043 A - In the distance I hear bells

I am sitting on a bench beside a narrow river. People pass me on the wide sidewalk in front of me. There are small recreational boats on the river, with colorful hulls and laughing crew. It is sunny. It is a warm spring day. I hear church bells across the river, B, F♯, G♯, E. One, Two, Three... A woman laughs behind me, I do not see her. 

The church is a handsome but modest. It mustn't be Sunday, there are very few people gathered in the plaza. A woman sits on a bench with her back to me. She seems to be reading. 

I don't remember walking here. I look left and right. The river curves behind me on both sides. I stand up and begin walking. It is a warm lovely day, the clouds are perfect. There is a thick canopy of trees on my right. Someone laughs on the river, I look over. 

I am sitting on a bench beside a narrow river. I see the woman alone in the park reading her book in front of the large office building. I see the small barges on the river. I see a man walking towards me and ask him the time. He answers me politely though I am uncertain what he said. I am alone on my side of the river. 

I wave to the woman and she keeps reading. I smile, remembering the warm day and the laughter, but I am wearing a coat, and it is grey outside. I stand up and start walking, a thick canopy of trees on my left. I walk to the edge of the water and look at the muck and the brown water. I pick up a rock it is still jagged, it cuts me and I yelp. The woman looks up from her reading and I wave. She waves back. And I smile and shyly look away. When I look back she has risen to her feet and is waving frantically and pointing. I am confused, I am struck and I hear panting and I hear back up alarms and ambulances and hammering. 

I am sitting on a bench beside a river. Men and women scurry on the sidewalk in front of me. I am watching buildings being built across the way next to where the old row houses used to be. Piles of furniture and boxes cover the stairs of the remaining houses. A woman sits on a bus bench hanging her head. 

I wave at the woman. She doesn't respond. I stand up, but am quickly knocked down. I yell for her, but she can't hear me. A man walks up to her screaming and she cowers and then strikes him. He grabs her by the hair. I start screaming for help. I point at her and no one stops. I stand up and run looking for a bridge, and there are no bridges, I start walking into the water and she looks up, making eye contact with me as I sink into the river. 

I am laying on a bench shivering. I can smell the river, but not see it, for there is no moon. Away in the silence I see a single street light on a bench where a woman sits smiling and waving at me. How long has she been there? I wave back. A figure from the shadows comes and shoots her in the head. I scream. 

I am lying on my back flailing and slowly focusing on a young man who says something I don't understand. I stand up and he protests but helps me to the bench. He is trying to pull me somewhere, other people are around and I wave my hands, they must leave me alone. He has killed her I scream, he has killed her. And the young man holds my hands and stares into my eyes. And I know she is there. He walks away. It is late afternoon and I am very tired. 

I wake to a bright light, a glowing orb of white, then grunts and growls and I wave my hands and there is pain and I am dragged and hit and the light goes dark, and the moon glints off all of their shiny plastic, metal and sweat. I fight and I scream. And I am withdrawing, the pain consuming all of my thoughts, my soul and finally the universe itself. 

I am sitting on a bench, I remember being hit by several cars. I must have jumped into the boulevard in front of me. I see a woman waiting on a bus. She is reading a book. In the distance I hear bells.

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