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The Fallen |
Enjoy this free quick read, a dark story about a young man who finds himself in a situation where he has to fall . . . or has he already fallen?
I'll leave you to decide, the clues are there throughout the story |
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Anyone can fall, but what does that mean? Brave men have fallen in battle; Heroes have fallen from grace; But sometimes in life, people just fall . . . but if they do, it's always for a reason. * * * * * |
What now?
He’d grappled with the cold stonework and swung his body underneath the viaduct just in time. They surely hadn’t seen him! But as he felt that sudden cold cut of night air engulf his tired hanging body, realisation began to set in. There was nothing else he could do, nowhere else he was able to hide, he had to hope they wouldn’t find him. But as the approaching vicious cries betrayed the violent anger of his pursuers, he knew his time was nearly up.
So here he was, hanging desperately from the bridge.
How had it come to this? In those few cold, lonely but very precious moments, he started to recall it all:
They’d taken some risks, him and Kat, but they’d thought it was safe, they never reckoned on being caught. Where was she anyway? He’d split from her a while back . . . they’d had to . . . safer alone - less chance of them both being found.
Suddenly the shouting was right upon him. His body ached, racked with fatigue. He looked across to the hillside opposite and he thought he could see someone looking back at him, but there was no light, just the darkness of the night. He felt so alone, he looked down, and as he did so he panicked. He knew they were about to find him.
All of a sudden he felt calmer, it was like he was in a different place. He found himself sitting on a grass bank rubbing his eyes. Had he fallen? He didn't remember. He strained his eyes to watch the folks in the distance. What was going on? As he looked back at them It seemed as if they were looking for something down in the valley. A group of people were scouring around in the undergrowth, and there was something else now as well; - it wasn’t so dark! He could see across the valley enough to make out the shapes of people moving around.
Now, he remembered Kat, his girlfriend and as if he needed no more stimulus he rose shakily to his feet. 'Where was she?’
He started to head south towards the town. The light was stronger now, he felt different, kind of refreshed even though not quite himself. It was a bit like being on something but he’d been clean for weeks now; and so had she. ‘Where was Kat?’
He walked eagerly towards the city lights, he could cross the railway again a little further up and then the winding footpath would bring him out right on to the main street. Time seemed to pass so quickly and he felt as if the night air was lifting him.
Suddenly, as he found himself making his way down towards the bus station he could hear the noise of misspent youth - the sound of unnecessary anger and antagonism. He felt suddenly alert, and suddenly very aware, and, quite unusually, he found himself running towards the sound.
He had to find out what was going on and he knew he needed to find Kat.
So, what now?
She’d run as soon as she’d read the situation. It had taken her all of five seconds to decide! They weren’t going to stop. She looked down at the pavement in front of her oblivious to the pounding noise made by those gaining on her by the second. She had to beat them, they surely wouldn’t spare any mercy, this was big serious stuff they were into and she wasn’t going to try and kid herself. She knew it like it was.
As she ran the pavement told her a story: each paving slab was a moment in time, a chapter of her life passing quickly - a step that took her further each time but towards what?
They were on to her and suddenly it seemed as if the pavement in front was her whole life - falling away, vanishing before her! The end was in sight, soon Kat would have nowhere else to run!
He could see her now in the distance . . . yes, surely that was her . . . and they were close – too close! He had to act fast, he had to concentrate.
The next sound was sickening. Somewhere, in the back of her mind she knew what was coming. The sound of gunshots pierced the cold night air, but she was still standing!
It all happened so quickly, as these things do, but to him it seemed in slow motion. All he managed to actually do was dive in front of them, but he'd felt so angry, and determined and so much in control. There was a rumble and a nearby wall collapsed shedding mortar and brick dust into the close vicinity. She'd got past it, but they hadn't! He kept on running, not daring to look over his shoulder. Not much further now, he knew he must get home . . . or at least to that safe haven. They were still coming for him. Faster he ran and the more desperate he became as the violent anger from his remaining pursuers became evident.
'Was she safe?' he thought . . . 'had he done enough?'
In the next few moments he strived to turn this over in his mind. It was hard, he wasn't sure. It hurt! Like the athlete giving everything – going for gold, he felt pain. He felt it everywhere, in every muscle - every sinew of his entire physical being. But had he done enough?
So, what happened next?
Well, they ran. They ran and ran and continued to run until they were clear of it all. But he could still hear them, they were still upon him. . . and he had to get away. . . so this was it. There was nothing else he could do, nowhere else to hide, he had to hope they wouldn’t find him here.
So here he was, hanging desperately from that bridge.
How had it come to this? In those few cold, lonely but very precious moments, he'd recalled it all. His body ached, racked with fatigue. As he looked across at the hillside opposite he could see someone looking back at him . . . and he knew. . . he knew at that moment they were about to find him and his time was up.
He let go, and, suddenly, he felt calmer. And now, he was in that different place. . . a place that now felt familiar. He looked back towards the grass bank beneath the railway bridge, all the folk there . . . clearly they were looking for him.
