Slowly she inched, closer and closer, until she was centimeters away. Her heart began to pound. Thoughts went through her mind. What am I doing? She kept asking herself the same question over and over. The wind ran across her skin like liquid. Her toes curled up as the chill spread through her bones. From that moment, she realized how cold she was. Bumps layered over her skin and a shiver went through her spine. It made her body shake for only a few seconds, but it startled her as it almost caused her to walk that last centimeter. Was this what she wanted?

The sound of the wind hummed through the piping that surrounded the building. Cars honking and people laughing and talking crowded her ears. She looked straight to the bright lights of the city that shone through the wall of her numbness. She took a breath, just enough to temporarily freeze her lungs. There she was, wearing a thin night gown in the middle of a cold New York winter’s night. Everyone would think she was crazy for not wearing a coat or even something thicker to keep her warm. But she liked being cold.

She closed her eyes and began to imagine what would happen, should she walk that last centimeter. As she slowly tilted her head down, she opened her eyes. Scaring herself, she gasped as a gust of wind almost took her. She grabbed onto the railing nearby. Her heart was beating faster and faster. She bit the inside of her lip, as to calm herself, and closed her eyes. A tear pushed its way out of her eyelid. Quickly she wiped it away; if she let go of the railing too long, she might fall.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. The cold winds made her eyes dry out and begin to sting. Tears naturally collected, only this time, she let them. She let go of the railing. Inhale, exhale, she told herself repeatedly. For once, breathing felt like an option. Slowly her pale hands loosened their grip on the railing. When her hands were off of the railing, she began to walk forward again, just enough to be on the edge.

Never, in her whole life, had she felt so alive. She raised her arms to her side to let the wind carry her wherever it may. As she lifted her arms higher, she heard a noise. Someone opened a window nearby. The noise startled her, making her body jerk. Being so close to the edge, she slipped. Quickly she grabbed onto the bottom of the railing. Her heart was beating faster than ever as she screamed for help. Ironic, isn’t it? The person who opened the window shouted to her, “Hold on! Don’t let go!” Frantically, she replied, “Hurry!”

The mystery window opener appeared to where she could see who he was. He was reaching out his hand as he tried to calm her down. She was hyperventilating without knowing it. She was too busy staring at his face. The perfection in his eyes was the exact same as the person whom she had fallen in love with. Was it him? No, he would never want to save me, she told herself. Yet, she continued to stare at him and get lost in his words. “Everything will be okay, alright? Just don’t let go. Give me your other hand,” he told her, as calmly as he could.

She shook her head no. She was scared of falling. The person whom she had loved was right there, willingly saving her. Granted, that wasn’t the only reason she was there, but one of the main reasons was because she thought that he didn’t love her back. He gave her a reassuring look and she gave him her other hand. She stared deep into his eyes. He started to pull her up. Her hands were getting sweaty; partially because she was so nervous to be so close to him. She stared at him. She didn't listen to his words, she just watched him speak.

She managed to say a quiet, “I love you.” He heard it and replied, “I love you to, and that’s why I’m here.” At this point, her grasp loosened even more. Her hand began to slip, but she was so entranced by what he had just said to her that she didn't realize. He kept speaking, but she couldn't make out any words. All she heard was a loud ringing noise in her ears. She kept slipping, faster and faster. His grip became tighter as hers became looser. His face became more frantic as she began to fall from his grip. What was he to do?

She asked him, still in shock, “You love me too?” And that is when she finally slipped completely. Her night gown was flowing in the wind. She felt light as a feather, and for once, at peace. Suddenly, as she began to fall faster, she realized she was falling. She was falling from an 18 story building. There was no way of her surviving. What did I do? She asked herself. Her heart began beating faster and faster to the point of a possible medical condition. She stared up at the sky, from where she had fallen and saw her love standing over the railing calling to her. She looked down to see that the ground was less than five seconds away.

Quickly she closed her eyes, preparing for her imminent death. This was it. Time seemed to slow as that five seconds passed by. The five seconds seemed like 5 minutes. Her life flashed before her eyes. Then the ground was millimeters away, but she didn't touch the ground.

Frantically in a sweat, she jumped up from her sleep. Her breathing was fast. Her heart was faster. It was just a dream, or perhaps a nightmare. However one would prefer to view it. Either way, it wasn't real. She stared out her window to see a piece of fabric, very similar to her night gown that she was wearing in the dream, caught on a piece of railing.

The doorbell rang minutes later. It was him. “I just wanted to say hi,” he told her, obviously nervous. She stared blankly, not knowing how to reply, she said, “Hi.” He said back to her, “I also wanted to tell you that I love you. I just haven’t been sure if someone amazing like you would like me back.” Her eyes widened at the words. What was this phenomenon that she was experiencing? “I love you,” she said to him, “Don’t let me go.”