The Leap of Faith - By Robbie Hale, Room 22

The Leap of Faith

A gentle breeze blew around me as I stood high above the water. The sun rested effortlessly at the top of the sky like a golden sloth. Inflatables floated lazily around me like pyramids in a sandy sea. The wind was cool and light like a refreshing drink. But despite all this I was cloaked in shadow, swallowed up entirely by fear.

My stomach flipped as I stared down the seemingly bottomless abyss. The water jeered at me, chasing all my courage away. It felt like someone had pulled out a plug within me that drained everything that held me together into nothing. I took a step forward and my legs collapsed under me. My hands clutched the barrier like a lifeline, they felt glued to it like they would never let go. It felt like I should curl up into a little ball and cry when suddenly an idea jolted into my head like a bolt of lightning. “Why should I suffer all this fear if I don't actually commit to the thing that caused it?” With only that thought in my head, I jumped…

I was a cannon ball rushing towards the waves at a million miles an hour. My head spun and my body was skin and bones, but inside that crusty husk a flicker of excitement burned. That flicker turned into a blaze as I was swallowed up by excitement inside and out. Suddenly I was in the lake. Its cool and relaxing waters were washing all my fears away. As I surfaced the gentle breeze whispered words of congratulation in my ears, and I smiled from ear to ear.