Fall

When the impossible become possible

“Are you sure about this?” She asked, peering over the ledge seventy stories above the city. He exhaled, his eyes trained on the horizon. He refused to look down, there was no way he was going to look down.

“Not at all.” He mumbled, his heart thudding in his chest.

“You don’t have to do it, you know.” She whispered, her hand gentle on his shoulder. He turned to look at her then and every cell in his body calmed. The wind had caught her soft curls, blowing them around her face like a halo. Her bright eyes reflected the yellow orange light of the fading sun. There was nothing truly striking about her, yet there was such beauty in her plainness.

He glanced over his shoulder at the others who stood in a tight cluster shielding each other from the wind. They were waiting, anticipating his failure. The one in front, the biggest, with the smirk of pure hatred was the most eager to see his fall. If he did not do this, if he backed out he would never regain his footing with them. He would never regain his footing with her. He looked at her again, the kindness in her smooth lineless face and brought her fingers to his lips.

“I would never give them the satisfaction.” He whispered. She smiled and everything in her seemed to brighten. He turned and looked down, willing himself to do so without throwing up on the unknowing people milling down on the street. People who would never experience what he, what they, had discovered.

She took his hand then, and they stepped off of the ledge. They moved down, fast, the wind rushing up to meet them and for a brief second her felt the panic. Then as it always did, the wind caught them and pushed them up and they soared.