Day 19 – April 19 – NaShoStoMo Challenge – Suicide Bridge

Day 19 – April 19 – Suicide Bridge

Alexander’s parents had given him the name of the historical figure hoping that their son, too, would be great. It turned out that the name was not completely applicable to the bouncing baby boy and at the moment he found himself standing on a bridge, his toes level with the edge and his hands clamped around the railing behind him. And he was scared out of his mind.

It was not a particularly high bridge, but it was the dry season and the river below had numerous sharp – and potentially lethal – rocks begging for him to take the plunge. Many others, so the newspapers contested, had ended it all on this bridge. So much so that it became known as “Suicide Bridge” to the local people. Motorists usually kept out an eye for potential jumpers and there was an SOS phone close by. But early in the morning, when the darkness has only started to lift, there were not many motorists on this road. Alexander clamped and unclamped his hands around the metal railing and stared into the river’s distance.

He turned his head sharply when he heard a car approaching from his right. Was this really the time for someone to show up? He was still thinking! He had half a mind to climb back over the railing and give the untimely driver a piece of his mind. But then the car slowed and stopped by the side of the road, just before the bridge.

A scrawny man climbed out and smoothed his hair and jacket before walking towards Alexander. Scrawny stopped abruptly when he saw Alexander and fumbled in his top pocket for his glasses. “You here to jump?” he said at last and Alexander was sure the man was blushing.

“Thinking about it.”

The scrawny man looked back at his car and shrugged. “Mind if I join you? I’d prefer not to go back and have to do this again.” A flicker of a smile pulled at his mouth.

Alexander shuffled over a bit on the bridge as you would on a bench to make space for one more person. He watched the scrawny man try to climb over the railing and not succeeding. At last the man just sank onto the tar, his legs stretched out in front of him, his feet sticking into the road past the faded red line.

“How long have you been here?”

Alexander glanced at his watch. “About an hour.” He stared down at the man and wondered what had happened in his life to make him come to Suicide Bridge. He ventured the question.

“It’s a big step,” the scrawny man said.

“Yip. Not too sure if this is the best option. Jimmy from the bank took a dive off the bank’s roof and look where he ended up.”

“Yeah. Bummer of a way to find out you cannot survive falls. Or fly.”

“I’d rather not talk about it.” He shook his head vehemently.

“Rachel from the grocer’s can stop time, apparently.”

“We haven’t found anyone yet that can fly.” Alexander cleared his throat. “Perhaps it’s one of us?”

The scrawny man shrugged. “Maybe I have a brilliant mind to keep myself out of trouble or to save the whole world through my genius creations. Maybe I don’t have to jump.”

“I would rather be bullet proof or be able to run very quickly. Or climb walls. Or see through chick’s clothing. Or see through walls. Maybe you’re supposed to be my nemesis.” Alexander grinned.

The scrawny man felt a flickering inside. Yes! Yes! He was The Nemesis!

“Maybe I’m supposed to meet you in a fight to the-“ Alexander’s voice turned into a scream as the scrawny man pushed him from the bridge. Alexander did not fly. In fact, the splattered quite a bit when he hit the rocks below.

“I am The Nemesis!” the scrawny man shouted, throwing a fist in the air. “And I will rule the world!”

Agatha, dressed in practical clothes and practical shoes (unlike the spandex so many in town favoured suddenly), stood on the ledge of the bank building’s roof. At ten floors high it was the highest building in town. It had been three weeks since the meteor hit just outside of the town and she was still too scared to test and see if she had received any superpowers. Three weeks and already The Nemesis was building a Giant Ray Gun to Explode the Moon. At the edge of the town The Nemesis’ Lab sent smoke into the sky. She grinned, but didn’t jump. Who needed to fly to fight The Nemesis? She would fight brains with brains. A grin spread over her face.