Leah found herself back at the bridge where she could have ended things a long time ago. She was thankful that she didn't jump at that time and at the same time, she wondered if living was any better. She noticed a figure crouching at the edge and with the food wraps beside it, she guessed it was either a homeless person or someone who came to think.

   She slowly walked to the other side and sat down. Staring mindlessly at the water, she tried to think of other things that wasn't linked to her mother but it seemed like her life was empty and soulless without her mother. The past year was like a fairytale, like a dream come true. She came back home to her mother, they both laughed together, ate together, talked together and now.. She was back to square one. It was like nothing change yet everything was falling apart.

Leah
   "Hey, you are leaning too close." I heard a voice warn and i snapped back to reality only to realize that i was leaning too close to the edge of the bridge.

   "Thanks." I said quietly glancing at the other person and I was struck by a wave of familiarity or should I say, déjà vu? The same boy who sat with me on the exact spot a year ago was here again. He looked a little different from the last time I saw him. He also looked at me with wide eyes showing that he too recognized me.

    "It's you." He said and I nodded. He smiled at me and I could've sworn I forgot my worries for a second.

   "Yeah." I breathed out. We both sat in silence as obvious awkwardness burned between us. Our first meeting was not all that pleasant because of the purpose we came with plus who knew we'd meet again?

   "Care for some?" I heard him ask and I looked at him in confusion. He raised the bag of chips in his hand and I politely declined. My stomach reminded me I was yet to eat anything for days and I looked away from the inviting bag. He was just being polite so I should keep myself in check. My stomach vocally protested and my face burned in embarrassment. Maybe I should really jump..

   "You can have this. I already ate from it so I won't poison you." He said handing me the bag again and I stubbornly refused. He started to pack the wraps he dropped and stood up. "Bye then." He said giving me a small wave.

   "Oh." Is he leaving already? He made me forget the reason I came here for a few minutes and I was grateful. I looked around the empty road and wondered how I got myself here yet again with no source to transport back home.

   "I could give you a ride." The boy suggested. The only other option was walking back home and that was ruled out. I was about to stand up when my foot slipped. I closed my eyes and waited for my body to make an impact with the water but it never did. I slowly opened my eyes and saw two brown orbs staring at me in fear. He drew me up and I collapsed on the ground shaking. If he wasn't there, what would've happened to me? I knew for one that I was too weak to swim my way out.

     "Are you okay?" The boy asked and I could barely nod. My body convulsed in fear and I realized how fragile life was. One minute I was sitting here and the next, I could've been swallowing gallons of water. Something rolled down my face and dropped on my hand. I looked at my hand and saw it was tears. I felt a pair of warm arms circle me and before I knew it, pent up tears for days.. maybe years rushed out.

  My mother was gone. The only light I had. The only person that gave me hope. My only backbone. How am I supposed to live when my reason for living is gone? How am I supposed to go back to the house when I can still feel her presence all over?

  I clutched his shirt as I kept on crying. At that moment, all caution left my head and all I could feel was the stranger holding me tightly like he could feel my pain.

Tristan
  
   "I could give you a ride." I suggested when I saw the girl look around at the empty street. I didn't believe in destiny but there has to be a reason why we met again at the same place. She was about to stand up when she slipped. I couldn't even think properly and I instantly grabbed her hands, sat on the ground and began to pull her up. Just as I pulled her to the ground, she began to breathe heavily. What just happened? I tried to wrap my mind around what happened and I was snapped out of my thoughts when the girl began to shake and pant.

   If there was one thing I knew well, It would be panic attack when I saw one.

   "Are you okay?" I asked her and she tried to nod but tears started rolling down her face. She looked at the droplets of tears on her hands in surprise and gradually broke down in a full blown sob. I did the first thing that came to my mind and that was to hug her tight and make her feel safe, that she was okay. She felt so small in my arms and thin. Maybe it's the way she gripped my shirt or the way she shook as she cried that made me even hold her tighter than before.

   After some minutes, her cries reduced to sniffles and her breathing was back to normal. I waited for a few seconds and pulled away only to realize that she had slept off in my arms.

   I looked at her tear stained face and I wondered the height of pain the fragile girl was carrying.

~Korisa