The night concealed the rocks from view, only their jagged tips were visible over the tumultuous waves. Sean huddled against the wind, gazing out over the dark waters; wild, violent, all-consuming. He rubbed at his temples, his thoughts spinning out of control. ‘Would it be painful?’ he wondered, ‘to jump, feel your skull cracking against the rocks? No more painful, surely, than not to jump.’ The sky was a dark velvet overhead, glistening with stars, but Sean saw no beauty.
The wind lashed at him head on, his coat whipped out behind him. He fumbled for the buttons, his hands trembling uncontrollably. After a couple of attempts, his coat hung open. He flung it off, unbuckled his belt, throwing it to the ground with a clatter. Through his thin shirt, the cold pricked uncomfortably at his skin. Soon the cold wouldn’t matter anymore. Nothing would matter anymore…
“Sean!” Natalie screamed his name over and over. Her heart thudded against her chest as she tried to hold back the sobs. She ran, her torch sending shadows dancing over the rocks. She wanted to scream, but she needed to breathe to power her legs. Rain hammered against the moonlit rocks. Droplets blurred her vision. Natalie blinked them away, her eyes red and swollen. A terrible storm was coming. She had to get to Sean before it broke, or she’d never see him again- she knew so wouldn’t.
Sean stood now in only his shirt and trousers. Sharp rocks underfoot punctured his skin, drawing blood. He didn’t care. The wind whipped the waves into a wild, roaring frenzy. A half-laugh, half-sob escaped from his mouth. Soon, there would be nothing left. No more white rooms, doctors with sympathetic faces and glazed over eyes, therapists who nodded understandingly without listening. No more people who thought they knew it all telling him ‘You can’t let your depression beat you. You’re the stronger one’. Sean was tired of being strong, tired of fighting, tired of life. He moved forwards, his feet brushing the verge....