This was it! The moment I'd been waiting for.
I felt my stomach twist into an icy knot of fear as I looked over the edge. The deep, calm sea looked a long way down. But I couldn't chicken out now. Not if I wanted to be in with the crowd.

I took a deep breath, trying to shut out the jeers of the people behind me. You can do this, I thought.

The time it took me to raise my arms out from my sides to either side of my body seemed to take eons. I was excruciatingly aware of the hot sun burning my skin, my bare chest, of the beads of sweat which dripped from my forehead and trickled down my neck; of the breath of wind which lightly brushed caressing fingers against my jaw and lips while the strong salt smell hung in the air.

I took a deep breath to calm myself, willing myself not to panic.
Then I leaned forward and let myself fall off the cliff into empty air.

Suddenly, the wind was screaming past me and I was screaming too. I hit the water with a smack! that reverberated through my body and sent shock waves of pain rippling through me, knocking the air clean from my lungs. I gasped for breath and inhaled a lungful of water as I sank like a stone towards the bottom.

I twisted around and looked at what I hoped was up, and saw black dots swimming in front of my eyes. I'm going to drown, said a little voice in my head.

Terrified I began to claw my way up, thanking the gods above that the weather had been clear today and the waters untroubled. A cool breeze told me my head had broached the surface and I coughed until my eyes ran and the water in my lungs and stomach forced themselves out of me.

I was alive.
I flipped onto my back and moved out of the way, letting the sun kiss my face as I listened to the screams of the next boy falling from the top of the cliff.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 15 Feb 2009, 7:45, 2 replies)

shudders!
fuck that, the most extreme I have ever got was screaming like a girl on Oblivion!

nicely written ma'am
(Halfy By light alone, Sun 15 Feb 2009, 8:02, closed)

Tombstoning win.

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Sun 15 Feb 2009, 9:11, closed)