Ocean and Atlantic
she sits up high
Jumping to your death isn’t exactly the nicest of ways to spend a birthday. I mean, I guess I never really was the traditional cake and ice cream and pink tiara kind of girl, but even taking a leap of this measure is a little out there for me.
“Three, Two-” her voice counts out, calm – calmer than I am.
“Wait, Nova.”
In my peripheral vision, I see her turn to face me, a smirk taking over her lips. “Are you scared?” Her voice is almost taunting.
I blink hard. Once. Twice. Three times. Then I swallow the saliva pooling in my mouth and try to hide my trembling by rubbing my arms. “What do you think?” I ask, letting Nova draw her own conclusion.
She knows me better than I know myself most times.
Best friends since fourth grade, we’d shared secrets than ran deeper than the river that lay below the two of us. We’d been spies together, peering in on her older brother’s slumber parties, listening to her mother and father discuss dinners. We’d made my room into one giant fort using all of the blankets in my house and we’d set each other up on dates when we realized that boys didn’t have cooties after all.
“It’s fuckin’ cold,” I state, just to prolong the inevitable a little longer. I rub my arms once more, fingers twitching in fear. A small gust of wind flutters our hair.
Nova only stares at me. “Are you finished now?” she asks, her voice coming out only slightly humored.
My chest heaves outward one last time as air rushes into my lungs. Closing my eyes, I nod. “Start over.”
Nova smirks. “Five.”
We edge closer to the ledge of the cliff.
“Four.”
Nova takes my hand in hers.
“Three.”
I close my eyes tighter and send out one prayer to God, asking him for this jump to not end painfully.
“Two.”
My lungs constrict. I can’t breathe, but I feel Nova tighten her grip.
“One.”
We’re flying through the air, aiming for a crash landing into the water below. A scream is rushing past someone’s lips and it takes only seconds for me to realize that it’s me who’s screaming like an idiot.
Opening my eyes, I see the water coming closer and closer.
Just before we make impact, I hear it.
“Happy birthday Schuyler!” Nova screams, excitement and fear edging in her voice before I go under and the darkness takes over.
“Three, Two-” her voice counts out, calm – calmer than I am.
“Wait, Nova.”
In my peripheral vision, I see her turn to face me, a smirk taking over her lips. “Are you scared?” Her voice is almost taunting.
I blink hard. Once. Twice. Three times. Then I swallow the saliva pooling in my mouth and try to hide my trembling by rubbing my arms. “What do you think?” I ask, letting Nova draw her own conclusion.
She knows me better than I know myself most times.
Best friends since fourth grade, we’d shared secrets than ran deeper than the river that lay below the two of us. We’d been spies together, peering in on her older brother’s slumber parties, listening to her mother and father discuss dinners. We’d made my room into one giant fort using all of the blankets in my house and we’d set each other up on dates when we realized that boys didn’t have cooties after all.
“It’s fuckin’ cold,” I state, just to prolong the inevitable a little longer. I rub my arms once more, fingers twitching in fear. A small gust of wind flutters our hair.
Nova only stares at me. “Are you finished now?” she asks, her voice coming out only slightly humored.
My chest heaves outward one last time as air rushes into my lungs. Closing my eyes, I nod. “Start over.”
Nova smirks. “Five.”
We edge closer to the ledge of the cliff.
“Four.”
Nova takes my hand in hers.
“Three.”
I close my eyes tighter and send out one prayer to God, asking him for this jump to not end painfully.
“Two.”
My lungs constrict. I can’t breathe, but I feel Nova tighten her grip.
“One.”
We’re flying through the air, aiming for a crash landing into the water below. A scream is rushing past someone’s lips and it takes only seconds for me to realize that it’s me who’s screaming like an idiot.
Opening my eyes, I see the water coming closer and closer.
Just before we make impact, I hear it.
“Happy birthday Schuyler!” Nova screams, excitement and fear edging in her voice before I go under and the darkness takes over.
♠ ♠ ♠
...Hi.This is my project, my stress relief, my short-chaptered story... I have no motivation to write for the multitudes of stories collecting on my profile, so naturally I have to start another.