“Hey, is anyone around here?” a voice above me shouted.
“We’re down here!” I yelled back, hoping that whomever was up there was friendly. A male head peeked over the side of the cliff, and relief washed over me when I realized it was a cop.
He smiled when he saw me and the two kittens on the shelf below him.
“Well, hello down there. Are you in need of help?”
“Yes, please. I climbed down here to save the kittens, and I don’t know how to get back up.”
The officer laughed. “You rescue groups are taking things to extremes now.”
“I’m not part of a rescue group, I was just out here… um… enjoying the view… and heard the kittens crying out for help.”
The officer frowned. “Is that so?” I could tell he didn’t believe me. “Well, stay there, and I’ll get a few things to help you and the kittens get back up here.”
He returned a few minutes later with a box tied with rope. He then lowered it down and instructed me to place the kittens inside. They both protested as I placed them in the box, meowing incessantly as they were raised above my head.
After they were safely above, the cop lowered another rope down, inching it over a sloped part of the cliff that would be easier to climb. “Use this to help you climb up. Once you’re close enough to reach, I’ll pull you up the rest of the way.”
I nodded, knowing my grip strength wasn’t the best, but desperate to get off the cliff.
Gravel crunched beneath my footing as I started slowly climbing up the side of the mountain, my stomach literally felt like it was in my ass, as fear took over every part of me. Once I was close enough, the officer leaned down, his hand curling around mine as he lifted me the rest of the way. The second I was back up on the cliff, I let out a breath of relief, collapsing onto the hard surface as I took long exasperated breaths.
“You’re lucky I was on patrol tonight,” he informed me. “I saw your bike and found it a little odd to be left alone like that.”
“Thank you,” I exclaimed, still fighting to catch my breath.
The officer was quiet for a few minutes, his blond hair catching the last bits of sun just right to give it that sunglow shine. He was handsome, but he was nothing compared to Nicholas and Chase.
“I’m officer Warren, and you are?”
“Ruby… Ruby Tyler.”
“Well, Mrs. Tyler. You wanna tell me what you were doing out here? The truth.” He motioned to Chase’s urn and gave me a knowing look. “Truth be told, I thought I’d find a body below me, not a woman holding two kittens.”
The two kittens meowed from the box, wanting me to hold them again.
“I was scattering my husband’s ashes.”
“I see. You do know that’s illegal here, right?”
I nodded. “Yes. I wasn’t planning on getting caught. Honestly, I was planning on…”
Officer Warren frowned. “To join him?”
A single tear dripped down my cheek. “Yes. I was seconds away from hurling myself off this cliff, then those two babies cried out for help. I couldn’t leave them down there.”
“Sounds like God had another plan for you.”
“Maybe…” My voice trailed off as the bitter chill of the night air wafted over my skin.
“I’m not a religious man, Mrs. Tyler. But I do believe in fate. Fate brought you to this cliff today. Fate intervened before you made a very grave mistake, one you wouldn’t be able to recover from. Is this the first time you’ve attempted suicide since your husband’s passing?”
I shook my head. “No. I’ve attempted it numerous times before.”
He started nibbling on his bottom lip. “I’m supposed to report this…” he started to say, but didn’t finish. “But I can see that these two little fluff balls have probably changed your mind.”
Looking over, I laughed when I noticed the two little heads peeking up over the side of the box, staring at me with those hopeful eyes again.
