A Challenge

• Zinta H, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2018

Today was finally the day, the day she had been dreading, yet the day she had been longing for. She took a step slowly towards it. Up she climbed shivering from the cold air as she continued to make her way up the continuos flights of stairs. Should I stop halfway, she thought. Her instinct told her it was what was the safest option but her brain told her it was too easy for her. So she continued on.

She finally reached the top, the wind was blowing really hard now. She took a few steps so she was almost at the edge. She was ready, or at least she thought she was. She had been preparing for this for most of her life. Her arms were positioned ready, and then she stepped off. Down, down, down, she could feel herself plummeting through the air, soaring like a bird. Then she hit the water with a hard impact, anything but elegantly and then everything went black.

A little while later she woke up to white. Is this what heaven looks like, she thought to herself, didnI just die? Then she heard a voice:Darling, are you alright. Can you hear me? Her neck had something really uncomfortable on it, some sort of brace. Oh she wished the pain would just go away. She tried to speak, faltering but she found she did not know what to say. She murmured quietly “what happened?” And then she fell into a deep sleep.