2. By: Jessica Bond ANGELS

3. I sat alone on the roof of my dad’s office building. He doesn’t know I’m up here, and it’s not like he would care anyway. At school, everybody sees me as the happiest girl in the state of New York. I’m rich, so I must be happy, right? Nobody knows the real me. I’m the girl that just sits on top of one of the tallest buildings in New York City, feet dangling off the edge, and just hoping that it will all end soon. That I will find a way out of this miserable life of mine someday.

4. My mom always said to me that someday, somehow, it will get better. She’s gone now, living in a big house on a farm in Kentucky somewhere with the family that she never told us about. She’s found her someday, but she left us in the process of finding it. Dad’s given up. He only cares about work, which I guess that’s good for the city considering he’s the mayor, but I’m fending for myself. I’ve been living practically on my own for 6 years, and I’m sick of it.

5. That’s why I come here, on top of this building where nobody can find me, planning my escape of this life. The bottle in my hand is completely empty, and I can’t remember even drinking anything out of it. I must have been too caught up in my thoughts to notice anything going on around me. Oh well, It doesn’t really matter.

6. But what does matter is that the door, that was previously shut, is now wide open. Nervousness settles in, and I stand up. I walk over, slowly, towards the door, each step bringing a new wave of unsettled nerves. Once I am within an arms distance of the door, I reach out and push it shut. It echo’s as I bolt it, and I begin to walk back to my spot.

7. And that’s when I see him, tall, skinny, dressed in all black, and standing where I previously sat. The bottle falls out of my hand, shattering at my feet. He turns around and bright green eyes meet my dull gray ones. He’s pale, the black of his hoodie making it stand out more, and I can see a tuft of bright red peeking out of the hood. We just stand there, staring at each other. No one makes a sound.

8. He takes a step towards me, eyes never leaving mine. I take a step back, my back immediately hitting the cool metal of the door. He doesn’t stop; he just comes closer until he’s about a foot away from me. Eyes still not leaving mine, he reaches towards me, as if to hold me closer, but he stops.

9. “Don’t be afraid.” He said to me, with a surprisingly soft voice. “I won’t let you go.” He then wraps his arms around me and holds me there. I close my eyes and breathe in his scent, something I can’t describe but deliciously intoxicating at the same time.

10. “Reilly,” He whispers to me, and I’m falling over the edge, still surrounded by his warm embrace. “You’re safe.” And that’s the last thing I hear before I hit the pavement, and a bright light takes over my senses.

11. “You’re safe.”