Branded a liar
What do you call a vertical rock face that's around 15-20 feet high?
To my nine-year-old self, it was a cliff. Later I became all too aware that word conjures something altogether more impressive from the imagination.

My brother and I used to spend every other weekend at our Dads. Unless there was something going on worth sticking around for, we would wander / play around in the woods near his house. One such day we were making our way along the banks of the river derwent and when we got to an inside bend, the bank formed into a ledge so we climbed up to the very steep wooded bank above and carefully continued. Not carefully enough I found upon losing my footing in big clumsy wellies.

My feet slipped from under me and I belly-flopped onto the ground, at once winding myself and beginning to slide backwards down the steep autumnal bank. All I really remember now is the flashing browns of the forest floor and the sensation of sliding over the rough ground before the fall became smooth and black momentarily. The next thing was slamming onto my back and lying motionless in swirling blue as I felt the freezing water washing over me and gently pulling me deeper.

I say that's all I remember because that's the visions and sensations that visited my nightmares well into my teens. As much of a prick as my brother can be, he actually did save my life that day by pulling me out of that river before I drowned. How I got away with nothing more than shock and a few scrapes i'll never know. I've gone back there since I grew up and still can't believe I walked away from it.

It was a while before I told anyone at school, but when I did I made an unfortunate choice of word. I spent about two years being known as Cliffy Bullshit.
(Greencloud Wanted to go fishing on, Thu 29 Mar 2012, 21:51, 1 reply)

Sounds scary.
But you get a click for Cliffy Bullshit! :)
( Evil Bastardo, Fri 30 Mar 2012, 15:12, closed)