"I wouldn't do that if I were you, kid."

The voice was calm and laidback, yet it seemed to crack the air surrounding me like a gunshot. The shards cascaded down over my already-shivering body, making me stumble slightly as fear gripped my heart and I yelped in fright. Once I had regained my balance on the skinny ledge, I turned to look at the person who had almost made me fall to my death.

He was an older man of about forty or fifty, with an aura that screamed chaos. Just looking at him had me more frightened than that small ledge and I couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was about him. His stance was comfortable and the expression in his eyes was lazy and eerily tranquil considering our situation.

We looked at each other for what felt like hours; him with a slight smirk and me with fear and confusion. How could someone come across this scene and be so calm? The mere fact that he was looking at me with the hint of a smile even after what he was currently witnessing was enough for me to immediately feel unsafe and untrusting of this stranger. I didn't usually trust people that I didn't know anyways, but this man had instantly made me feel uneasy and I found myself wanting to escape from that scene, which was something I would have found impossible only five minutes ago.

"Well?" His voice had a slight rasp to it that made me think of cold days and runny noses. An image of my older uncle came to mind and it wasn't until later that I realised why; he was a smoker and had that exact same hint of strain to his voice. "Are you going to do it or not, kid, because I don't plan on staying here much longer."

I was appalled by the way he was speaking to me and almost shouted out my disgust when I realised that he was in a position of power here and could very possibly end my life in only a matter of a few strides. Of course, there was also the option for me to just step down from the ledge, but I didn't feel like I was ready yet. I now knew for sure that I was going to step down, but that was mostly because this guy was freaking me out and I didn't want my final moments to be spent with him. There would be plenty more opportunities to carry out that menial task, as long as I got away while I still could.

But something was stopping me. Something in his eyes willed me to stay a little longer. Maybe I was curious about how a person could be so indifferent to someone trying to commit suicide. Not only did he do nothing to stop me, but he also spoke dismissively and didn't do a single thing to try and prevent it.

Maybe he thought I was weak; maybe he thought that I didn't have it in me. That thought alone almost made me want to do it just to spite him, but I knew that my death had to mean so much more than that and I honestly felt like this man would be amused if I jumped right now.

"I see you've made up your mind." His voice alone annoyed me. It was so soft that it was almost drowned out by the river rushing beneath us but, unfortunately, his words still managed to reach me. "Come with me." With those words uttered out of his tight lips, he turned and began to walk away at an easy pace.

I stared after him with complete confusion, trying to comprehend what had just taken place. Without even noticing that I was doing it, I found my feet were back on solid ground again and I was safe. For now, at least. I suppose a part of me knew that I wouldn't go through with it tonight, but I definitely hadn't expected to meet anyone on the small desolated bridge at four in the morning; especially not someone like him.

As I watched him walk away, I realised that he wasn't going to look back. He either didn't care what happened or he just presumed that I was going to follow him. He seemed very sure of himself and as if he knew he was just right. I hated that he was this time.

How could I stay away from this person who had interested me so much in a matter of minutes? This man obviously had very little respect for my existence, yet he wanted me to follow him. There was, of course, the possibility that he was going to murder me, but we had met with me standing on top of a rickety bridge planning to jump, so that didn't seem overly likely. I was more intrigued than frightened now and I could feel my feet starting to follow him. Once I snapped back to reality, I picked up my pace and broke into a jog.