Sunday Storytime - #1

Good morning Cyberspace. It's Sunday and I've decided that every week I'm going to turn my Sunday blog into story time. I'm using the term 'story' very loosely, as I plan to write posts about dreams I've had, experiential pieces and of course the occasional actual short story. Today's post is an experiential one that I wrote a while ago...I actually used it for my writing sample to get into school. I hope you like it. As always, comments, thoughts and suggestions are encouraged and welcome!

 

The Plunge

I stand at the edge of a precipice. The jagged boulders below are merely pebbles to my eye. I turn and look at the path I’ve traveled to get here. The sun blinds me. Vultures circle overhead as though they sense that there’s about to be a meal.

I envision the fall; the helplessness; the exhilaration. I imagine the impact, the crunch of my bones as they shatter against the unforgiving earth. In my mind’s eye I see the buzzards swooping down, jealously attacking the fresh meat. I cautiously peer over the edge, vertigo turning my stomach. Shimmering waves of heat give the view a surrealistic feel. I taste the air. It is dry. I imagine my mouth being packed full of sand.

The thought of those I’ve left behind haunts my being, guilt filling my soul completely. I am alone. Alone. Something inside of me twitches and my resolve falters, if only for an instant. I wonder if there is such a thing as destiny. The idea of fate rolls around inside my head for a few moments, until it is stilled by another thought. Everything that has happened, every moment of my life has been dictated by my conscious mind.  Even as an infant, though I do not feign to remember that time of my life, the decision to cry, to squirm, to smile; all have been decisions. I begin to reflect upon my many moments of indecision, and I realize that even not choosing is a choice.

My thoughts are interrupted by the impatient calls of the beasts of burden soaring overhead. “Hurry up” they seem to say. In what could have only been a fraction of a second, although it seems as if an eternity has passed, my thoughts cease. My mind is clear, and I finally feel at peace. For the first time in my life, complete silence from the voice of my mind. I have already made this decision.

My right foot lifts itself and swings out into the void. The angle quickly sharpens and suddenly I am free. The ground below reaches up toward me, eager for our meeting. I feel the air rushing over my features, the gentle hiss of the breeze turning to a giant’s roar in my ears. Somehow the sound relaxes me. Gravity becomes my ally, pulling me as the wind seems to try to force me back to the lip of the chasm. I sink faster. The pebbles have turned to rocks, soon to become boulders. I am completely calm. I spread my arms and feel the wind rush between my fingers. I experience a rush of euphoria as I pull my lips back in what must seem like a grotesque mockery of excitement. It is my last smile. I close my eyes and slip into the safety of the dark. Everything is comforting now; the blackness I see, the forces at work on my body, the silence inside my head. I do not regret my decision. It is perfect.

                                                

                                                     *BLACK*