Twenty-Four and a Bottle of Rye: A Short Story

by Adam Vine

Call me Maxwell. I pull bodies up from the bay after they fall off the Golden Gate Bridge. You'd think it's disturbing, but it's not. I understand why they do it, the jumpers. They belong to all walks of life. Whites, blacks, Asians, park rangers to hedge fund managers. They all come here to jump. To leap off into that blue abyss and feel true flight for the very first time, the liberation that always outran them in the labyrinth. Twenty-four a year...

(First published in Sanitarium Magazine #20)

7 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 30, 2016

About the author

Adam Vine was born in Northern California. He has lived in five countries and visited almost forty. A narrative designer for video games by trade, he is also the author of two novels and many short stories. When he is not writing, he is traveling, reading something icky, or playing his guitar.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maxwell is professionally dealing with those jumping from The Golden Gate Bridge. 24 year after year. He can't get a young girl out of his mind. What is so special about this jumper? What is her philosophy? Uncanny and a bit depressing story about suicide and "learning to fly". The described girl is quite haunting. An unusual but interesting story!