Never Forever

Number 3. The Death Of Me

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I yell over the sound of the air rushing past us. We were just about to jump out of a plane 14,000 ft up in the air, and I was packed with adrenaline. Cassie told me that she has never done anything this stupid, but I guess she was willing to do it with me. At the moment, she was shaking. From adrenaline or fear, I had no idea.

"As ready as I'll ever be!" She yells back. I grin. This is going to be beautiful. The guide was strapped to her back since this is her first time and I am solo. Seven other people stood around us ready to have the thrill of their lives.

The guide nodded and one after the other, we all leaped. Free falling for 60 seconds before we were to deploy the parachute. At the exact time, everyone pulled their chutes-but I did not. I continued to plummet towards earth at 115 mph.

The plan was simple. Go skydiving with my 'friend'. Parachute surprisingly doesn't work. I hit the ground and supposedly die. Body nowhere to be found. Cassie thinks I'm dead. Poof! My life is back to normal.

I make a show of yanking on the cord and go into a spinning frenzy, spiraling off course and towards the trees. I thought a heard Cassie scream but my mind might just be playing games with me. I knew for a fact that she would sob over my death even though we only knew each other for a couple days. As I neared the ground at a terrifying speed, I started having second thoughts because for One, it would really hurt, and two, I just might need a friend like her. The bubbly attitude and willingness to be friends with a grump. I suddenly jerked the cord properly but I was too late, being only twenty feet above the trees, which didn't help much. The trees helped break my fall-and a few of my limbs. The parachute caught on the branches making me stop abruptly. The sheet tore and I fell the rest of the eight feet to the ground with a thud. Not too bad, I guess.

By the time the others had managed to get to my 'death sight', I had managed to collapse behind a rock and a couple bushes a hundred feet away. Sure I can heal fast, but my body is exhausted afterwards. And Cassie was crying. I couldn't help feeling a little guilty at my actions and I almost jumped up and called over I was okay, but I didn't. They would wonder why I didn't have a broken bone-or even a scrape from the fall. They'd also wonder why I was nowhere to be seen. The only thing my body left behind was a little blood where I had cut myself while falling through the branches. So shrugging it off, I scooted away. 

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I was staring myself in the mirror. Brown eyes,  long brown hair with lighter streaks in it from the sun, gently arched eyebrows, oval face, sun kissed skin, almond shaped eyes, slightly turned up nose. Was I pretty? Definitely not ugly.... I sigh sadly. I don't know why I'm being like this. I have more confidence than a rooster for pity's sake.

I give the mirror a hard look before turning away and walking out my bedroom door. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and step up my life little. I should donate to those in need, I should build a house for the homeless, I should climb Mount. Everest, I should buy fancy clothes, I should become the president of the United States! Hold on, stop! That is going a little far. Who cares?! You only live once, right? Haha. Giggling at my own personal lame joke, I slide down the stair railing to the ground. Once there, I do a few fancy kicks at my imaginary opponent. Whistling, I make my way to the kitchen, but at the doorway I suddenly cease whistling and stop. Slowly turning to the left, I see the door to the library open. I blink and stare at it for a moment, racking my brain if I had closed it earlier or not-or have I even been in there today? I cautiously step over to the door and peer in. The silent library stared back. Nothing seemed out of order... I gently close the door and soberly head back to the kitchen.

I have lived for as long as I can remember with this one little fear in the back of my head that one day he, Nick, would find me and finish what he started. It's what kept me from anything that includes a picture of me, like building a house for the homeless, for example. The media would want a photo of the so called hero for the world to see. And I can't have that. I didn't even have an Iphone for those are trackable. Only a home phone.

I lift out the left over chili from yesterday and plop a spoonful into a pan to warm. Then I grabbed lettuce. As I chopped that up,  my mind kept going back to the open door. I never leave a door open. How could the door be open? Maybe I was just tired and forgot. Ya, that sounds reasonable. It suddenly hit me at how quiet it was in the house. It wouldn't be this quiet if I had a friend or even my whole family with me to fill the silence. But there was no one. Not even a cat.  And there never will be. I set the chopping knife down on the island counter and just stood there. Maybe I should just go live in a Hostel. Like that will help. So overcome with loneliness, I hugged myself. I thought I was fine with being alone by now, but I'm not. Stupid womanly hormones. Groaning, I shut the oven off, grabbed a light sweater just in case, wallet, cap, and left the house.

I'll have dinner elsewhere.

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