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Jump |
| Written by Joshua Patat | |
| Saturday, 26 January 2008 | |
JUMP
By: Joshua Patat “Jump.” “I can’t,” she whispered through gritted teeth. “I’m scared.” “What are you scared of?” “Everything. Falling, I guess. I hate heights.” “Well, if you jump now, you won’t be up high anymore.” “Thanks, I wasn’t aware of that.” Anne realized how much she hated Ken sometimes. “Look, you need to get down!” It was clear that Ken was getting frustrated. His face had begun to redden and Ken hated showing anger. He didn’t want anyone to know that he could lose his cool. “You don’t have to stand there and act like my father, Ken. Just get out of here. Leave me alone.” Anne was growing tired of Ken’s company anyway. She had come up here looking for peace, but as usual, peace was just a word to Anne; never a reality. “I am not leaving until you get down. By the way, if I were your Dad, you would have been put up for adoption a long time ago!” Ken snorted at his own joke. “Whatever Ken. Just leave me alone.” Anne looked to the sky and tried to put Ken out of her thoughts. She could ignore the noise from below, if she tried. “Just come down Anne. Stop being a baby,” spat Ken. His task had been simple; go find Anne and bring her back. That was his assignment and that is what Ken intended to do. He did not like to disappoint. After all, he was “number one” for a reason. “you know that we are not supposed to be out here.” “How about this scenario Ken; you go back and tell them that I am gone. You don’t have to worry about being wrong or lying, because I am never going back to that place again.” As scared as she was of heights, Anne was even more terrified of what would be awaiting her when she returned. “Listen…I know that you hate it here. At first, I did too, but now I know the truth. I am ready to do my part.” Ken hoped that she would listen to reason. “Listen to yourself, Ken. They have brainwashed you.” Anne could not believe what she was hearing. Not too long ago, Ken had been one of the program’s worst students. He had actually given her hope that this nightmare would end. “That’s fine Anne. Say what you want. I am going back now, but don’t ask for my help when they are punishing you.” At that, Ken began to walk away. Anne would get scared soon, he reasoned, and that would be enough to get her down. “It’s about time you got back to your precious sermon anyway, Ken. Enjoy the Kool-aide!” As soon as the words left her mouth, Anne felt ashamed. She knew who Ken really was, but somewhere along the way, he had changed. She began to think back to the day that they had first met…. Anne was startled by a distant shout. She looked around, but didn’t see anyone. The shouting began to get louder and louder, but Anne could not quite place what was being said. Out of sheer curiosity or possibly foolishness, Anne jumped from her perch in the ancient oak tree that had been her home for the past three days. She hit the ground with a thud, her left leg screaming in agony. Anne winced in pain as she rubbed her hands up and down her limb, feeling for signs of a break. When she was satisfied that her leg was all right, she began to follow the screams. As Anne got closer, she could make out a voice; it was Ken. He was screaming violently. All Anne could decipher from the hysterical commotion was, “but I am number one! I am number one….” As Ken lay in a mangled heap of blood and confusion, his last thought was…please Anne, don’t get down from that tree… Copyright 2008 Joshua Patat |
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