Brink by Mikel Parry

CH-DARK PLUNGE

Walking in the dark Thomas felt a part of him linger on the shadows. It was a strange, yet interesting detail that the absence of light could create another realm of existence. Everything changes in the dark. A seemingly innocent alleyway can hide the malevolent eyes of a killer, rapist, or worse. The dark could drown out all logic and feeling, leaving only the numb nothing behind. It was this he felt now more than ever. It had been weeks since Jena had been murdered. Weeks since he last felt her tender touch, heard her gentle voice. His heart ached with such pain he was almost positive it should have exploded, giving him the release he so desired. The pain had consumed his life, leaving nothing behind. His work on the force had all but disappeared. The few friends he had were now distant, removed. He had broken himself out of reality. He was just a shell of his former self, a walking dead man.

Why didn’t I do something? Why was I so stupid?

He had taken a plunge into the darkness of his own soul and drowned. Thoughts of suicide followed him from one cursed day to another. His mind was relentless—it wouldn’t let him forget—it wouldn’t let him forgive. There was only one option for him and he had finally mustered up the courage to do it. He was going to end it. He couldn’t possibly live out the rest of his life alone. Jena had been the only human being who truly understood him. And now she was buried beneath a mound of dirt. Reflections of their time together, her murder and funeral, streamed around inside his mind like a tornado. He no longer had a purpose. He no longer had a reason.

He picked out the bridge and time well. He knew no one would be around. He wanted to do this alone. The height would be adequate to kill him upon impact. The cold river water would then drag him out to sea where he would be eviscerated; forgotten and finally at rest. Stopping at the midpoint of the bridge, he took a deep breath. It was late, the air chilled. This was poetic, really. His death would end up as just a statistic, another psycho taken off the streets. The same streets he had worked so diligently to protect and keep clean. He ran his hands over the smooth surface of the bridge fence. This would be his spot. Slowly, he climbed up its edge until he was standing fully exposed to the dark depths below. There the water churned wildly about. The powerful currents were in full view. But there was something else. Amidst his extreme, torturous suffering, he had the odd feeling he was being watched. But this was impossible’ he’d checked. But yet, there it was—someone was there. He decided to satisfy his curiosity, but was caught completely off guard by a voice.

“Weird night to go for a swim, don’t you think?”

Glancing behind him, he saw a man standing in the shadows watching him, his face shrouded in the darkness.

“Who says I’m going to swim?”

The man emerged from the shadows. His thick grey hair parted to one side and he had piercing, almost gleaming, green eyes that locked on to Thomas directly.

“Well, you won’t mind if I watch then . . . been a long time since I’ve seen a dive from this high up.”

Thomas felt his insides shift around in anger. He didn’t want to be interrupted. He didn’t want to play any games.

“Look, buddy, I don’t know who you are or how you found me, but this has nothing to do with you or anyone else. It’s literally none of your business.”

The man confidently strode to the edge of the bridge and looked over. He momentarily contemplated the swirling water thrashing about.

“I don’t think it matters who I am. All that matters is who you are, Tommy.”

Thomas paused. How did this guy know his name? A man he had never seen before in his entire life, of that he was sure.

“I don’t care what you think you know about me. You have no idea what I’ve been through!”

Thomas edged his feet a little further over the edge. The pull of gravity choreographed his every movement.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. You’d be surprised at the things I’ve seen and done, Tommy. Or is it, ‘Tommy Gun, the legendary crime solver turned glorified high diver?’”

“Stop calling me Tommy! And none of that matters now. It wasn’t good enough.”

The man turned around, leaned on the fence, and gazed the other way. He appeared to be lost in thought for a moment or two.

“And you suppose this is the way to deal with that? Just because you couldn’t save her means you shouldn’t try and save yourself?”

At the mere mention of his lost love, Thomas spewed his fuming rage.

“Don’t you ever bring her up! She meant everything to me, and now she’s gone! I can’t ever have her back! I don’t care what you think I’m supposed to do—I’m done with this—I’m done with all of this!”

Thomas let his feet drag a few inches further forward. As he did, the man leaning up against the fence suddenly stood up. He clapped his hands together and frowned.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t have to be this way. Things like this tend to get very messy. But have it your way. I’m just here for the show after all—remember? No point in trying to talk sense into someone who’s obviously lost who he is and what he stands for. Just remember to take a big breath right before you hit. The water’s real cold down there so it’ll knock the wind right out of you.”

The man then took his place back in the shadows. He stood silently waiting for Thomas to make good on his claim.

I’m going to do this! What does he know? I don’t even know who he is! He’s just another psychopath looking to ruin my life. I hate my life!

Thomas dangled one of his feet over the edge, finally feeling the bitter reality sink in. One more step and he’d be beyond the point of return. One more step and all of his pain would finally end, as would he.

“Are we going to do this tonight? I’ve never seen such a convincing set-up, just to see someone bail out. Please, if you would be so kind.”

The man’s comments were all that he needed to push himself forward. But right as he did he felt a part of himself doubt his selfish actions. Perhaps the man was right. Had he truly forgotten who he was and what he stood for? But with a loud squeak from the wet surface slipping his shoe loose, it was too late. In a heartbeat, he found himself flailing through the air on his way to an untimely demise. Unable to control his sudden fear, he began to scream aloud. The cold air wisped passed him at break neck velocity. Below, the dastardly waters waited to forever imprison him in their depths. But all that he could focus on now was the memory of Jena, his sweet Jena that had been taken away. Picturing her now was as painful as it had ever been. Perhaps he was weak. Perhaps he wasn’t who he once thought himself to be; the proud knight in shining armor coming home to sweep his princess off her feet. But he was no knight—he was a bastard child of the world. A freak, an outcast, someone no one any longer understood. This was his moment of vindication. He closed his eyes. Soon it would all be over.

