Falling

• Rebecca Lees, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2011

Humans can often be blinded by lies and misconceptions. They can be fooled into thinking the good is bad and the bad is worth worshipping. This is my story.

It all began when I first started high school. I made friends and was good at my school work—everybody liked me. But a few weeks in, people began to get jealous that no matter how hard they tried I was always top of the class.

Instantly I dropped to the bottom, everybody teased me—tried to get me in trouble. I spent every time I had out of class hiding in the library or in the art room. But even that didn't stop the insults, the looks and being hit constantly.

By term 4 I was too scared to go outside my house and sometimes my bedroom.The fear was overpowering, it ran my life. My scores dropped but I was still top and that just made it worse. No adult knew, I didn't want to tell anyone, I was too scared. I didn't eat or drink properly—too scared that it may be poisoned or have slugs in it. Anything I did got held against me. All of my art began to circle around blood and death.

One day I thought of a way to end it...I had to kill myself. That would make everybody happy. Make the pain go away. I knew just how to do it - Death's Cliff. Perfect name, perfect place. Lots of sharp rocks and fast moving water.

That night I walked to the cliff as soon as my mum went to sleep at midnight.
There was a full moon shining in the sky that night. I stared up at it hoping to find a reason not to jump but I knew there wasn't. Everybody wanted me gone even my parents, I ruined their relationship.

Suddenly a black shadow passed over the moon, it was almost like a cloak. A
breeze passed through my hair but nowhere else. I stepped closer to the edge reminding myself that whatever it was it wouldn't bother me when I was dead. I took the last step and then jumped.

A great gust of wind pushed me back. I tried again, same thing. I tried again. This time I ran, then something grabbed me and held me mid air. I tried to scream but only a mumble came out.

“Don't jump. Your existence is too precious. You're too young. You have a bright future.” I still remember that soft, yet firm voice. “Please don't!”

All I could say was, “Who are you?” Hoping it was an angel taking me up to heaven.

A head appeared, it was mostly bones but had bits of flesh clinging to it, with blood running out of where a nose would have been. A hand also appeared with two eyeballs and put them into the sockets on its head. I struggled to get out of its grip but the bones were tight around me, pinching into my sides.

“I'm...Life?”

“Death, I thought we decided to let the mortals make their own choices.”

A bright light shone centered around what looked like an angel. His perfect blonde hair shone and his white wings gave a big powerful blow pushing me against Death's rib cages. But what stood out most were his eyes, they were dark brown filled with something more than anger and power. They scared me.

“I'm only saving her from yours, brother.”

The angel's smile dropped and his eyes turned a smoky white before a storm started above us. Blasts of wind pushed us further apart. Death dropped me.

As I fell I could see my life unfolding before me. The life I had before this, I missed it so much but it changed into high school. I tried to shake it off, make all the faces, the insults go away. I let out a scream, something I've wanted to do for years, tears streaming down my eyes.

I wanted my life back, if dying was this complicated then I'd rather live in the library. My mum would miss me and so would my teachers and all of my neighbors. I wanted it all back.

I hit the water. I couldn't breath. Only water came in and out. My mind began to go blank and then I felt something pick me up. I could feel myself going higher and higher. I opened my eyes, all I could see was a white cloud. I thought I was dead but then I was placed carefully back onto the top of the cliff.

I lay there, staring up at Death as he vanished through the cloud. He'd saved me, I was alive and would be for a long time.