Sturniolo Triplets - One Shots/Short Stories

Broken Parachute - M (short)

Warnings: Panic, Falling

The brothers go skydiving but Matt gets a faulty parachute

Skydiving was supposed to be an exhilarating adventure, a testament to their youth and spirit for adventure and trying new things. After all the mandatory training and the few jumps they had taken tethered to their instructor over the past couple of weeks, it was finally the day Nick, Chris, and Matt would experience the skies on their own. The sun painted a beautiful golden hue across the sky, giving them the perfect setting for their jump.

It was truly magical, they all privately expected this experience to change them a bit, to allow them to grow.

"Just remember what we learned, okay?" Nick, the more responsible one, remarked, glancing over at his (mostly mentally) younger siblings. "Safety first."

Chris just rolled his eyes. "I've been waiting for this for ages. No way am I forgetting any of the rules now."

Nick rolled his eyes right back, while Matt just watched them with a slight smile, "Come on guys, we've got this."

In the hangar, their instructor gathered them for one last briefing. "Alright, remember, check your equipment before jumping, maintain communication, and stick to the plan. Any questions?"

"Nope, all clear" the three replied in unison.

As the plane ascended, the anticipation built. Matt won their game of rock-paper-scissors, allowing him to jump first. Normally he wouldn't care, or would even gladly offer this spot to either of the others, but this time he needed to be first. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but the truth was that he was so anxious about anything going wrong that he was scared he'd chicken out and disappoint his brothers (and himself) if he didn't go first.

Standing at the edge, he took one deep breath, gave a thumbs-up to his brothers, alright I got this, and then leapt.

But in the split second as Matt took the plunge, Mr. Daniels noticed the dreadful mistake. "No! Wait! That's the wrong parachute!" he exclaimed, his face paling, eyes widened in terror.

Chris and Nick's heads turned to look at him so fast it was a miracle their necks didn't snap. They looked at the instructor, who was in charge or their equipment and safety, with wide eyes, then exchanged horrified glances, the weight of what just transpired sinking in. Their brother was in free fall with a defective parachute.

Nick's chest started burning from the intensity of his desperate anger. "How could you let this happen?! You useless piece of shit, I-"

"We don't have time for this Nick! We need to go after him", Chris also felt physically ill, his whole body tingling from the overwhelming panic, but he couldn't waste any more time.

Nick nodded, battling the torrent of emotions threatening to engulf him. They needed to jump now, before Matt was too far ahead of them, they didn't even have time to think about what they'd do after they reach him.

Without hesitation, both brothers jumped out, focusing on the distant figure of Matt below. They knew what was going on, but still, nothing could have prepared them for the actual gut-wrenching horror that came along with watching their brother falling helplessly below them. Wind roaring and adrenaline pumping, they tried to close the gap the best they could.

Matt had already realised the grave danger he was in. Trying desperately to open his parachute, he felt an overwhelming surge of fear and dread washed over him as it refused to deploy no matter how much he tried. 

He shouted, the deafening wind snatching his words away, "It's not opening!" The sheer terror in his expression would haunt the others' nightmare for weeks.

Hearing his brother's desperate cries, Chris yelled back, struggling against the wind, "Hold on, Matt! We're coming!"

Nick and Chris maneuverered closer, the ground racing towards them. The precious seconds felt like an eternity.

Nick was slightly ahead, reaching out, "Just a bit more, Matt! Grab on!" The distance between them seemed both infinite and negligible at the same time. They were so close, when the wind pulled them apart once more. "Fuck, no!", Nick yelled, his dread and frustration worsening.

"Chris! We've got to get him!" Nick yelled, his voice raw with emotion.

Chris, maneuvering his body, tried reaching out to Matt, "I'm trying, Nick! I'm trying!"

As they descended rapidly, trying to get closer to Matt, the world blurred around them. The once peaceful scenery transformed into a terrifying mix of blue, yellow, brown and green. Matt has since given up on trying to open his useless parachute and focused all his energy on reaching either of the others.

"Come on!" Chris shouted as he managed to get close to Matt. Their fingers brushed once, sending jolts of hope and fear through them, then for the second time, but then on the third, Chris managed to grip Matt's hand firmly. With all the strength he could muster, he pulled Matt close, their bodies slamming together in the free fall. They locked into an embrace, holding onto each other for dear life. Literally.

"I've got you," Chris shouted into Matt's ear, both of their expressions panicked and desperate. "Don't let go!"

Nick, having seen the successful connection, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Open them! NOW!"

Chris, still clutching onto Matt, yanked the cord. The parachute billowed open above them, jerking them upwards momentarily, the force almost tearing Matt from Chris's grasp. But they held on, their descent now more controlled but still rough due to the combined weight.

Luckily they still had some distance and time for the parachutes to do their thing and slow their fall.

»We're close«, Matt yelled, then closed his eyes and buried his face in Chris's neck, holding on even tighter as he mentally prepared for their incoming landing. »Hold your grip!«, Chris yelled back and did the same.

With a thud, they landed, the impact sending shockwaves of pain throughout their bodies. Chris, despite the pain, was the first to move. He crouched next to Matt and pulled him into a crushing embrace, gasping, "I thought...I thought I was going to lose you."

Matt clung to Chris, his voice shaking, "You saved me."

Moments later, Nick landed, rushing over. He checked them over quickly, "You guys okay?", pulling Matt into a tight hug, needing to feel him close.

"We're alive, thanks to Chris. Thanks to both of you. Your quick thinking and action saved me" Matt replied, still shaking.

Nick's face contorted in rage. "I'm going to make sure that instructor pays for this."

Chris nodded, but his attention was on Matt. "Oh he will. But right now... let's just...", he trailed off.

"Yeah", Matt agreed breathlessly.

The brothers sat quietly for a while, holding onto each other tightly, the gravity of the situation sinking in. It would take some time to process everything that happened today, how close they came to actually losing Matt.

They were still overwhelmed, confused, scared and now also clingy, they have a long road full of lawsuits and therapy ahead of them, but at the end of the day, all three of them returned home, and that's all that matters.