His eyes remained closed for what seemed like minutes on end before he finally opened them. The swift, blasting motion of the fall had disappeared. He now felt stable and calm. But this couldn’t be. He had just jumped off a giant bridge. His body should have been utterly wrecked against the incontestable strength of the waves below. And yet he was standing.

“Back so soon? I didn’t even hear the splash.”

Thomas spun around to see the man emerging from the shadows once more. The mysterious man had a rather cheesy grin on his face. He looked to be amused by everything that had just transpired. Thomas, however, was far from it.

“What just happened? How am I back here?”

The man walked up to the edge and took a deep breath. He was mumbling his annoyance with the probing question.

“Back here? You never left. So I guess there is no back here. Besides, this isn’t my realm anyways. I’m not here to explain. I’m here to tell.”

Thomas felt completely confounded by the man’s odd answer. He could feel his doubt swelling up inside and yet he was still curious. He wanted to know more.

“What is this? What are you trying to pull here?”

The man shook his head. His impatience was growing.

“I just don’t have time to entertain those questions at the moment. Let’s just say I have an offer for you.”

Thomas could feel frustration festering inside him. The man had answered nothing. A man he knew nothing about who had seemingly interrupted his poetic end.

“An offer? Are you serious? Just a minute ago I was taking the high dive and now you have an offer? Look, buddy, I’m just not interested. I don’t play that way.”

The man stood up and gazed down at his watch. He closed his eyes and sighed.

“This just gets harder every time. What happened to the good old days of just going with it?” he mumbled.

“What did you say?”

“This is a one-time deal. You have but two choices. Come take a walk with me and hear what I’ve got to say. Or, you can try your luck again on the high dive. Either way, I need to know soon; I don’t have time to play mitigator any longer.”

Thomas walked cautiously over to the edge of the bridge. He ran his hands over the smooth surface. It was the very same smooth surface he had just felt moments ago, and yet it seemed distant and fuzzy. Below was the frothy, dark water, awaiting his decision.

What’s it going to be Tommy? Take the plunge into madness or jump off the bridge?

“Mr. Ghune, I can’t stress enough that my time is short. Are we going to take this walk or not?”

Thomas’ mind lit up like a bonfire. He was dissecting every piece of what had happened. No matter how hard he scrutinized each detail, he found no satisfying answer. He was caught up in something supernatural. But something seemed to ring true; if he jumped again there would be no reset button. Perhaps by jumping already, that part of him that had wanted the simple release of death had died.

“Mr. Ghune, last call.”

Thomas turned around slowly. He let his eyes pan back and forth like a typewriter as his mind relentlessly continued to bombard him with information.

“I’ll take a walk, but that’s it. I’m still going to jump off this bridge.”

The man smiled, turned, and began walking away. His dark trench coat made him look like some sort of ghostly apparition in the night. Reluctantly, Thomas followed. He swallowed a nervous lump that seemed to be choking the air out of him.

“By the time I’m finished, you’ll wish you had.”

The man spoke clearly and succinctly. He had obviously come to the bridge with a purpose. It was this purpose that Thomas had to understand. With a short burst of speed, he raced to the man’s side. From there he could see more of the fine details; a dark colored suit, red tie, and a white shirt. The man looked aged and yet gave off the vibrant glow of life. Then something else caught Tommy’s attention. A strange looking pendant attached to the shirt inside the suit. Three triangles locked together. Perhaps it was a symbol? Whatever it was, he had never seen anything like it. The two pressed on in silence, wandering aimlessly around in the dark, before he finally spoke.

“So you’re awfully quiet for a guy who said he’s hard pressed for time.”

The man stopped on the spot and turned.

“Time, Mr. Ghune. That’s something none of us ever seem to have enough of.”

Thomas rolled his eyes. Riddles and mindless banter—could this night get any worse?

“I give. You’ve got me. Now, can we move forward with this, please, and lose the games?”

This made the man chuckle. He glanced down at his watch again.

“Why only forward? So many other directions one can move. But I digress. Simple things deserve simple explanations. You’ve raised some interest in the people I work for. Let’s just say they like what they see. You have a gift, Mr. Ghune—a gift that has a place and purpose. It’s the purpose I think you’ve lost. I’m here to give it back to you.”

The man’s eyes carefully examined Thomas’ reaction. He looked intent, fully anticipating the answer.

“Just what are you talking about here?”

The man held his hand out in front of him; within it he clenched something tightly.

“Why don’t I show you? Take it or leave it.”

Thomas couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was this for real? A part of him wanted to head back to the bridge; at least there things had made sense. Now he was caught up in the chaotic clamor of nonsensical details screaming at him from inside his skull. None of it made any sense. But he found himself curious despite himself; curious to see just what the man had to offer. Maybe he could entertain the idea, even if only for a night, to see where his mind was come morning. Hesitantly, he put his hand out in front of him, opening it palm to the sky, ready to receive whatever was coming his way. The man smiled at the gesture and slammed a small card into it.

“I knew this wasn’t a waste of time . . . always got to keep a positive outlook on things.”

The man turned and began walking away. As he did, Thomas’ eyes perused the details on the thin piece of paper. A simple address was all that was there. Looking for further direction, he looked back up. The man was gone. It was almost as if the shadows had devoured him whole. There wasn’t so much as a trace of him left.

“Can I at least get a name?”

I need to get some sleep.

Walking away from what he had thought would be his final resting place, he could feel his nerves rattle about. Whatever he had just gotten into was completely outlandish. What was going to become of him?