting through and landed right amongst the dirt and soot. He got up and scanned his surroundings. The only light there was the sunlight, seeping through the hole in the outer wall. It took some time before his eyes could get used to the dim lighting conditions of the building. He veered himself around the pile of wooden rods, which had fallen off the ceiling's framework. He found the building's fire exit route and heaved the door open. It creaked open, revealing a small wooden staircase.

"Wooden fire exits! What the hell was this school thinking... No wonder it got shut down," though Jake as he clambered up the first stair. He pressed himself against the wall, and stepped on the tread of each stair, trying not to find the squeal of loose boards, that would cave in. He carefully made his ascend up till the first floor. there were shards of glass surrounding a wrecked window, with the panes soaked with the water of melted snow, and broken, revealing jagged ends. Jason was careful to veer clear of any shards or jagged ends. The place creeped him out and he tried to stay casual about the whole abandoned thing.

He climbed up till the second floor, and found the door that led to the outer exit, which would lead him till the terrace. It was made of metal, with several steps broken and falling apart from the base. He clutched onto the railing, hoping it was stable, and pulled himself up each step, making sure not to put too much weight on any step. After climbing 2 flights of stairs, Jake finally reached the terrace.

The terrace was cluttered with waste and garbage. It was the size of a basketball. Jake saw the ball, lying atop a pile of soda cans and other shards of metal. He picked the ball up, careful not to cut his hand on the shards. He wound up and threw the ball onto the field near his batch mates; who's features were tiny specks in the distance.

Jake heard the faint sound of someone crying. It sounded like a girl's voice and it was coming from nearby. The hairs on the back of his neck stood and he got goosebumps.

"As if an abandoned building wasn't scary enough," he muttered under his breath.

He walked towards the source of the sound carefully making each step. His fists were clenched and he was ready to punch his way out if he needed to. In the corner of the terrace, behind some debris, was an inconspicuous figure, who appeared to be the source of the sound. He climbed over the debris. Tripping over a metal panel, he dislodged a glass bottle, which went rolling down the pile and hit a wall. The glass bottle shattered, and the sound was enough to make the figure look up at Jake. It took a moment for Jake to recognize who it was, before exclaiming out loud,

"What the hell are you doing here!"