The
Ledge
Battle Against Insanity
"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"
Roal's scream cut through the still night, echoing across the distant buildings.
Yet still the people below walked, oblivious to the man above them, about to do
an unthinkable act.
"Just shut up. You're not real."
"But we are," replied the little girl in a singsong voice as she pulled
herself up onto the ledge. "Why won't you believe us?"
He turned and couldn't hold back a smile. Her sweet, innocent face. He just couldn't
stay mad around-
"NO! I won't let you trick me again. You're all in my head. That's all. Figments
of my imagination. Now get lost!"
His face grew red with anger. Why did they have to haunt him so. Why?
"You're getting confused," laughed the one who called himself Nick.
He always made fun of Roal at whatever chance he had.
"You're in your head. We're out here, on the ledge with you."
"Knock it off, Nicholas," cautioned Wayne, the apparent leader of the
trio. He was in his late forties, but still commanded a certain amount of respect.
When Wayne spoke, Roal couldn't help but listen.
"Now listen here, Roal. We all know very well what your friends say, but you
have to understand. We are real and we do need your help. And we can't let you
go until you're finished.
"Then tell me," He pleaded. "What do you want with me?"
Wayne let out a sigh. They'd been over this already.
"I'm not allowed to say. You know that. Now deal with it."
"I don't want to deal with it," hissed Roal. I just want my life back."
"You never lost your life. You've had it all along. It can't be lost."
"I WANT YOU ALL GONE!" What started out as a cry of outrage quickly
transformed into sobs. Roal collapsed onto his knees and teetered on the edge
of the building. Pedestrians still bustling along below even at the late hour.
"Please don't say that," whispered the little girl, close to tears herself.
Roal reached out and pulled her close as tears formed in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Sarah," said Roal. It… It's just that I'm scared. I
know you're not real, but I can't seem to put you all away."
"But I am real, honest," replied Sarah, beginning to pout. Wayne says
so."
"No," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "No you're not."
"Come on man," began Nick. "That's just what people tell you. You
can't let other people rule your life. Their reality is different to yours. You
can see the truth in life, that things aren't what they seem. People call you
crazy because they don't understand. It's easier this way, because if they accepted
that you were sane, then there would be no explanation and then they'll have nothing
else to do but fear you. Get up, Roal. We're counting on you. We can't leave till
your done and you can't escape us until it's over."
Nick's words seemed to work and Roal stopped sobbing. He cleared his throat and
let go of Sarah.
"Your wrong. I can escape."
Everyone stopped as the woman's scream pierced the shroud of what passes for
silence in the city. The woman stood before the crumbled remains of her car,
her cheek slashed by her keys when she threw her arms up in fright. She had
left work as usual, albeit a little late from flirting with the security guard,
but still. She could of very well been in the car when he fell. It was a tall
building and he was a fairly big man. He hit with enough force to crush the
entire roof into the floor. The front axle was snapped clean in half and the
bonnet was bent upwards. But that wasn't what scared her the most. There was
something worse than her near death encounter. Something much more terrifying.
Roal somehow managed to pull himself out of the twisted remains of the car.
The lady still screamed and others just looked on in shock.
"I told you," lectured Wayne before him. "We can't let you go
until you're finished."
…
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