Episodes of the Absurd and Meaningless #1

[a short story I wrote toward the end of last year]

Sitting up on the ledge it was cold. The wind blew in strong. He felt it smack his face with its brashness. Okay, it was actually beautiful. He loved it. He welcomed it. His skin embraced it and it made it feel real. It tingled with the omnipresent cold- all encompassing. He felt real. It made him know he was alive. The sky was dark with the night. The lights from the city wouldn't let it completely take over though. They were all around him- all encompassing. He saw them all with all their pretty colors. His favorite were the red lights of the towers far off in the distance. They blinked rhythmically. On. Off. On. Off. On. Off. Red. Nothing. Red. Nothing. On. Off. A child playing with a light switch- a very patient child. All around those red lights were yellow and white lights from the buildings. They illuminated the black sky- at least here they did. The moon was still the very brightest thing in the sky. He looked up at. Its light shone bright through the thin grey clouds. They moved at a steady pace through the sky, especially the ones that were closest. He stared- amazed at how even the higher clouds couldn't block out the bright white light. A yellow glow colored the clouds that circled the moon- all encompassing. Still the moon shone. It looked flat- 2D, like a hologram or something. That's what it reminded him of at least. He didn't know if holograms were 2D or not. He looked at the building which rose above him on his left. It was mostly dark now. It should be. It was very late- or early, depending on how you looked at it. Some of the windows were dimly lit. He could see things in them like bookshelves and desks and things on walls. Others only shown silhouettes of things. He looked at those too. There was one on the very top floor that caught his eye. It looked like an elephant. He looked at it some more. He imagined an elephant in the room just looking out the window- a big grey elephant. Or maybe it was someone waving 'hello.' Maybe he should wave back. He imagined that person suddenly hurling themselves out the window until they would almost smack against the ground, but he swept in and scooped them in his arms just in time- just before they would have died. He had a cape on too. He looked out again at the scene that stretched on and on in front of him. He was looking at miles and more. There were so many buildings and so many lights. The moon was still there too. It was so bright. The wind still blew him- rustling his clothes and hair. It made him very cold. He liked being cold though. Cold felt nice. Cold felt real. Cold felt alive. He closed his eyes. When he opened them he saw everything again and it was still beautiful. Then he stepped off the ledge and fell several stories until he hit the concrete.

SMACK!

Blood was everywhere. It splattered everywhere- all encompassing.

But he didn't see it because he was dead.

HE DIDN'T SEE IT BECAUSE HE WAS DEAD.

HE DIDN'T SEE IT BECAUSE HE WAS DEAD.

HE DIDN'T SEE IT BECAUSE HE WAS ALREADY DEAD!!!