Plunge

The water roars thunderously. A sea of dark green-blue, continuously cascading into the earth. A beast, cutting its way through jagged rocks and stones, leaving their remains behind. As the water reaches the earth, it leaves behind a trail of white foam, bubbling, spitting, hissing. Some say the waterfall is beautiful, but the girl knows better. She alone can see the dangers below.

“Why don’t you join the teen ballet class?” My mom asks, sitting down beside me on the queen bed in the guest bedroom.

“I don’t know.” I mumble.

She smiles. “There’s no harm in trying.”

No harm? I think there is a lot of harm that could happen. I don’t even know how to do ballet. I would be in a class of people that have been doing this for years, and I would just make a fool of myself. I don’t want to do it if I’m just going to be sloppy and strand out. There’s no point.

I don’t answer, but she can tell what I think. She wraps an arm around me and I learn into her.

“Do you still want to do ballet?”

“Yes,” I reply, “It looks like so much fun, but…”

My mother sighs.

"Hunny, you won’t ever regret doing something. You will only regret not trying it when you had the chance.”

I seriously disagree. “I’m pretty sure I will regret joining that class.”

She shakes her head. “Honestly, when you’re older, you will look back and wish you had done a lot of things. It will be worth it in the long run.”

“Eh, I don’t want to.” I mumble. I stand up abruptly.

She sighs.

“Alright. Just think about it.”

“Maybe.” I reply, without actually meaning it.

Toasty warm. A fire burns playfully in the hearth, crinkling, casting out light that fills every corner and crevice of the smooth stone cave. Outside, the crescendo of the waterfall, but inside, she is safe. Warm.

“Stacey, you’re up next.”

My thoughts feel like they are treading through thick gel. The eyes of my classmates turn to look at me, one pair, two pairs, five pairs, fifteen.

“Um, I don’t really want to go anymore.” I mumble quietly. Why did I sign up for the talent show? Why would I do this to myself?

“Come on Stacey, you can do it!” Liz says, coaxing me with her smile. My friends chorus their encouragements, and my heart lifts a little out of my stomach.

My teacher gives me a smile, but I can tell she doesn’t want to deal with this right now. My body protests as I get up on wobbly knees, one foot over the other, leading the eyes of my classmates to the corner of the music room, where the piano lies, black and chipped from use.

And all too soon, I am sitting on the small padded bench, with my fingers hovering a millimeter above the black and white keys.

I brace myself, my entire body tense, alert, alive. I take a deep breath, trying in vain to slow my racing pulse.

I plunge.

Frozen. Ice-cold water, rushing over her head. A force of immense power, pushing her body to the ground. Every cell of her being, awake, for the first time in a long, long while.

And in an instant, it is over, and she stands, soaked to the skin, teeth chattering, on the other side of the waterfall. Below the stone ledge, the water crashes into the earth. She tries not to look, because the heights make her dizzy, unstable. Rubbing the water from her eyes, the girl looks at the world, curious, yet apprehensive. She doesn't quite remember what it looks like.

A colourful mosaic of trees and hills, red, orange, green, brown. A factory in the distance, smoke swelling steadily into the huge sky. Creeping weeds, a chilly breeze, and something that rustles in the bushes. The girl takes a shaky breath, but she knows now that she is ready. Ready to take that step forwards.