Prologue

                                                    Prologue

He looked below him; a drop of about fifty feet waited for his decision. Around him was the sound of the wind blowing through trees, tugging at the dying leaves that still clung to the branches and nudging the ones resting on the grass like a large brown carpet. Some of the leaves floated past him slowly, fluttering on the small breaths of chilling wind; their beautiful colours wasted on him, for his grief sapped his senses and made the world dull and lifeless. He barely felt the leaves as they brushed past his pale cheeks - the sensation felt distant. Tears formed and blurred his vision. With the sleeve of his fleece he wiped them away - odd he thought incoherently, that he would think of tiny details - such as wearing a fleece to climb the rock - when thoughts as large as taking his own life were looming over him. The cold wind blew his clothes and his hair. It carried the leaves over the edge of the rock, showing him how easy it was to let go of life and to just fall…
 

  He swayed, almost dropping, when a last sliver of indecisiveness grasped him, brought back his balance and pulled him away from the edge. He took a step back, small pieces of sandstone falling beneath his feet as he did so. He closed his eyes and a took a deep breath to steady his shaking body. Behind his closed eyelids he could feel fresh tears press against his lashes, like water building up against a dam. When he opened his eyes the tears hurried down his face and curled around the curve of his chin. More came and blurred the dull, meaningless world around him, as it swirled and rocked. He looked down once more and was gripped by vertigo. His senses went astray and butterflies filled his stomach. The dizziness he encountered, as he teetered on the edge of his exhausted existence, felt amazing. And so did the ebbing of tiredness that had now engulfed him - a tiredness of life itself. It held a sleep where all his troubles could not reach him. An eternal rest, from which he would not wake. And he was happier than he had ever been, embracing the end as much as it embraced him. His whole body tingled with anticipation as he stumbled forwards towards his freedom.
 

  But something stopped him at the last moment. Something he had forgotten. Something that was worth holding onto.