A lake carries you into recesses of feeling otherwise impenetrable. ~William Wordsworth

Harry's feet pounded the pavement as he stepped out into the crisp autumn morning for his daily jog. He shivered slightly as a sharp breeze started to pick up and wrap its icy grasp around him. Harry ran on down to the river, the lapping sound of the water was in harmony with his footsteps and he found peace at once being one of the few up in the early morning. As he turned a corner he skidded to a halt, wildly swinging his arms to keep his balance as he stared up at what had caused this emergency stop.

Up on the bridge the linked either side of the river bank stood a figure rocking backwards and forwards getting dangerously close to the edge. Harry felt his heart in his throat as he slowly crept forwards

"Hello?" he called loudly to attract the figures attention "Are you alright?"

The figure turned and as Harry got closer he could see it was a female "Don't come any closer!" she screamed

"Okay" Harry said slowly, holding up his hands to show he meant no harm "I'm Harry, what's your name?"

"Go away" the girl screeched and started rocking faster and faster on the balls of her feet.

It was at that point Harry noticed she was bare foot. Dressed in a long black skirt that fell just to her ankles, her bare feet were covered in dirt. A black peasant blouse covered her top half and as Harry studied her closer he saw she had smears of red on her arms. Her dark hair flickered over her face and as she flicked it out of the way, he got a closer look at the red; blood, Harry recognised the sticky substance immediately smeared up the girl's arms

"Please…" Harry begged taking a tentative step forward "Please don't jump"

"Go away" she shouted back,

He took another step forward and she turned her face back to looking down at the murky depths of the river. Closer and closer he came until he was level with her. Hoisting himself up to edge of the bridge he stood up next to her

"Are you just admiring the view or are you going to jump?" he asked but to no reply "Please don't jump" he begged but the girl continued to rock backwards and forwards

She clamped her hands over her ears and started to moan "Shut up, shut up" she began to repeat in a mantra

"It's okay" Harry soothed but the girl seemed distant now

"I can't do it" she shouted rocking faster and faster now

Harry opened him mouth to reply but the girl continued in a bizarre one sided conversation

"I cant do it…Stop shouting, please…I can't do it….please…I know what you said but I can't do it…"

She gestured madly as if she was arguing with someone but apart from Harry they were alone

"You made me do it…I didn't want too…please don't make me do it…." The girl paused suddenly and the silence was counted by a measure of the pounding of Harry's heart in his chest

"Please come down…" Harry said breaking the silence and the girl looked up at him suddenly like she was coming out of the trance

"Help me" she begged

"Okay" Harry said calmly "Just come down and we can talk"

"No" the girl shook her head wildly "That won't stop them, make them stop please" she said starting to cry

"Who?" Harry questioned

"I didn't want to do it" the girl said taking a step closer towards the edge so she was only inches away from the drop "Please believe me…"

"I believe you" Harry said, he didn't know what she was going on about but he was trying everything to keep this girl talking

The girl let out a low wail and clamped her hands harder over her ears "No!" she wailed "Please stop"

It all happened in a flash, before Harry could even act. The girl flung herself over the edge of the bridge and she seemed to fall for an eternity before she hit the icy water with a splash. Harry's mind seemed to finally catch up with him and he could hear himself screaming after the young girl. He rushed back down to the riverbank calling out to someone, anyone to help him. He could see her outline in the water now sinking deeper and deeper into the depths. Harry waded into the water trying to ignore its freezing grasp. He took a deep breath and plunged into the depths of the river bank after this mysterious young girl.

Author's note: So what do you think? Should I continue?