Protégé

I saw her, right before she jumped

Flat against the cold hard concrete floor

A fall from the fifth floor is fatal

You do not feel death until you observe it

I saw her standing there

My eyes met hers for a moment

There were tears, yes

But they were soul-less

Is that how it feels to be in that moment

I picture myself instead of her

What would my last thoughts be?

Does life really flash before your eyes?

Is that the last survival trick your mind plays?

Making you look at the best things you ever had

Does that feel like a burden in your last moments?

I saw her

Quite possibly only I did

It was sudden

She had planned this for a while now

Her eyes asked for forgiveness

She looked at me

I don't know what to make of it

This is a difficult feeling

I wanted to talk to her

Maybe it wasn't too late

Maybe that's what she ever wanted?

Someone. Something. To understand her.

To listen to her and never feel burdened to do so

No sympathy or a favor

She wanted a friend

Someone who, she knew, wouldn't use her like the rest

Her eyes spoke all that yes

I was still shocked when she stepped forward

How do you make this decision?

Do you close your eyes and jump?

Do you just walk off one step at a time?

Like you missed a step off stairs.

Or do you choose to do a backflip?

This is difficult.

I saw her. And she saw me.

I don't know her. I wish I did.

She smiled when she jumped

I think she felt relieved

She was sorry. She was helpless.

But she was very relieved.

There went another Nobel Prize Laureate

I never knew humans, in their final moments, can see me

I'm still new to this job. Likewise, I'm still learning.

Being a replacement of death isn't as easy as they say.