The Jump

I watched in amazment as Julie jumped off the bridge. I didn't think she had the guts to do it. I ran to the edge of the bridge and looked over.

"Julie!" I yelled down.

Below me, I saw Julie's figure falling, and underneath her were rushing rapids. Her screams echoed back to me, all the way from where she was falling.

I took a shaky breath and stepped backward. "Now I'm nervous."

I wasn't actually speaking to anyone. I was alone on the bridge. By now, Julie must've finished her drop, which meant it was my turn. I looked back over the edge, thinking about that in a matter of minutes I would be tearing through all that air and space.

Knees wobbling, I got up on the bridge's ledge. I sucked in a huge breath, spread my arms and jumped. Fear and regret shot through me. Why did I jump? I was so stupid. I couldn't believe I just jumped off that bridge. I was probably certifiably crazy. I could barely hear the approaching rapids through all my terrified shrieking. Then my body completely turned so i was falling head-first. That made the fall twice as petrifying, but also way more exhilarating. Again, I regretted jumping.

When I was seconds away from smacking the currents, a strong tug on my feet slowed me down. My head still submerged into the water, but the rest of me was caught by the rope. I swallowed a lot of freezing water, so when my head shot back out of the water, I was coughing and spitting.

Beside me, Julie was swaying, upside down and laughing uncontrollably. "That was amazing, Roxi!"

I laughed along with her, feeling like I was undefeatable. "I know! We should bungee-jump more often."

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