The Merciful Blue Sky

A girl with hazelnut hair with eyes to match, sat on the edge of a cliff. Forests of huge redwoods surrounded her, green as ever. She was looking out at the brilliant blue sky, it was clear and refreshing. Not a cloud in sight. As her gaze settled on the vastness above, she was remembered the friends she lost. Her best friend, her best friend's brother and her lover. She saw all those lost memories, all those wonderful times in a vision above her. She looked down below her, watching her dangling feet and the worn sneakers that barely clung to them. Such a long way down. But she could see her friends down at the bottom waving up.

She stood and shook her head. The girl knew her friends were gone but it was hard not to think that maybe it really was them. She lost her balance and stepped back, idea came to mind. She walked away from the edge slowly as she considered the life before her. All that rested in her hands, her fate and will to live. Far from the edge, she waited and thought one last time. She smiled wide and with a new light in her eyes, started to run. She went faster than she had ever run before, then her sneakers left the edge. As she fell it took her breath away, she was flying and it was incredible. The blue sky grew bigger and bigger. She looked below and saw her friends waiting. So close. They were right underneath her. She saw the ground rapidly getting closer and panicked. Her eyes widened with fear and with the thought she will hit the forest floor, she screams. She reached for the merciful blue sky but fell short, she curled up hoping it would help. The girl realized she didn't want to die.

Her body hit the earth with a heart aching snap but she's there. She sees her friends but couldn't quite touch them. They were faint pictures, fading as the sun below the horizon.

On the other side, the real world. The best friend, the brother and the boyfriend stood over her with great remorse. To see their friend crumpled over herself, they realized the madness had finally overtaken her. That it came and took her with it.

The girl had a misunderstanding, her friends were right behind her the whole time. They were never gone, never below her under the cliffs. They stood there in horror when she leapt into her final hallucination.