• Cold air blasted the face of a young teenager, his eyes closed. Slowly, he lifted his pale face to the night sky. His cheeks held only a slight flush, the color almost gone from his face entirely. Bright blue eyes clicked open. Devoid of emotion. Empty of tears. That was how he felt now.
    He still wore the black suit, combining with his chocolate-brown hair, mourning clothes necessary for the funeral. He remembered the hard wood of the church pews digging into his back, the drone of the priest’s voice, the muffled sobs of a distressed mother, and the intoxicating scent of the flowers lining the wooden casket. That’s where she had lain. Her skin even more pale than he had thought possible. Her black hair spread about her face like a dark halo. Her forest-green eyes closed for eternity.
    Yet still he had not cried.
    Despite her body lying only feet from him, his cheeks remained dry. He could not speak, he could not see, he could not live. The only thought running through his mind was that one memory, repeated over and over again. That one fateful night. The night she died.
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    A cold wind whipped the sea into a frenzy, sending waves crashing against the sea wall. The tangy scent of salt stung the nose of any who walked by. The froth crept over the rocks, reaching out desperately for the top of the wall. It climbed higher and higher, only to crash back down on the water below, folding in on itself. Seagulls flew for a perch, some sort of cover from the raging storm. Clouds blocked out the sky like a grey blanket cloaking the earth in a protective cover. Rain lashed down, adding to the tough sting of the sea spray, death to soft skin.
    From behind the stone sea wall, a car engine roared a challenge to the noises of the storm, only barely heard to the human ear. A car sped out of an alley street hidden between two bleak, grey, towering apartment blocks. A wave of water and gravel sprung from cars tires as it sped around the corner, screeching to a halt. Judging from the spots of rust on the car door, the driver was pushing it a lot faster than it was meant to be pushed. The driver’s door was thrust open. A teenager scrambled out of the car. Wind ruffled his chocolate-brown hair, pinched at his ripped jeans, and ruffled his white shirt. His bright blue eyes scanned the wall for something. For someone. For her.
    Then he spotted her. Stretching his long legs, he began to run.

    Only one other person shared the sea view with him. Arms thrust out as if to embrace the world, a look of peace upon her face. A single tear shivered on her pale, perfect cheek. It only stayed for a second, before it was whipped away be the strong wind. Her eyes were closed, her red lips parted slightly. Her black hair was whipped about her, flung left and right. Her feet were planted firmly on the sea wall. Her body was facing the vast, angry ocean, and the needle-sharp rocks below her.
    Feet pounded the gravel as he raced towards her. He screamed her name, but his words were lost in the blackness of the night. Finally, he reached her. Panting, he shouted up to her.
    "Sharna!" this time he could be heard. Her head turned, feet still planted firmly on the wall. "Please, Don't Jump." Tears rolled down his cheeks, longing evident in his eyes and his voice.
    For a second she just stared. Then a sad smile spread across her face. "You came back." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it didn't need to be.
    A smile appeared on his face, even as tears continued to roll down his cheeks. "Yes. I'm back. Now, please, come back to the car. Come back to me!"
    Obedient to his will, she made to turn. Smile growing wider as her eyes remained on him, she shifted her feet slowly to face him. Then it happened.
    She lifted her left foot, bringing it down on a small puddle of collected rainwater. Suddenly, her foot slipped. Her leg gave way to thin air.
    His smile turned to horror. He screamed out her name, dashing forward. It seemed as though everything was in slow motion. His hand reached out for hers. Their fingertips brushed. But her hand slipped away from his.
    Her arms wind milled crazily. Her eyes were dead, resigned to her fate. Resigned to her death. She fell, hitting the water with a crash. Horror and loss flooded into his face. He slumped against the sea wall. Tears ran down his face. He was helpless, and she was gone. His head hit the sea wall, listening to the screams from the apartment blocks and the distant screech of a police siren.
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    Now he stood where she had. Arms outstretched, eyes dead, ready for the fate he knew was inevitable. He knew she was there. Waiting for him. Wishing for him. Longing for the life that they could have had. He would never let her memories go. The night she had died, he had died too. The only thing left was to make it official.
    "Didn't you realize?" he whispered to a memory long gone. "I would've jumped for you."
    He stepped out into the air.