*Never Leave*
by Vered Arnon
She was drunk. The wind ruffled her hair, tossing wispy
strands of it across her pretty face.
"Mandy . . . . " he said, a pleading tone in his voice. He
stood inside the apartment, safely inside, gazing out at
his friend on the ledge next to the window.
Mandy knelt on the cement ledge, gazing off into the
distance at the pale evening sky.
"Mandy, please, get back inside!" Jack commanded.
She stood up, clutching at the wall clumsily. Jack's eyes
widened as she swayed and nearly lost her footing.
"Get back in, NOW!" he gasped. He was totally helpless.
Standing up, Mandy's body was less sheltered from the wind.
Her light brown hair was plastered across her face. She let
out a high pitched giggle, shivering obliviously in the
cold December air.
"Mandy, please!" Jack begged.
She turned her head and glanced over her shoulder. He stood
in the apartment, anxiously leaning out the window, gazing
up at her. The setting sun threw her shadow over his lovely
face. She was too drunk to make sense of the whole
situation.
"Please!" Jack begged again. He reached his hand out
towards her.
Mandy began to laugh, throwing her head back and howling in
drunken abandon. The wind whipped at her pink skirt,
tossing it up to reveal her panties to the citizens of
London. Suddenly her foot slipped. She scrambled madly,
letting out a shriek, falling back down to her knees. She
clutched the concrete ledge with trembling hands, her
knuckles white.
"Jack!" she moaned, beginning to cry.
"I'm right here, baby. Come on. Come back inside. I'm right
here." He reached his hand closer to her. Leaning half way
out of the window, he managed to place his hand over one of
hers. She clutched his fingers with a trembling panicked
grip.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he drew her towards the window. She
crawled along on her knees, inching towards safety, tears
streaming down her face. The terror had sobered her
somewhat.
"You're nearly there," Jack encouraged her as she reached
the window. She just needed to climb through the window,
and she would be safe.
Mandy lifted one knee hesitantly, dragging her foot along.
Suddenly her shoe slipped from her foot, tumbling down to
the street far below. Her knee slipped and she fell
backwards, screaming sharply.
Jack threw his arms around her, digging his fingers into
her ribs beneath her arms. She grabbed the window sill and
held on, letting him pull her safely through the window.
He sighed heavily and sank down to the floor, leaning
against the wall. He held Mandy's trembling skinny body in
his arms. "Don't scare me like that!" he hissed, hugging
her against his chest, stroking his long slender fingers
through her soft tangled hair.
She was silent, pressing her face against his chest. Her
tears soaked through his thin silk shirt, and he felt the
dampness on his skin. She just wanted to have fun. She was
so reckless and naïve. She could destroy herself. She was
so fragile.
"Jack, I'm sorry," she finally whispered, after her
breathing became more even and her sobbing ceased. "I don't
want to leave you. I'll never leave you."
by Vered Arnon
She was drunk. The wind ruffled her hair, tossing wispy
strands of it across her pretty face.
"Mandy . . . . " he said, a pleading tone in his voice. He
stood inside the apartment, safely inside, gazing out at
his friend on the ledge next to the window.
Mandy knelt on the cement ledge, gazing off into the
distance at the pale evening sky.
"Mandy, please, get back inside!" Jack commanded.
She stood up, clutching at the wall clumsily. Jack's eyes
widened as she swayed and nearly lost her footing.
"Get back in, NOW!" he gasped. He was totally helpless.
Standing up, Mandy's body was less sheltered from the wind.
Her light brown hair was plastered across her face. She let
out a high pitched giggle, shivering obliviously in the
cold December air.
"Mandy, please!" Jack begged.
She turned her head and glanced over her shoulder. He stood
in the apartment, anxiously leaning out the window, gazing
up at her. The setting sun threw her shadow over his lovely
face. She was too drunk to make sense of the whole
situation.
"Please!" Jack begged again. He reached his hand out
towards her.
Mandy began to laugh, throwing her head back and howling in
drunken abandon. The wind whipped at her pink skirt,
tossing it up to reveal her panties to the citizens of
London. Suddenly her foot slipped. She scrambled madly,
letting out a shriek, falling back down to her knees. She
clutched the concrete ledge with trembling hands, her
knuckles white.
"Jack!" she moaned, beginning to cry.
"I'm right here, baby. Come on. Come back inside. I'm right
here." He reached his hand closer to her. Leaning half way
out of the window, he managed to place his hand over one of
hers. She clutched his fingers with a trembling panicked
grip.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he drew her towards the window. She
crawled along on her knees, inching towards safety, tears
streaming down her face. The terror had sobered her
somewhat.
"You're nearly there," Jack encouraged her as she reached
the window. She just needed to climb through the window,
and she would be safe.
Mandy lifted one knee hesitantly, dragging her foot along.
Suddenly her shoe slipped from her foot, tumbling down to
the street far below. Her knee slipped and she fell
backwards, screaming sharply.
Jack threw his arms around her, digging his fingers into
her ribs beneath her arms. She grabbed the window sill and
held on, letting him pull her safely through the window.
He sighed heavily and sank down to the floor, leaning
against the wall. He held Mandy's trembling skinny body in
his arms. "Don't scare me like that!" he hissed, hugging
her against his chest, stroking his long slender fingers
through her soft tangled hair.
She was silent, pressing her face against his chest. Her
tears soaked through his thin silk shirt, and he felt the
dampness on his skin. She just wanted to have fun. She was
so reckless and naïve. She could destroy herself. She was
so fragile.
"Jack, I'm sorry," she finally whispered, after her
breathing became more even and her sobbing ceased. "I don't
want to leave you. I'll never leave you."