Chasing November

Chapter 22: Close the Distance

The air is getting warmer the faster I fall.

The wind is getting harsher.

I can sense it all around me, but even now, as I crash through cloud after cloud, I can feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. I am still frostbitten and numb.

I'm facing toward the earth, a bird without wings. I cannot fly. I cannot hover. Gliding on the wind is impossible for me, and like a brick, my journey toward the ground below is a swift one that I know will end in death. My eyes are dry as the wind seeks to tear them out. And as I continue to fall with ever-increasing speed, I break free of the clouds at last and my vision is unhindered; the wool is pulled away.

I can see it now. I finally see it.

The ground.

It's getting closer.

With my eyes wide open, I can see the desolate world below, and I know that's where I'll be soon. I'll crash into the earth below like a meteor, bursting into fragments like a vase crafted from the most brittle glass. That's just how I am—frail.

I never could've guessed the end would come so soon, but here I am, falling faster as my death gets nearer. Just moments ago, I was safe within the clouds. I had no idea when the ground would appear or where I would land. And for the longest time before that, I wasn't sure there would be a ground at all.

But here I am.

There it is.

I'm gaining speed and getting warmer, so much so that I can feel the frostbite starting fade. The color in my skin is beginning to return. My interior is no longer frozen solid.

The ground is getting closer; the end is nigh.

My fingertips—I can feel them. And my lips, I can tell they're very chapped. After all this time, I can feel the wind around me, and as I look far into the distance, I notice the sun. It's shining bright over an abandoned planet, spreading rays of gold onto a realm that would otherwise by insufferably dark, and for the first time in a decade, I feel...alive. The fear of falling has left me entirely like a man whose phobias suddenly vanished, yet, regardless of how I'm feeling now, I'm afraid it's too late. The end is so close, knocking on the door. I can hear it breathing. And for me, sadly, there's no way I can survive this.

With all my emotions intact, I wince my eyes and clench my teeth.

The ground isn't far now.

I say a silent prayer, hoping I can somehow make it out of this, but I'm moving too fast, falling too hard. I'm going to die.

A few seconds left.

Is there anyway I can go back? Can I stay in the clouds? Can I hide from this? Then again...am I sure I want to? Life has been a living hell, and maybe it's best for things to end. Maybe going out with a bang is the right way to go. Yes, I think I should accept it. I should embrace the end instead of running away.

My skin tingles as the ground takes over my view.

Finally, I must say goodbye.

And like a nuclear bomb, I crash into the desolate world with a massive eruption, forming a crater in the ground for sure, but when moments pass, when I truly believe that death has claimed me, I wake up.

Flat on my back, I open my eyes to a crystal blue sky.

I feel a soothing spring breeze and hear the gurgles of a nearby stream.

I sit up.

Somehow, to my utter disbelief, I am in a meadow heavy-laden with wildflowers. They sway in waves as the wind rolls through, and their petals are every color on the sun. The air is sweet like honey, and instead of roaring gales, I hear a flock of birds cawing overhead, as well as a few buzzing bees going about the flowers. What is this place? How did I get here? Where is 'here'? As I stagger to my feet and gaze out, I see a wider world in the distance with mountains, valleys, rivers, and seas, and with my mouth agape, I'm forced to ask myself: