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My sudden burst of confidence was short lived as I continued to bounce on the trampoline. The more I jumped the more doubtful I became.
But, from the entertained crowd Ginger had previously attracted, it seemed too late to submit to my fears.
Instead, on the final bounce, I tucked myself into a tight ball position, flipped twice in the air, and then released.
As was later stated by Ginger, my execution was almost flawless---except I forgot one important thing. To travel.
As I opened, prepared to feel the foam cubes around me, I felt the hard edge of the trampoline strike the center of my stomach.
So basically, I did a bellyflop onto the side of the trampoline. So the only thing that touched the foam pit was my exasperated and bewildered face.
Immediately after my landing, I heard gasps erupted from the audience; followed shortly after by Ginger saying something to me. But I couldn't remember what.
Right before my landing I'd heard a pop but didn't know exactly what it was.
However, something that I was positive of was the intense aching in my stomach, and an unanticipated pain crawling up my leg.
People had joined Ginger by my side, but they were all strangers to me. All I could do was lie down, sprawled onto the trampoline, like a still corpse. That's the only thing I wanted to do at that moment.
"Angie! Angie!" I heard Ginger's shrill voice echo in my ear.
I groaned and rolled over, breathing heavily. Every inhale felt like one hundred needles stabbing me from inside my stomach.
"Are you all right?" she asked me, gently shaking my shoulders.
"I'm still alive," I said through gritted teeth, as an overpowering torment surged through my right leg.
A strange, female voice beside me asked, "Do you need a paramedic?"
The mere idea of drawing, even more, attention to myself nearly made me burst into tears. Not only had I embarrassed myself, yet again, but I also physically injured myself in front of an audience.
My life was great.
With another groan, I shook my head and sighed.
"C'mon," another stranger's voice said; "let's move her off the trampoline."
After that, I heard a distant voice asking for people to assist me. As volunteers stepped forward onto the trampoline, the only thing I could picture was my stupidity.
I imagined everyone in the buildings eyes staring at me, peering with harsh judgment, as I approached the apparatus. Then, as I failed, they all stifled their laughter, entertained by my fail.
