A Glimmer Of Hope.

Noel had braces himself for the impact, but instead of the feeling of night cold water cursing through his lungs and engulfing him whole, Noel felt a pull on his hand.

It was sudden unexpected, but did the job of stopping his fall and suspending him mid air like a play doll.

Through tear-stained eyes, he looked up at the girl clutching onto his hand for dear life, nearly half of her body hanging off the bridge as she tried to support his weight.

Her determination and unwavering grip filled him with a strange sense of comfort maybe it was the fact that someone had tried stopping him when he had decided to end his totally useless life, or probably something else.

Through his maze of thoughts and desperation, Noel couldn’t help but notice how fragile the girl appeared, struggling to bear the weight of his despair yet not wanting to let go.

“Let go, please,” Noel uttered his first words towards the stranger, his voice filled with resignation. “I’m not worth saving.”

The girl shook her head fervently, her which looked reddish under the dim street light was tousled by the wind. With her voice resolute, she firmly declared, “I won’t let go. I can’t stand by and watch someone take their own life.” Her voice, although laced with firm determination to save his life, also held sympathy and sincerity like she had once been in his shoes.

A hint of a snicker escaped Noel’s lips, though he found solace in the realization that there were still kind-hearted souls in this world who would risk their lives to save others.

“You don’t understand,” he murmured with a defeated sigh. “Look at yourself, you’re weak. If you hold on, we’ll both fall into the river.”

Fury flashed in the girl’s eyes as she interrupted him, her grip tightening. “Don’t you dare underestimate me. I may not know your pain, but that doesn’t mean you deserve to die.”

Her resolute words and fierce determination dissipated some of the darkness that clouded Noel’s mind. It was a stark reminder that even in his darkest hour, there were people who cared. People who understood the depths of betrayal and pain.

“Look, I’ve been where you are,” the girl’s voice softened, her grip slipping slightly, yet refusing to let go. “But jumping off this bridge won’t ease your suffering. I promise you, there is hope beyond this.”

Noel’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t anticipated such understanding from someone so young. He found himself captivated by her words, unable to form a response as his mind reeled with conflicting emotions.

Was there really hoe beyond this? A better future than the promises the cold river below presented?

But what if he believes this strange girls words and later end up regretting it?

No, there was no place in the world for such failures like him. It would be better if he was gone and out the mind of everyone at peace.

At that moment, a fleeting thought crosses his mind.

If he were to fall into the river and be found dead, would Celine weep at his funeral? Would his brother? Would his father finally make time away from his desk and weep for the son he had lost? Or would they carry on with their lives like he never existed?

Thoughts of such clouded Noel’s mind for fleeting seconds.

Sensing his momentary vulnerability, the girl seized the opportunity. With a sudden surge of strength, the girl pulled him up, both of them collapsing onto the cold solid ground. Panting heavily, the girl shot him an exasperated look.

“Are you fucking stupid? In what world were you taught that jumping off a bridge is the way to solve all your problems.” The girl snapped, but immediately after her words, she felt like a complete hypocrite.

Inhaling gently as she looked away, she calmed her panting heart and turned back to face Noel who was silently clutching his knees.

She observed him for a few quiet seconds before tentatively asking. “Are…are you okay?”

The floodgates burst open at her question, and Noel began to sob uncontrollably as everything settled in steel. The weight of his wife and brother’s betrayal hit him anew, the pain consuming him. How had his life crumbled to this point? How had the pillars of his world betrayed him so callously?

The girl watched him, her eyes softening with sympathy, yet a hint of resilience still present. Under her breath, she muttered, “Water, huh? What a pretty stupid way to die, if you ask me.”

Amidst his tears, Noel detected a sudden realization. Here he was, broken and defeated, yet a stranger had risked her life to pull him from the brink of oblivion. It was a sliver of light in his darkest hour.

As Noel continued to cry, the girl stood up from her position, now tired of siting on the cold floor as her butt had began to hurt. She dusted off her blue jeans and offered her hand out. Confusion etched onto Noel's face and he asked.

“What- what are you doing?”

“Take my hand.” She informed and shook her hand a little.

“Why?” Noel asked again.

The girl huffed out at this. “Do you really expect me to leave someone like you here, near a bridge? What if you try to jump once more.” She muttered the last part underneath her breath. “Come on, let’s go.”

Noel shook his head and recoiled from her outstretched hands. “Don’t worry, you can leave.”

“No, I need to take you home for my spirit to be at ease, I don’t plan on having fresh set of nightmares haunting me.”

The word ‘Home’ left a bitter feeling in the pit of Noel’s stomach.

Home, he had no such place.

Shaking his head, Noel informed. “That won’t be necessary, I don’t have a home.”

“Oh,”

The girl paused, a thoughtful expression crossing her features. After a few silent seconds, she spoke softly, “Come with me. If that’s okay with you?”

Noel pondered her words for a moment, his mind clouded by turmoil. He hesitated, unsure of his next steps, but the girl’s resilience and unwavering spirit seemed to call out to him, whispering of possibilities beyond the pain. And plus, the cold shivers brought by the night wind reminded him that he needed a place to stay for the night.

Taking a deep breath, Noel reached out and firmly grasped the outstretched hand, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. It was then, amidst the darkness that had threatened to consume him, that he remembered that he didn’t even know the name of the stranger that had saved him.

“I’m sorry for all the troubles I’ve caused you in one night even though we are nothing but strangers.”

“Don’t sweat it! If it means saving a fellow human’s life over and over again, I’d do it as many times.”

Her words brought a ghostly smile to Noel’s lips and he asked,

“What’s your name, if I may ask?”

With a radiant smile that seemed to illuminate the night, the girl replied, “Circe, my name is Circe.”