Catie's Night Walk

Catie stepped out and the white steam rushed forth from her mouth as if she was exhaling the smoke of a cigarette. This was not new for Catie. Nothing was new for Catie. That was the problem. As she walked down the uneven cobblestone streets she got plenty of stares from the other passersby along the sidewalk. She glanced at them too, but quickly. Her eyes darting to her left as they walked by, with their gazes affixed on her. Catie kept on shuffling along, her slippers sinking into the light dusting of snow that covered the Cambridge street. Her bare arms were crossed across her chest to protect her from the cold. She could feel the cold air and it was uncomfortable, but somehow, for once, it felt good to simply, feel. She kept moving walking past the Harvard Square T station. The stores were all closed at this hour of the night, but some of the bars were still open. College students, arm in arm, bundled up in their winter coats, giggling and laughing, turned their heads back as they saw this girl in her pajama pants and t-shirt walking down the street. They just turned and look back wondering what was going on. A couple just kept on laughing. One or two had a hint of compassion in their eyes, should they offer to help? One young man yelled out "Hey, are you okay?" Catie kept her gaze affixed on the cobblestone street shuffling along.
She continued right down, past the old stores, heading straight toward the Harvard Boat House and the bridge that separated Boston from Cambridge. Again, there were a few stares here and there at this girl in the clothing that would cause her to freeze to death in the cold night air. There it was. The bridge. She began walking toward the middle of the bridge. She started moving faster, faster, toward the center of the bridge. Then slower, slower as she got close. It was time to act. She didn't know if she could pull it off. She didn't know if she could do it. She crept along, her hand precariously perched against the stone barrier. She took one more, careful, slow deliberate step. Then she went for it. And she was able to grab her pet terrier, Yaz that had slipped out as she had been trying just to get a breath of fresh air after a night of mind numbing studying for final exams.
She knew she had looked like a fool as she wandered through Harvard Square and down to the Charles, just a few steps behind Yaz. That's why she kept her head down. She was embarrassed. She didn't want anyone who knew her seeing her out like that and thinking she had lost it. She held Yaz tightly in her arms and began to move quickly back toward her apartment. This time, she actually saw a couple of people she knew and they yelled out "Catie, what'cha doin'? ", puzzled about her running through the streets in her p.j.'s with a dog in her arms. She yelled back, with that omnipresent smile on her face "Oh, nothing, Yaz just ran off and I had hurry out and get him. I'm going home now to warm up." She continued to move up the street. The cold was getting to her now. She quickly ran up the steps and into her house. Thank God she had remembered the keys. It was time for bed. She had an exam in the morning.