The Cliff and the River

A Story by Tyler Myers

Standing on top of a cliff, breeze in my hair, I look down, and see a river below. The river is my only chance of survival at this point. There's only one way down, I must repel directly down the side of the cliff without any equipment, but a single pickaxe. Looking down, I take a deep breath, and begin to step forward towards the ledge. I see another ledge about halfway down with a little patch of grass, and a scrubby tree on it. There is a fog hovering just above that ledge. I get on one knee, pressing it down hard against the ground in order to release a little bit of tension, and dangle a foot off the ledge. Then I put both feet over, and then twist my body around, putting all the pressure on my arms. A large gust of wind blows on my upper body causing me to lose balance, and fall. Soaring through the air, my life flashes before my eyes. The only thing I can hear is the rush of the air past my ears. I eventually near the ground, curling up into a ball as a last effort, then hit the ground with a large thud missing the river by about five feet...