From a distance

 They just sat out there all night. Talking on the grass. About their little reality in the small town, Their highschool, the way the bell used to ring, their first drinks, fails and crushes.

I observed them from the water tower. They made themselves comfortable and started to talk drop those what would you do if, you could relive that moment all over again. At first giggles the sweat. Yes nostalgia, the worst kind. Despite the mosquitoes they left their skin exposed and went through matter of factly. I heard every word.

My name came up once or twice.
They toasted and laughed and laughed. it took an owl to make them stop. That dark night bird conspiring in my favor. Then they started to file through the remaining firends that still lived in town.
How their omens were good or bad from their high school reputations. From that heavy gossip inside of speculation, local expectations and percieved challenges.
Names and labels went by as they sipped wine.
Moon came out like a spotlight bringing them into a focal point in the middle of the park.

Totally unaware of my presence, Was I the creep, the unholy invisible third wheel?
They got through some more names and came to mine again.
Their was hesitation, neither wanted to speak. Go ahead i thought.
well what exactly am I these days.
The weight of my body on the roof of the water tower finally pushing it in.

She disagreed with him about me. They couldn't decide where i was or even who I was.
She stood up and looked down at him, in turn he stood. As if to avoid the stare she had fixed on him. One of those judging ones. he leant in to kiss her and she moved her head quickly. shaking her head and holding it high.

The pride of some women, that's what keeps it hot. Not dimples, not lips or random acts of kindness. Just that fickle pride and self importance. the way she kicked off toward the abandoned restaurant and back home. I looked at the young man's face and saw the tear.

How many times had he brought her here, how many times had he tried this, just to see her skip back home at the end of a redundant tiff.
And how she skipped on those strong little legs. It made his little heart blister.
I looked down and wished I could ease his pain.
But it wasn't to be. This lad would kill himself tonight, some inky black inner lining to the cloud swallowed the moon, and I was right on cue.
It was just a matter of when and how he he'd do it.

Breeze dropped in and trees gave that sinister sigh as it ran around them restlessly.
he didn't know whether to sit or stand. I can't believe they finished their night picnic talking about me. As if they were to conjure me into their little picnic.
Something shined in his hand. 
Oh no. It was the old broken scissor blade he had stashed and sharped from fifth grade.
What a little maniac. I remembered him on his more darker days sharpening that piece of metal up. A night not so different from this one, when he had her ear and her thoughts to hear. When he had the one thing he'd kill for, her attention.

The moon was disappearing fast, but before it did the last ray hit that piece of metal like a phantom in the mirror.
Before he could hurt himself I managed to get down to him and hold his wrists.
He struggled like he did the last time. He looked right through me.
It wasn't fear in his eye.
It was anger.
-What is this?

I didn't reply. I tried to connect with moon, but it was long gone. so I whispered to him.

-The past has gone Daniel. It has gone. You don't need to leave this life, you just need to leave this town.

Shock started to pour through his eyes.
-I can see you! Why are you trying to save me?
 I was shaken. His scream was louder and more painful than I had ever heard him utter before.

-Leave this place, throw down your blade. Follow the road out of here. This is not your nightmare to live.

-Are you a ghost?

-No, something much worse. I said