A Birthday Plummet

• Zach De Graaff, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2013

Ah, the feeling of free fall. So relaxing, too bad it can’t last forever. I would fall asleep now if it weren’t for one simple fact; I was already dreaming. I wake up from my dream, aw, man, it really was a dream. I notice the time, 3:00a.m. That must mean it is ummmm, what day…my BIRTHDAY. All right, sweet! Wait, what’s on my feet? I pull back the blanket to find…skydiving tickets! Yes you heard correctly. Mum had always said that when I turned 16 I could go skydiving, and here I am, 16 and going skydiving. It’s going to be a struggle to get my face back to normal and stop smiling, crack, ouch, I sprained my face!

We board and up we go, the plane rising quickly but slowly compared to my anticipation. I look out the window and the world is spread out beneath me as if it’s on a table. This is taking an agonisingly long time, what can I do while I’m waiting? Hmmm, I am so bored leading up to the happiest moment of my life!!! I’m going to explode from excitement, and the blast is going to tear the universe apart.

We get to the top and suddenly I freak. We’re thousands of metres above the ground and I’m going to jump off a plane, what was I thinking? Who got me into this? Wait, I did, I got me into this… so I’m going to get myself out.

Every step closer to the door brings more fear, it is almost overpowering. My mouth is dry, I am struggling to breathe. I feel like I’m going to die from terror but I want to take that risk. I need to make the jump before I can change my mind.

I finally reach the door and when I get there my fear turns into excitement, which, when I jump turns into the realisation that this is…TERRIFYING, but amazing. I feel weightless, like I can fly. So I spread my wings and glide, the wind battering my face. The ground rose up to meet me and I could see the world from this height; the roads, the trees, the houses. The air rushed past my ears, bringing my own screaming up to them. Adrenaline was pumping so hard that it was threatening to burn me up, but at the same time, I’m flying. This is so amazing.

All of a sudden I was jolted to a halt and eased to the ground by my parachute. The adrenaline is still remaining after I land and I’m smiling so much that my face hurts. This was the best day ever. Who’s up for round two? Come on, anyone?