Her name was Anne. Anne fell. Anne fell twelve feet from the top of the foundation of an old stone building. Anne landed in such a way that she came away with nothing but a bruise on her knee and a large scratch on the upper left region of her forehead. In the aftermath of her attempt to fly, one would have accounted her long fall for her sudden stoic emotion. But it was the mere fact that when Anne flew, her life flashed before her eyes.

Anne saw many things. She saw the child she is to bare. She saw her mother in a wheelchair with gray hair and a patch over her left eye. She saw a merry-go-round with four of her best friends on it. She saw a casket being lowered into the ground with virtually everyone she knew standing beside it, weeping. She saw a yellow Labrador that was happily playing with two children.

Anne saw a lot of things. Some were happy. Some were sad. Some were full of strong resonance and meaning while some left Anne wondering; wondering if she had done her duty.

Anne saw the moments of weakness. The moments of regret that pained her stomach came straight back to her as she was mid flight. She saw her father and his sad blue eyes. She saw a mournful crow flying across the sky to a bright future that would be undoubtedly denied. She saw a young man with slicked back hair walk away with a disappointed trot in his step. She saw her best friend, Jane, forcefully bang her hand on the dining room table while she wore a face of anguish and disgust. Anne wasn’t certain to what to think of these random scenes, but could sense the lingering feel of disappointment and loss.

Anne was told that all good things come to an end, but what always seems to be left in the dark is that all bad things do too. Intertwined with the moments of remorse and regret are the moments of joy and love. Anne saw a small child in a sandbox, playing with a yellow dumpster truck. She saw a white and brown cat leap into the arms of her elderly neighbor. She saw two of her closest friends laughing carelessly as the three of them ascended up a large white Ferris wheel. She saw an old gray haired man blow and tie balloons on an old yet vibrant patio.

Anne saw the moments of her past and future. She saw the moments of joy and sorrow. She saw the times of tears and the times of laughter. She saw the life she had and the the life she knew she would have. She saw life as we know it.

As Anne’s feet firmly touched the ground, she couldn’t help but wonder. Anne’s mother always told her that every human was on this earth for a reason and every human had a duty to fulfill. When the ups and downs of Anne’s life flashed in front of her like the recap of a daytime television show, she wasn’t sure if she had found hers. She thought of the prospect of leaving this earth without once touching the life of another and it pained her like a sharp spear impaling her heart. Anne searched her memory for any reason for her existence, but couldn’t find any clue. Anne wondered if anyone ever knew.