I step out onto the ledge and my heart is racing with anticipation. Yes, I want to do this, I came here to do this, there's no other way. The city street lies below me, and its street that beckons me and welcomes me with open eagerness. The night air is cold upon my sullen face and the relentless swirl of the night's wind feels like a million pins piercing my skin. It's a night filled with sounds from the city beneath me. Sound of liar's, cheaters, and murderers. Corruption has a face and it's smiling at me; haunting me, laughing at me, and begging me to begin the night's journey. I gaze upon the full moon that's high above. Its gleaming face is staring back at me; it shares my loneliness. I look down and see people; people who are unaware that I'm high above, people who are unaware of my existence at all.

"I'm Johnny Beacon you Bastards," as I holler down, what's the use.

        I move further out onto the ledge; inching my way with my back pressed tightly against the wall, no turning back now. The flag above me is whipping hard in the nights wind and its metal rings are clanking against its pole. I place my hands over my ears to block out the noise, but it's no use. Sounds of car horns and sirens echo in the night air. The noise is deafening and there's no stopping it, not this night, not any night, but soon it will stop, soon as I find the courage to make it so. I see people now looking up, Gazing upon the night's entertainment. Beckoning me, ‘Jump' I can sense them yelling, no pity in this world, no pity for me.

        I feel my hands getting moist with sweat and it's almost the time I end this... but not yet. I notice a man three floors below with his head out the window, looking up and yelling something at me. But the whipping flag over powers his voice and I can't make it out. It doesn't matter; he can't stop me, no one can stop me, not tonight. Its time I jump and end my loneliness. The loneliness from a world I feel forever trapped in. My time is running out and I need to take that step. But my courage is weakening. The fear of God scares me and the thought of hell tortures me, but then hell is where I live now. Its time I jump and end this misery... and face these demons head on.

        I take a deep breath and jump, and begin my freefall to freedom. The ground below begins its climb towards me. I've never felt so alive, and yet so dead. My end is imminent, and I can feel the horror in the eyes of those watching. I feel death opening its arms to me, eager to greet me as I am eager to greet death. The ground is getting closer. Only seconds now. Three seconds, two seconds, one second...

"Doctor Freeman! Doctor Freemen! Get in here, get in here right away! I think Mr. Beacon just came out of his coma."

"What's goin on nurse?

"I'm not sure Doctor, He just yelled out ‘freedom' as he shot up in his bed, then laid back down. Has he come out of his three year coma Doctor?

"No, I'm afraid he didn't".

"Should I notify the other staff doctor?"

"No, no that won't be necessary; he has no pulse... I'm afraid he's dead. It seems our Mr. Beacon has found the freedom he was screaming for."

R.E.Potter

Keyword: Nights Journey

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Comments (19)

Posted by resistanceisfreedom 2008-08-20 20:03:42 .... interesting story......some people really do think freedom exists in their death. i like how you presented this. + Report this comment
Posted by philneale1952 2008-08-21 01:45:16 Fell for it.......... Striking piece of flash fiction. You really don't waste words do do Russ? Every single one weighed carefully to assess its impact (no pun intended) and placed meticulously in the correct location. Very good finish with a flourish, makes me look verbose. Phil + Report this comment
Posted by lemon 2008-08-21 10:26:04 .... Crazy story. I liked it though, i guess its because i have a thing for crazy lol. anyway, this was a great piece as always Potter. I've yet to read anything of yours that i didnt like. =] + Report this comment
Posted by allmine 2008-08-21 13:06:15 .... When I first loooked at the title I thought it was something new, but I vaguely remember this story. Like always, you use your words to pull emotions. I love it + Report this comment
Posted by harmattan 2008-08-21 15:51:07 NJ Loved the doc's sardonic comment at the end. And the rattle on the rings on the flag confusing other sounds. As I have come to expect, a super feeling of being there. Let your imagination fly Potter, Kind Regards Harmattan + Report this comment
Posted by villanova21 2008-08-21 17:05:12 Nice I think this story was quite creative, and I enjoyed it from begginning to end! It's a shame things like this happen but that's life. + Report this comment
Posted by d.dasgupta 2008-08-22 12:33:24 Coma I have often wondered what people think, if they think at all, when they sink into a coma. I guess you offered a possible clue. In a way, this story reads like a bad dream. You usually wake up and then slowly adjust to the reality around you. In this story, the reality was death and when the dream is over, reality takes over. He dreams he is dying and when he 'wakes up', he is dead. I like the contrast. You wake up not to live, but to die. And the coma, the super dream, is over. Deeply thought out story. + Report this comment
Posted by Dirkin 2008-08-22 19:56:51 .... I swear I read this when I joined this site, and once again I'll say this reminds me pleasantly of the matrix, where what happens in the mind affects the body. + Report this comment
Posted by bamaboy 2008-08-23 11:18:40 .... Wow ,that was very well written, I felt like I was the one on the building about to jump. The emotions he felt were so real, and the ending; I would have never guessed it. Great story + Report this comment
Posted by antheerr 2008-08-23 12:24:37 .... Oh. I thought he was going to be ok. Oh dear. I do like how this was written. Lots of description, and I liked how you had him in a coma and while he's in the coma he's jumping off the building. I did like this, but I thought he was going to be ok. + Report this comment
Posted by iRant 2008-08-23 21:38:05 .... excellently written. loved the ending, at first i thought this was going to be some boring story about suicide, but you perservered and made it original, nice work. + Report this comment
Posted by Eternal_Bliss440 2008-08-24 19:14:10 .... I liked how you built up the suspense in the first couple paragraphs and then at the ending there is a great surpirse. I wasn't expecting it. I thought that Mr.Beacon was surly going to jump off but then again its hard to write about someone dying in first person. Great job + Report this comment
Posted by darrinbouley 2008-08-24 21:23:37 You have a knack... Potter, What a powerpack of a story you have here! It seems you have quite the knack for selecting topics. And there were pockets of outstanding writing sprinkled throughout this piece. That section with the "fear of God" and "facing the demons head on" was pure sugar for me. Great stuff. Keep the gems coming. + Report this comment
Posted by Something Indecent 2008-08-25 08:35:53 .... Good touch on having him commit suicide in his sleep. Very strange. Almost Krugerish. I liked the twist at the end. Almost thought he was going to be alright. But in a way I guess he is...... P.S. Now I want to jump off of a building. Thanks a lot REP. + Report this comment
Posted by JonStalk 2008-08-25 19:37:15 .... I really thought this was going to end differently - similarly, but differently. I guess the mind plays out what the heart feels, even in situations like this. Sleep, and dreams, I guess, are the subconscious's ways of dealing with what we are afraid to deal with while awake. I don't know why Beacon was in a coma, but I do know he didn't want to be there. Really Nice Story!!!! + Report this comment
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