Believer's Leap

Michael walked to the rocky precipice. More than once, he'd seen Morgan fling himself off into the void below, often in an achingly beautiful diving arc. The roar of the waterfall echoed up from below. When he actually approached the edge, he lowered to his hands and knees and edged forward. Looking down, he realized that even Morgan wouldn't survive such a fall, but he usually did it when he felt 'life overflowing' in him.

“Go ahead, try it,” Valerie said.

Michael looked at her. “You're crazy.”

“I wondered myself, until I tried it.”

“You have the advantage of being able to fly if it doesn't work.”

“But I didn't need to.”

“I'm adept to the earth. I don't think I'm jumping.”

“Do it. If you fail, I can save you. Besides, Morgan can't fly, either.”

Michael stood unsteadily. Before he could say no, Valerie backed up and, shoulder forward, rammed him over the promontory. A moment of panic was followed by the incredible discovery of a strong updraft that pushed him into the incredible arc he'd witnessed. Valerie did a running jump and followed afterward, then carved around, grabbed Michael's wrist in a sharp dive and surfed the current in a gentle downward spiral that ended in a deep lake at the bottom. Coughing up water while he surfaced, the exhilaration was still with him as they scrambled up a steep muddy bank. Valerie slicked her hair back, laughing gloriously.

She gasped, “I'll bet the first time Morgan jumped, he was despondent. But every time after, he did it for the sheer life-affirming joy.”