The Book That Never Was

The wind rippled through the air, whipping my hair back and away from my face. Thunder echoed across the sky and rain pelted down onto the boardwalk of the town pier. I stood by the rail with my back to the shore. Squinting against the rain, I looked down at the black waves beating against the stone pillars no more than three feet down from where I was.1

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”2

I could barely hear through the wind, but the sound of a concerned voice nearly sent me off the pier before I was ready. I didn’t want to turn around to look but I knew the speaker was male.3

“What I’m doing is none of your business!” I shouted, taking another look down at my watery, soon-to–be grave.4

“Get down from there, you don’t have any idea––”5

When I felt his hand close around my upper arm, I yanked it free and put one foot out in front of me. It hovered over the crashing waves. I turned and looked at the man who was trying to save me. I didn’t know him, which was a surprise because I knew just about everyone in this small town. His hair looked black and the rain matted it across his face as it did with mine, and his eyes were a golden brown.6

“What if I do?” I said.7

“Trust me, you don’t.”8

“Just let me jump! You don’t even know me!”9

I turned back to the cold black waves that hadn’t calmed down. The option of suicide was dwindling from being checked off today. The man’s hand closed back up around my arm and I moved my foot back to the solid wood. Sighing, I turned and faced him.
“Thanks.” He said.10

My face twisted in confusion. “What?”11

“What’s your name?” he asked, ignoring my question and pulling his jacket over his head so it covered both our heads.12

I held a long silence in which we managed to find shelter in a closed-down hotdog stand. “Sybyl.”13

“Sybyl? Nice to meet you, I’m Darren.” He said.14

“Great. Can I leave now? This is kind of… awkward.”15

Darren gave me a quizzical look, but nodded his head anyway.16

I stepped out of the stand and back into the rain. Before I could move an inch, Darren pulled me back and handed me his coat.17

“Let me walk you home. It’ll be rude if I don’t and I don’t want you going back to the pier to die.”18

As he lifted the coat back up over our heads to shield us from the wind and rain, I couldn’t help but try and hide a smile. This guy was determined to keep me, a total stranger, alive. But even though I was a bit grateful, it didn’t start me on a conversation with him.19

The walk down an asphalt road and around four different corners to the beachy looking home, which was three down from the dead-end of the road, was entirely silent. I stopped abruptly in front of my house that I shared with my parents because I wasn’t yet able to get a ‘full-time job’.20

“This is it.” I said bluntly, jumping slightly as a bolt of lightning flashed over the sky.21

“Well then.” Darren started as he struggled for the right words and I excused myself from his soaking jacket. “See you.”22

“Maybe.” I replied slyly, giving the hint that I just might try the waters again.23

“Don’t.” He gave me a stern look, one that a friend you have known since childhood would give you, that sent a chill down my spine.24

Without a word I slipped past the whitewashed gate and up the sandy walk to my frail looking home. I disappeared into the house without looking back and glanced up at the clock that was hanging from the kitchen wall to my right.25

“Two thirty-five AM,” I muttered. “For what reason would he be out so early?”