What I Didn't Know Existed

        I don't know what made me do it.

       Was it the adrenaline in my veins? The looks of it? The feeling of adventure? I don't know exactly how I felt. Angry, happy, insane... All I know is I screwed up.

        I screwed up big time.

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        There I was, standing on the edge of the cliff; the edge of danger. He said he'd catch me. The cliff was maybe forty feet tall. I can't say if I was frightened. All he told me to do was jump.

        So I did.

        The feeling of air rushing past me was phenomenal. My stomach rose to my chest and the skin on my face and arms stretched and wavered. I let out an airy hoot of adrenaline. It was like a dream; like I was in a trance.

        Next thing I know I was hitting the ground with a force so strong I couldn't move. I heard my name being called from a distance before a calm darkness covered me.

Bright lights surround me. The quiet noise of a machine beeping fills my head. White sheets and clear tubes ensnare my body and face. An overly sanitary smell makes me crinkle my nose, stirring up commotion somewhere in the room.

        "She's awake," I hear a male voice whisper. "Don't go near her just yet, ma'am. We don't know how stable she is."

        A woman's whimper comes from the left side of the bed. I feel a slight breeze from the person breathing right next to me.

        "Will Rima be okay?" The woman's voice quavers with exhaustion; like she had stayed up all night working on some job project.

        "We don't know quite yet. She fell pretty hard. Her legs are broken - maybe paralyzed - the left side of her chest is shattered. It's a miracle her heart is in a mid-healthy state. Her head was cracked oped above her eyebrow as well. There's nothing we can do but watch. Rima? Can you hear me? Nod or move something for me." The man's tone annoyed me.

        I ignore his words and act like I'm sleeping. He's making me sound hopeless. Like I'm capable of getting better. His words were forced; not his own. Probably rehearsed every morning before work. But what are they saying? Broken legs, cracked head, shattered chest? What happened to me? Why am I here? Then it all came back to me.

        Him. An ache started to fill my head and once again, all I see is darkness.