It was 11:55 pm, and most people were asleep, but Tari found himself at the Third Mainland Bridge again. It was his fifth night going there. The security men who watched and secured that place, weren't there at that point in time, which made it easy for Tari to move closer to the bridge, resting his hands atop each other on the railings.

He flashed back.

He flashed back to when he was younger, when his family would pass the bridge and his father would tell them (himself and his siblings) how beautiful he thought the bridge and the water was. He had grown up with the mindset. But, as he grew, the more he realized how ugly the bridge and the water was. How the water whispered his name whenever he passed by it, and how the water whispered beautifully ugly things to him whenever he felt slightly frustrated or wanted to give up. He severally wanted to look his father in the eye and tell him what a lair he was. He wished he had the balls and effrontery to do it. But, he was scared. He was scared of simply letting himself go like that. But, the moment he pulled away from the bridge and wanted to walk away, all his pains, frustrations and sorrows came crashing back in. He began to feel miserable again, walking close to the railing of the bridge, holding on to it as he tried to climb it. But, instead of jumping off, he sat on the railing for a while, facing the waters and wondering what it would actually feel like if he jumped, and also wondering what it would feel like if he didn't. He was in a state of dilemma.

"Jump if you're jumping," a low monotonic female voice said uninterestedly, making Tari's head quickly snap in her direction. She shrugged. "The suspense is killing me."

Tari almost jumped in shock, but he remembered that he was on the railing on the bridge, and any small mistake or funny movement can make him fall. So, he gradually turned and got down from the bridge. The lady was also seated on the railing, but was facing the road instead. She had an expressionless face, her hair was parked into two big puff. She was wearing a gray joggers with an extra-large black T-shirt. She looked lost in her cloths. She sighed as she jumped down, making Tari realize she was wearing a black slide on a black socks. She looked like a homeless person who had a home. Was she lost? Tari didn't know what to think, but then began to wonder why she would want him to jump. "I've been watching you for five days now," she unconsciously began to answer Tari's unasked question. "I was here the first time you came. You simply walked around and then chickened out. I mean, if you wanna jump, then jump," she said again with a shrug.

Tari kept on starring at her without saying a word. She was out of words and didn't know what to say, so he simply kept on starring at her.

"Stop staring like that, it makes me uncomfortable," she said to him as she sat down on the floor, close to a backpack Tari figured was probably hers. "Wanna hear a story?" she asked him as she stared into the empty air.

Tari didn't know this girl, but he found himself nodding to her question.

She tapped the space beside her and said, "Sit."

Tari obeyed her, but he didn't seat so close to her, he still had a little bit of fear for her. He didn't know who she was, she could be a Mami Wota (a water spirit) or some serial killer, so he had to keep a clear distance.