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Hanging Jackson
9 November 2008 18:07Jackson hid in the shadows.
He was four stories up and hanging on while rain pounded down. Lightning showed him up on the wall, a black human shape against the bricks where no human should be. He counted the maddening raindrops that formed on the tip of his long nose and dribbled down into his collar.
He was at fourteen.
Any twitch and he could fall to his death. His fingertips were wedged into the loose mortar between the bricks. It made the building easier to climb but it also made for a riskier ascent. It wasn’t going to be easy to go any further.
There was a ledge. The ledge was slick and wide. It had been painted to look like the bricks. From down below, it fooled the eye but up close, Jackson could see that there were no handholds.
Going back down wasn’t an option, either. The first story window he’d climbed out of had closed behind him. It was a good plan but here he was. Stuck like a paralyzed spider to the bricks while the rain loosened his grip.
He couldn’t call for help. If he slipped and fell, his body would blow his employer’s cover. He couldn’t go further. He couldn’t go back.
He cast about wildly in his mind for options but found none.
That’s when he heard the window open. He looked slowly up, directly into the rain.
Up above him, a woman leaned out of her window. The rain on his eyes prismed her silhouette. Lightning flashed and he got a glimpse of a kind face, blonde hair hanging down, wide eyes staring at him.
“Hey mister, are you alright?” she asked.
Jackson smiled.
“Hey, let me get a rope.” She said and disappeared back into her apartment.
Maybe things would be alright but after this, Jackson swore to himself, he was done.
tags
He was four stories up and hanging on while rain pounded down. Lightning showed him up on the wall, a black human shape against the bricks where no human should be. He counted the maddening raindrops that formed on the tip of his long nose and dribbled down into his collar.
He was at fourteen.
Any twitch and he could fall to his death. His fingertips were wedged into the loose mortar between the bricks. It made the building easier to climb but it also made for a riskier ascent. It wasn’t going to be easy to go any further.
There was a ledge. The ledge was slick and wide. It had been painted to look like the bricks. From down below, it fooled the eye but up close, Jackson could see that there were no handholds.
Going back down wasn’t an option, either. The first story window he’d climbed out of had closed behind him. It was a good plan but here he was. Stuck like a paralyzed spider to the bricks while the rain loosened his grip.
He couldn’t call for help. If he slipped and fell, his body would blow his employer’s cover. He couldn’t go further. He couldn’t go back.
He cast about wildly in his mind for options but found none.
That’s when he heard the window open. He looked slowly up, directly into the rain.
Up above him, a woman leaned out of her window. The rain on his eyes prismed her silhouette. Lightning flashed and he got a glimpse of a kind face, blonde hair hanging down, wide eyes staring at him.
“Hey mister, are you alright?” she asked.
Jackson smiled.
“Hey, let me get a rope.” She said and disappeared back into her apartment.
Maybe things would be alright but after this, Jackson swore to himself, he was done.
tags
