Thursday, January 13, 2011

Title 3

My toes wiggle in the open air. The slight movement causes my body to waver; I teeter backwards to keep myself from falling over the edge. The serrated edge of the cliff wall digs into the arches of my feet. I wiggle my toes precariously, daring my body to betray me and pitch forward. A vast sea lingers hundreds of meters below, stretching past the horizon into eternity. Frothy white caps perturb the dingy green water. I try to keep my gaze level to keep from compromising my balance. A soft breeze brushes my ankles and I instinctively drop my eyes. The disorientation is instantaneous. A quick glance of my feet overhanging the jagged cliff face, waves crashing far below and sending tentacles of mist shooting upward, before an unconsciously violent jerk sends me sprawling backwards toward hard granite. As I splay through the air, my feet attempt to swing beneath me, to catch me, however the reaction is too quick and I cannot stop it before my feet are torn open on the ragged rock ridge. My boney bum crashes into the callous granite, but it is nothing compared to the torment of my slashed feet. Blood pools at my feet, staining my calves crimson. The salty sea air causes my wounds to tingle in an intriguing sensation. I am mesmerized by the vast amount of blood flowing from me and I cannot help but stare, even as my skin grows pale and cold. When the blood begins to drip over the cliff, I feel the weakness overtake me. I slump back onto the rock. It takes a moment's preparation to gather all of my energy and roll onto my side to view the sea. My position is perilous, balancing on only a shoulder and a hip while my tattered feet sway out into the open air. Cracking a small, faithful smile, I quiver just enough to send my body rolling over the edge. I fall helplessly through stagnant air. The cliff face is so close that I can see the minerals glittering within the stone. Without warning, a breeze encircles my ankles again. It flows away, only to whip back, a thousand times more forceful. I am suddenly overcome with astonishment as I realize that the breeze is now carrying me, sending me gliding toward the choppy surface of the water. I whirl around to face the sea head on. With an imperceptible splash, I plunge into the murky green depths.

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