Oh Sweet What If ... ♥

‘I … I needed you.’ Madeline’s eyes sank to the floor, eye lids heavy on them as she blinked back full salty tears. ‘I … Brady I nearly died.’ Her lower lip started quivering. ‘You … you didn’t save me.’ Turning Madeline began to run away, her cheeks were red with the effort it was taking her not to cry; she couldn’t let him see how much his absence in her time of need had affected her. 1

With her head down and tears finally trailing down her cheeks, Madeline ran as fast as she could gasping through the loud sobs people in the street moving out of her way quickly, some even trying to grab her and ask if she was okay. ‘Madeline!’ Brady was calling her name; she didn’t turn back for him. ‘Please Madeline I am sorry, please.’2

Not stopping Madeline wished she could but knew it would be silly; he wasn’t there when she needed him anymore. ‘MADELINE!’ Looking around just that once it was like things were in slow motion, it was the warning tone in his voice that had made her look. Madeline’s white hair flickered in her face as her eyes took him in, pointing behind her. 3

Like in those black and white movies Madeline didn’t know until it was too late, her body turned in attempt to see what Brady was warning her off, but as she did her small sixteen your old hips bumped the metal railing. Mouth opening in a small oh of shock Madeline felt her body tip over the edge, her short piercing cry echoing through down the main street as she fell, hands clawing the air for some leverage to stop the fall. The train tracks below her foreboding as they loomed nearer each pace she fell, still screaming for help, calling Brady’s name even at one stage.4

Then he was there, his strong hands closed over her wrists, holding them as tight as he could, Madeline’s left hand slipped out of his but and he bent lower over the railing to keep hold of her with just one hand. Sweat fell down his cheeks and neck as he strained to hold her sweaty hand. The sleeve of her school shirt slipped down to her elbow and his eyes widened in shock, his grip slackening as he saw the long deep cuts and scars running the length of her arm. 5

An electric shock seemed to go through Madeline when Brady’s grip slipped at the sight of her mutilation the night before, another of her screams ripped through the air as he slowly let go completely. People were leaning over the edge now, watching and telling Brady to grab her quickly before she fell all the way. Brady was too late, even as he hung by his waist line on the railing reaching out for her, screaming Madeline’s name and a long, howling, no that rippled through the people at the sound. 6

The air rushed around Madeline, her feet hit the rails before her back then her head bouncing on the metal grids. All the air left her body with a short oomph; lights spiralled in front of her eyes as everything went black, the sound of Brady’s cry echoing dully in her empty mind, the aches and pains of broken bones pulsing. 7

‘No! Nooo! Let me go, let me go! Madeline! Noo let me go please, Madeline let me goo!’ Brady struggled against two of the men who had watched on; they had his arms locked behind his back as he struggled to throw himself over the railing and get down to Madeline. ‘MADELINE!’ It was his entire fault…8

It took less then three minutes for paramedics to arrive, the trains were being re-directed and people were being kept away from the scene with police barriers. Brady sat inside the ambulance, a blanket over his shaking shoulders, an oxygen mask over his mouth as they treated him for sever shock. Ten minutes after the accident paramedics were wheeling Madeline up from the tracks, for a moment Brady felt his heart beat faster in hope she was alive, but the white blanket like the one he was given, was pulled up completely over her porcelain features, hiding the green eyes and red cheeks, stopping Brady from ever seeing her small smile ever again. 9

Standing he moved to the paramedics and pushed the cover back, Madeline’s eyes were open like her mouth, still in it’s small oh of shock, there was no obvious injuries unless you saw the blood staining the golden locks at the back of her head. Leaning over he kissed her softly and with a force of his breath, breathed a wasted im sorry into her mouth and hopefully into her broken soul.10

Walking away he dropped the blanket to the ground, the crowd parted for him as he let the tears drop down his cheeks, now he knew how Madeline had felt when he wasn’t there, he needed her more then ever now but he had with his lack of being there, gotten her killed. If he had been at that party, if he could have helped her, if he hadn’t called her name a moment too late…11

Blinking his eyes, he stopped and took one last look at Madeline on the gurney and turned away, what a secret bliss of the game for the tormented and broken, oh sweet what if …