Suddenly it all kicked in, he knew now what he must do. He must help Kat, his girlfriend . . . so, he let go . . . and he fell . .
He’d grappled with the cold stonework and swung his body underneath the viaduct just in time. They surely hadn’t seen him! But as he felt that sudden cold cut of night air engulf his tired hanging body, realisation began to set in. There was nothing else he could do, nowhere else he was able to hide, he had to hope they wouldn’t find him. But as the approaching vicious cries betrayed the violent anger of his pursuers, he knew his time was nearly up.
So here he was, hanging desperately from the bridge.
How had it come to this? In those few cold, lonely but very precious moments, he started to recall it all:
They’d taken some risks, him and Kat, but they’d thought it was safe, they never reckoned on being caught. Where was she anyway? He’d split from her a while back . . . they’d had to . . . safer alone - less chance of them both being found.
Suddenly the shouting was right upon him. His body ached, racked with fatigue. He looked across to the hillside opposite and he thought he could see someone looking back at him, but there was no light, just the darkness of the night. He felt so alone, he looked down, and as he did so he panicked. He knew they were about to find him.
All of a sudden he felt calmer, it was like he was in a different place. He found himself sitting on a grass bank rubbing his eyes. Had he fallen? He didn't remember. He strained his eyes to watch the folks in the distance. What was going on? As he looked back at them It seemed as if they were looking for something down in the valley. A group of people were scouring around in the undergrowth, and there was something else now as well; - it wasn’t so dark! He could see across the valley enough to make out the shapes of people moving around.
Now, he remembered Kat, his girlfriend and as if he needed no more stimulus he rose shakily to his feet. 'Where was she?’
He started to head south towards the town. The light was stronger now, he felt different, kind of refreshed even though not quite himself. It was a bit like being on something but he’d been clean for weeks now; and so had she. ‘Where was Kat?’
He walked eagerly towards the city lights, he could cross the railway again a little further up and then the winding footpath would bring him out right on to the main street. Time seemed to pass so quickly and he felt as if the night air was lifting him.
Suddenly, as he found himself making his way down towards the bus station he could hear the noise of misspent youth - the sound of unnecessary anger and antagonism. He felt suddenly alert, and suddenly very aware, and, quite unusually, he found himself running towards the sound.
He had to find out what was going on and he knew he needed to find Kat.
So, what now?
She’d run as soon as she’d read the situation. It had taken her all of five seconds to decide! They weren’t going to stop. She looked down at the pavement in front of her oblivious to the pounding noise made by those gaining on her by the second. She had to beat them, they surely wouldn’t spare any mercy, this was big serious stuff they were into and she wasn’t going to try and kid herself. She knew it like it was.
As she ran the pavement told her a story: each paving slab was a moment in time, a chapter of her life passing quickly - a step that took her further each time but towards what?
They were on to her and suddenly it seemed as if the pavement in front was her whole life - falling away, vanishing before her! The end was in sight, soon Kat would have nowhere else to run!
He could see her now in the distance . . . yes, surely that was her . . . and they were close – too close! He had to act fast, he had to concentrate.
The next sound was sickening. Somewhere, in the back of her mind she knew what was coming. The sound of gunshots pierced the cold night air, but she was still standing!
It all happened so quickly, as these things do, but to him it seemed in slow motion. All he managed to actually do was dive in front of them, but he'd felt so angry, and determined and so much in control. There was a rumble and a nearby wall collapsed shedding mortar and brick dust into the close vicinity. She'd got past it, but they hadn't! He kept on running, not daring to look over his shoulder. Not much further now, he knew he must get home . . . or at least to that safe haven. They were still coming for him. Faster he ran and the more desperate he became as the violent anger from his remaining pursuers became evident.
'Was she safe?' he thought . . . 'had he done enough?'
In the next few moments he strived to turn this over in his mind. It was hard, he wasn't sure. It hurt! Like the athlete giving everything – going for gold, he felt pain. He felt it everywhere, in every muscle - every sinew of his entire physical being. But had he done enough?
So, what happened next?
Well, they ran. They ran and ran and continued to run until they were clear of it all. But he could still hear them, they were still upon him. . . and he had to get away. . . so this was it. There was nothing else he could do, nowhere else to hide, he had to hope they wouldn’t find him here.
So here he was, hanging desperately from that bridge.
How had it come to this? In those few cold, lonely but very precious moments, he'd recalled it all. His body ached, racked with fatigue. As he looked across at the hillside opposite he could see someone looking back at him . . . and he knew. . . he knew at that moment they were about to find him and his time was up.
He let go, and, suddenly, he felt calmer. And now, he was in that different place. . . a place that now felt familiar. He looked back towards the grass bank beneath the railway bridge, all the folk there . . . clearly they were looking for him.
Suddenly it all kicked in, he knew now what he must do. He must help Kat, his girlfriend . . . so, he let go . . . and he fell . .
* * * * *
