My First Skydive

Cold wind rushed in through the gaping plane door.

One, two, three jumpers—gone.

The ground swirled below my dangling feet.

My heart began to pound. I knew I had to jump, but I suddenly didn’t want to. Buildings and lakes dotted the miniature landscape two and a half miles below me. Eric, my tandem partner, tapped my shoulder. It was time.

It’s now or never, I thought.

I jumped.

Immediately, we were falling, falling, faster than I can describe. The scream in my throat was stolen by the deafening wind. Air flooded my mouth and my nose so that I could hardly breathe. I wanted to catch myself, but I couldn’t.

The world was getting closer at an astonishing rate.

Suddenly, something pulled me upwards.

I realized that I could hear and breathe normally.

“Look at that!” said Eric, pointing.

Just at that moment, the last golden rays of the sun slipped below the horizon.

“That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I said, between my chattering teeth.