Kingdom Gone

LEAP OF FAITH

"Move it people, hot soup comin' through!" Jason yelled as they sprinted down another car.

Circe saw the fear in the passenger's' eyes at the sight of Jason's handgun. The same gun that killed two men just minutes before. She knew that their deaths should've rattled her more, but for the moment she's blaming the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

Circe had no choice but to put her faith in the smuggler. Even with her power, she knew she wouldn't last long on her own. Being kept isolated from the world for most of her life handicapped her in this kind of stuff, the real world. Hopefully Jason knew what he's doing.

When they opened the door at the end of car, Circe's flinched at the sudden gust of wind that hit her. They had reached the end of the HoloTram, nothing but a small balcony with a few chairs screwed to the floor. Jason shut the door behind them and walked to the railing.

"You ready?" He asked.

"To grow wings and fly away?"

His laugh was rich and wholehearted. "I was kinda worried you be reserved and stoic this whole trip, but sarcasm will do. But no seriously, I'm going to throw you off this train. Prepare your body."

"Wha-"

His arm wrapped around Circe's waist before she could get a word out. She felt Jason's strength, just one arm enough to lift her off her feet. Circe knew she couldn't escape.

"I'm paying you to keep me alive, not kill me!"

"Don't worry, there's actually a trick to jumping off high places."

She looked up at him. "Which is what?"

"Close your eyes and hope there's something soft beneath you!"

Before she could respond, Jason barreled across the balcony with Circe under his arm. He stepped on a chair and jumped to the railing, the power of his leap plus his momentum launching them far out into the night.

Time seemed to slow down, nothing but open air surrounding them. For a brief moment, Circe felt like she's drifting in a void, darkness above and below, nothing around but Jason's body pressed against her. She ignored the fact that his hand was hiking up her shirt and stared at the dark expanse below. Such beauty.

Then, gravity took them.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

"WHOOOOOOOO!"

Circe felt the heat of the HoloTram's thrusters on her back as they fall, her stomach doing flips as the wind howled in her ears. She could sense herself accelerating faster and faster, her eyes closing and only one thought racing through her mind.

Please let there be something soft at-

Her back slapped against the water's surface, the pain equal to getting whipped. Circe's body jerked at the pain and the cold, the water engulfing her, dragging her deeper and deeper underneath.

Despite the sting, she opened her eyes. Yet nothing changed. Darkness surrounded her, all light blocked by the murky water.

In her mind Circe laughed. Ha! Survived the fall, but I'm still going to die. Because there's one fact she realized she should've mentioned to Jason.

She didn't know how to swim.

* * *

"Whoo!" I yelled.

I stumble onto the muddy bank, thanking Sam for making my jacket with water resistant leather. Looking up at the HoloTram disappearing into the night, the jump must've been at least six stories. Not beating my personal record of 9 stories from my time in the Fifth Kingdom, but-