Drowning in the East River by Kimberly Pierce Read Free Book Online Page A

her's, placing it gently on her stomach. "Believe it or not, I am stronger than you give me credit for. I have a good feeling about this.”
     
    David brushed her cheek with his pinkie and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling Jessica tightly into him. Holding her close, he let himself get lost in her eyes. "I love you so much, baby." He said, after a moment of silence.
     
    As the couple continued into the distance, still quietly giggling to each other, David found himself alone yet again on the bridge above the East River. Still leaning on the railing, he looked down on the black water far beneath him.
     
    A little further down the bridge, David watched as the boy backed the girl into the one of the tan stone pillars, practically falling into each other's arms. They were sloppy, drunk and completely head-over-heels in love.
     
    David had contemplated suicide once before. He had been surrounded by nurses speaking a language he didn't understand, with his arms and chest covered in second and third degree burns. His wrists were strapped down, leaving him unable to move or scratch the constant itching flaring across his seared nerves.
     
    David had been stationed at a trench dug in on the Western Front. Near the end of '17, the camp had been over-run by German infantry. The gun battle lasted for three exhausting days, ending in a mustard gas attack which took out three quarters of his trench. David had been one of the lucky ones, his face was protected enough to escape the lethal, devastating burns.
     
    The only thing keeping him sane through the four long months in a French hospital was the memory of his girlfriend waiting at home.
     
    David stopped in front of the deserted facade of St. Agnes', the Catholic church where he had married Jessica two years earlier. The church was located in the middle of East 43rd Street. It was a narrow block, barely wide enough for two automobiles to drive side by side.
     
    Ahead of him, the street came to an abrupt end at the terminal of Grand Central Station.
     
    Stepping inside the church, David paused for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the muted darkness. He dipped his fingers into the warm holy water and made the sign of the cross.
     
    Moving further into the room, the only sound was David's footsteps on the tan and brown ceramic tile. Six gas chandeliers hung from the ceilings, providing just enough light to illuminate the high ceilings, keeping much of the room shrouded in a bleak darkness.
     
    The pews were sparsely filled with somber people, each focused deep inside themselves. The room was weighed down with an overwhelming heaviness. The partitioners dotting the pews were praying for reasons only they knew.
     
    David did his best to not attract attention as he moved through the room towards the confessionals in the corner. As he walked, he dropped his right hand into his pocket. Jessica's rosary beads clicked quietly as the smooth turquoise beads slid between his fingers.
     
    Opening the door, the confessional was a dusty, claustrophobic space. An old candle flickered from a simple coffee table in the corner. Nearing the end of its life, the weak flame was barely enough to light the tiny closet. A simple chair sat in the middle of the room.
     
    Stepping into the confessional, David dropped to his knees, making the sign of the cross. "Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been nine months since my last confession." He glanced up at the barely discernible outline of the priest on the other side of the screen. It was late, and even the father's posture looked tired. Looking ahead at the flickering candle, David pulled Jessica's rosary beads out of his pocket.
     
    "Tell me your sins, my son." The voice on the other side of the screen was exhausted. "I'm here to help.”
     
    “Well, Father," David began, taking a moment to think through the hazy mass of thoughts drifting through his mind. He passed the rosary between his hands as he continued. "Honestly