On Edge

words
Written for "The Writer's Cramp" 
Prompt: Write a STORY or POEM that begins with the following line:
I hope the world is a better place for my having lived in it ...

"I hope the world is a better place for my having lived in it..." George screamed at the top of his lungs, running with all his might out of the front door, not caring if it closed behind him or not.

"George, you get back here, right now!" his mother's voice nearly matched his own in tone and volume, but nothing was stopping him now. George was going right to Scenic Overlook and jumping off. What did he care if his mother was mad. Once he was dead she ought to be happy, shouldn't she? He ran down the side of the road mindlessly. Several horns joined the disharmony in his head but George didn't care. For all he cared they could run over him and have it done with.

He veered off near the park and half ran, half stumbled up the hill to the long, winding park road. Again he ran down the side of a road, this time no one passed him. The parks didn't get much use Monday afternoons. Finally he had the cliff in sight. His heart pounded in his head and his lungs screamed for him to slow down already. The back of his neck tensed. He would just keep running until he was over. That was the way to do it. A small, delicate form sat at the edge, legs dangling over. Kathy, he'd know her anywhere. Without making a conscious decision he slowed and stared at her.

Kathy was the smallest girl in his class. She looked like she still belonged in junior high, maybe even elementary school. Instead she was his age. She wore an elegant black dress. That was actually all he ever saw her in these days. It had been over three years since he'd seen her in anything that wasn't black. He never knew what to say to her really, but as she was sitting there he thought it would be a bit impolite to force her to witness his death.

Seeming to sense his presence Kathy looked back all of a sudden. "Jumping?" she asked, like it was a normal conversation piece for her.

"Uh..." George stared at her open mouthed.

"Don't let me stop you," she turned away to look off into the distance.

"Are you?" George asked.

"What?" she didn't look at him again.

"Jumping?"

"Oh, no just looking." There was a long silence during which George came closer.

"It's a great view," he ventured.

"Really? I just think it's a big jump, you know? My mother jumped." Kathy didn't sound sad as she said it, just matter of fact again. It seemed so wrong. "Dad left her, but then he had to come back to take care of me. I guess she got him."

"I don't think she thought of it that way," George offered, taking a seat next to her.

"No, no thinking, thinking doesn't let you jump. If you're thinking about things then you can't actually do it." The two of them sat in silence while the sun moved several notches lower in the sky. "So, why are you jumping?"

"I'm done trying to make everyone happy," it sounded sort of silly when George said it so he added, "and my mother found out I'm gay."

"Was she mad?"

"She threw out all of my pictures." George stopped, reluctant to have Kathy know about those pictures. He felt his face flush.

"I see."

The sun slid further down the sky and color spread amongst the clouds, deep vivid color. George stood.

"Are you jumping now?" Kathy asked.

"No, I don't think so."

Kathy nodded, "It's the thinking. It's hard to jump when you think."

"I could walk you home," George offered. It seemed to him that this would be a scary place in the dark.

"No thanks," Kathy replied looking up and meeting his eyes. "I need to be here at night. A lot of people try to jump when they think no one's watching." She smiled at him briefly. "I'm glad you decided not to jump. I'm sure the world will be a better place for your living in it if you really want it to be."

George knew what she meant, but, "I think you have me beat." If Kathy could sit on a cliff and keep people from jumping George had to wonder what he could do for the world to make an impact. All of a sudden his mind filled with dreams and he found he didn't want to die at all. He would show his mother. He would live!