Moment in Time
Dusty red cliffs surrounded the swirling green rapids of the colorado river below. Lizards scurried about rushing in and out of small rock crevices. The sky was changing from blue to an unwelcoming coal. Rain drops started to drizzle from the sky above. Falling like tiny pebbles, and sending a ripple through the water. All of the eighth graders climbed up the rocky ledge, to the highest point from which we were allowed to jump. Stuart joined us a few seconds behind the rest of the group. He had to clear the landing to ensure it was safe. Stuart lept of the cliff. Everyone held their breath as he descended into the water. His head bobbed back up and he gave the clear to jump. There was a sense of relief. Kids in red life jackets started leaping off the ledge and into the water. Soon after, they bobbed back up to the surface with smiles of excitement.
Slowly, my turn to jump crept up on me, and then lept, and smothered me with anxiety. I indecisively stood at the edge of the ledge, and looked down at the water. I started to get dizzy, the water was spinning below me like a vortex, trying to suck me in. I knew that if I stood there any longer, I would never make the jump. I am terrified of heights. Silently, in my mind, I counted to three. Then, I jumped off, and plunged through the air. A scream escaped my lips and then became silent. I expected to hit the water, the split second after I jumped off. But, it didn’t work that way. I looked down below me, the water came closer and closer. My stomach did a somersault inside me, then rose up, crushing my lungs up into my chest. The whole world was in slow motion. My big toe just barely grazed the surface of the water, then it shattered, welcoming me into the emerald green water. My head sunk just below the surface. Air bubbles swirled around me. Then my head bobbed back up. I was ecstatic and giddy. I almost felt I could fly. The gentle current carried me back to the point where I climbed the rock. I jumped off many times after the first, but, with more courage and less indecisiveness.
