I shivered against the cold that cut into my bones, pulling my jacket tighter in hopes of blocking out some of the wind, and the chill I could feel all the way to my bones. It was just starting to snow, the white flakes falling from the sky, gracing the world with their beauty.
On the side of the bridge was a boy, he couldn't have been more than fifteen. He stood on the rail, a determined look on his face. All around people passed by. Most didn't say a word, few taunted him, daring him to jump. He looked around, as if searching for someone to save him, and then his eyes met mine. 632Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3Vxv83xXK
632Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0shD5HUC7I
I crossed to the other side of the bridge, ignoring the cussing of those as I rushed to the boy's side, moving to stand beside him.
"It's not worth it," I told him honestly, staring out at the scene that lay before us. It was so peaceful, and that wasn't right. A boy was broken, I had seen it in his eyes, and no one gave a damn at all.
"You don't know what I've been through!" he shouted, his small pale hand clenched into a fist.He closed his eyes, but not before I saw the truth written in his eyes, the raw, painful memories that burnt into his mind, the shattered look of a boy who had nowhere to turn. I understood a hell of a lot more that he knew, and I knew that I had to prove that to him, or there would be a new grave plot long before the night was over.632Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zFEZT5vxI
I reached out to touch his hand, causing him to look at me. I always hated eye contact, yet I made sure our eyes met, and I saw the look in his face. What I had seen in him, he had also seen in me. The tears started to fall from his eyes, but he let me pull him down. The second he safely had both feet planted firmly on the bridge below I hugged him, not missing the flinch, or the look of fear in his eyes.
"Come on, I want to show you something," I told him, holding out my hand. He accepted after a moment. I knew if it were any other person that he wouldn't accept their hand, but he and I shared the same story, and though we hadn't spoken it out loud, the look we shared was all we needed. And so, he allowed me to lead him, as we walked toward the destination I had in mind.
"They hit you too." It wasn't a question but a statement.632Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1e4tdZdlc
I didn't say anything at first, only nodded, before meeting his eyes. "They did. Dad's dead now, he can't hurt me.You really need to tell someone."
"H-how?" he asked trying to hide the shaking in his voice.
"Go to the police, they can help you, but you have to tell someone. If you don't, you're giving them the chance to hurt more people."
I saw him cringe, the same way I had when someone had pointed the same out to me.It was a low blow, but he knew as well as I did that it was the truth.632Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7tWqwabZf
"I'm scared, man," he admitted, sticking his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
"I know. It'll get better," I lied, because in truth, it never would get better. The memory would haunt him forever, but there was no reason to tell him that. So, I told him what he needed to hear, and watched as the courage began to show on his face. When we parted ways he had already promised to go straight to the police station. Me, I headed back to the bridge, the place I had originally headed to with the goal of ending my own life.
632Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dZmFjfsIv
