- "What am I going to do today?" murmured Alaric, as he opens his eyes and lays back on the school bench
The leaves dance across Alaric's eye's. They move freely, as if nothing could stop them. Looking at them, Alaric lets out a huge sigh and stands up. He gives one more look to the horizon and the sunset. The sight of the sun gives him a soothing feeling.
- "Well, I still have time before the cafe closes. I just got to run for it."
Alaric grabs his school bag and begins to move.
As he makes it to a crosswalk he sees an office man on a bridge far away from him. The man seems to concern Alaric. The man stood in such a way, yet so menacingly and unknown.
- "What is he doing out late right now?" Alaric thinks to himself.
Alaric continues to look at the man, even when the crosswalk light changes. He noticed an off feeling. The mood made him sick and disgusted. Alaric sensed that he could predict what was going to happen, he didn't like the idea of it. Just as Alaric begins to shift his body towards him, the man begins to slowly climb over the bridge.
- "What the hell?"
- Alaric made one final thought., "Why have these cases become more common? There's no time to think, I won't stand by and watch someone disappear!"
Alaric drops his bag and sprints towards the bridge. He acknowledges nothing else matters right now, he could only think about saving another person's life, no matter what it cost him.
Gasping for air he continues to run as if his entire life depended on it. He can hear his heart drumming and his lungs rising and deflating rapidly. Just then, he sees the man is already over the bridge.
- "No, no, no, no! I have to make it!" exclaimed Alaric, gasping for air. His heart continues to pound harder than ever before. Alaric pushes faster and harder. His limits breaking by the second for the first in a while.
Everything seems to slow down for 1 second. The man's body begins to lower and lower. Soon ¼ of his body has been blinded. He falls over the bridge, letting go of everything he ever had. His home, his property, work, family, friends, memories, and lastly his life. Just as ¾ of his body had reached under the bridge someone clenched the man's hand, attempting to pull him over with such little strength and much exhaustion.
- "Please! I can't let you do this!" silently pleaded Alaric, grunting and struggling.
The man dangled over the bridge like a marionette with its strings cut, his suit flapping in the wind. Alaric's hands burned as he clenched the man's wrist, his grip slipping against the cold, clammy skin. As Alaric pulls the unknown man over, he begins to tilt over the handle bar, yet he doesn't let go. The man, seeing the weakling's inner strength to commit such an action with little time, pulls himself up as well to attempt to lighten the weight. Both grunt together in order to save his life. The man finally grabs on to the bar and immediately pulls himself over.
As he does so, Alaric slips and falls letting out a gasp. Alaric takes one more glance at the man… and closes his eyes. The rushing wind consumed him entirely and so rapidly.
- "I don't want to die… but as long as I save someone. I think I'm okay with that."
Alaric's body hits the ocean's water letting out a huge impact.
The cold and chilling water covers his entire body from every inch and centimeter. Alaric slowly opens his eyes looking into the sky. He notices that the sky that was at sunset, seems brighter than before. He closes his eyes again.
The water that had been icy moments ago now felt impossibly warm, like silk wrapping around his skin. A faint glow illuminated the depths, growing brighter until it swallowed him whole. When he opened his eyes again, the lake shimmered under a golden sky.
- "Wasn't there a sunset just a few moments ago? The water feels warm now." Alaric thought to himself
Just then he feels a solid ground under him. He jerks his body awake and pushes himself up. His body reaches the surface and begins to choke and gasp for air. Just then he looks around and notices that the place around is much more different than before. Alaric observes his area and sees that he is surrounded by a small lake. His eyes gaze on the water
- "What is this?" Alaric whispers to himself.
As he stands up he notices that he is surrounded by forests and flowers. Alaric asked himself one more question.
- "Am I in another world?"