she watched him walk along the steel beam. though she dismissed the thought immediately, she wondered what it would feel like to fall from that height. a feeling of emptiness filled her. her eyes traced the route between the man and the ground, pausing for a moment when they fell on the pile of rubble at the base of the construction site.

the air was filled with a fall chill and she buttoned her jacket without thinking about it. she stood in the middle of the sidewalk, people coursing around her, while she continued staring at the specks of workers on the building.

when he did fall she became him for an instant, feeling the rush of air and overwhelming pulse of adrenaline and panic. he tore through the air for only an instant before crashing into a pile of broken concrete. she immediately closed her eyes and tried to decide if she had imagined this. when she opened her eyes the world came back, screams became audible, and a crowd of people pulsed around the body of the man.

[10/06/03]