Excerpts & Confessions of an Unpublished Writer VII

 6 years Later-Present Day

A nightmare; that's what he tried to convince himself at least. As he searched the ground, the vision of shattered glass pierced through his mind and slowly he began to remember. Although his head was throbbing, he managed to wipe the sweat that fell from his temples. He could smell the faint aroma of alcohol and sea air seeping from his damp skin. As his stomach turned, he mustered the strength to stand. Slowly, he moved, avoiding the shards of glass that silently threatened to cut him. As he approached the railing to the balcony, he was surprised to see that the ocean before him seemed uninterrupted. As if she hadn't jumped; as if it were indeed a nightmare. He felt queasy; his stomach tossing and turning like the waves crashing against the rocks.

Carefully he sat, remembering the bottle of wine he had brought up to her room. Impulsively, he took a long pull from the bottle. The sweet bitterness of the wine flooded his throat, temporarily numbing the pain from his head. He took another long pull. As he sat, he replayed the incident in his mind. He wondered if he could have stopped her; grabbed her by the arm before she jumped. Had she looked at him for help?

His thoughts were soon interrupted by a loud knock on the door and a voice that bellowed from the hallway. "Carrie! Carrie are you there!" Another knock shook the heavy door. "Carrie it's Cindy, let me in!" Startled, Vinnie stumbled to the door. What am I going to do? He panicked. He knew he had to open the door, but he was at a lost. For a few minutes he paced nervously around the room. "Carrie! Open up!"  With his hand on the knob, he slowly opened the door unsure of the foreseeable consequences.

{Broken Glass/ Source: Pinterest}