The Plunge

She stood right at the edge, peeking over anxiously. It was a such long way down, but she could just about see the ripples of the water at the bottom of the deep chasm. She felt like her whole body was trembling with nerves.

This moment had been coming closer and closer, the anticipation of it building more and more, the need for it was so great, the pressure in her heart was now nearing the point of unbearable. She knew she had to take the leap, even though the thought of it made her feel sick.

At that moment, the clouds parted slightly, allowing a ray of sunshine to burst through, landing sleekly on the surface of the water, making it look warmer and even more inviting. She stretched onto her toes, teetering precariously.

This was it. It was time.

Her heart was beating hard in her chest and her breathing was becoming more shallow with every passing second. Now that she was here, she was so scared - she’d had a good feeling she would be but that didn’t soften the blow at all.

She closed her eyes and tried to relax her muscles, tried to steady her breathing. Her mind had been such a jumble recently, she was ready to let it all go, to set herself free. She had to.

Opening her eyes again, she leaned forward, bending her knees slightly, bracing herself.

This was it. If she didn’t do it now, she never would.

She pushed off with her feet, throwing herself into the unknown.

The air rushed past her as her body twisted into the dive. It was in her eyes and her mouth, in her ears and her hair.

The fall felt like it went on for ages, like it wasn’t going to stop.

But it did.

The water was like shards of glass, surrounding her in an instant, stabbing and scratching fiercely at her skin. The pain was horrible. It felt like it was so tight around her, like it was going to choke her.

Panic rose up inside her as she fought to steady herself, she twisted this way and that and kicked her legs out with as much force as she could muster.

Slowly, the water calmed, growing accustomed to her presence, allowing her to push herself upwards. Her head broke the surface and her lungs welcomed the deep breath of fresh air. Beads of water traced patterns as they ran swiftly down her face, with almost the same elegance as teardrops.

She floated for a moment, thinking about what she’d just done. All that build up, all that anticipation and.. it was done. She couldn’t quite work out how she felt.

She was flooded with a sadness that that was it, it was over. Now that it had happened, it almost seemed too soon, but deep down she knew it had been a long time coming. In amongst all of that was in fact a strange relief that she had taken the plunge because now, there were so many new challenges to come. Another wave of anxiety washed over her as she contemplated this.

She moved herself gently with the flow of the water, turning her face into the warm comfort of the sunlight, losing herself in it completely.