Cathy stood on the edge of the cliff, staring into the void beyond.
“The edge of the world,” she whispered to herself.
There was nowhere else to go. She had run as far as the world would take her and now she a choice had to be made. She turned around to face the red flicker of torches in the distance. It was a choice between two deaths: one short but with no chance of redemption; the other was long and painful, but came with the knowledge of something more after the final blow had been dealt.
Death was not what she wanted. She was too young to feel ready to leave this world and venture into the next. Her skirt pressed against her legs as another gust of wind rushed into the maelstrom behind her.
Sighing, she made her decision, and readied herself to take the small step backwards into the painless void. She closed her eyes and waited for her soul to steady.
Just as her soul settled and she lifted one foot to step over the cliff a noise clanged above her.
She looked up.