My First Jump – A short Story
The wind was painful against my face, the skin being pulled back from my face, skull emobossed against it. My instructors (Jake and Ryan) were falling with me, to keep me “safe.” Jake tapped my shoulder, the signal that I should pull my chute. I grabbed the rip cord, and pulled it with all the force I could…this was a mistake. I had been instructed before to just give it a gentle tug…the cord snapped off. My parachute had failed. This is when the panic kicked in. All the training I had received, gone. My mind drew a complete blank. I was looking around desperately at Jake and Ryan, while the earth was hurtling towards us rapidly. Ryan tilted himself forward, causing his whole body to move forwards in the air, moving towards me.
He pulled a cord on my parachute, so as to activate the emergency chute, something which had not been explained to me, as they didn’t see the point, it usually works…The emergency chute failed. Nothing appeared. This was when my heart was in my throat, no parachute, freefalling, I was dead. At that moment in time, I couldn’t understand why Ryan then decided to grasp on to me, coiling his body around mine, like a koala gripping a tree, until he pulled his cord, deploying his parachute, causing us to fall much slower, all of this happened in an instant. We were, however, still at a dangerous height, the only thing that was keeping me from falling to my death was the grip of Ryan, and the strain could be felt, and the grunts of pain, as he put everything he could in to holding me up.
The land site was no longer a priority, it was more landing in general. We were getting closer and closer to the ground, but I could feel myself slipping…I managed to rotate while in mid air, and hold on to Ryan, allowing him to let go of me, and all of the pressure was now on me. At around 10 foot, I lost grip of ryan, and fell to the concrete ground below. This broke my ankle, and sprained my knee, but at this point I was just glad to be alive…
This experience was really a massive reality check for me, it’s made me realize that not everything goes to plan all the time, no matter how much it needs to. It has also made me really appreciate life, and every moment of it. As they say, “five minutes of life, is life.” Another experience, which is totally different from this one, but had the same impact on me as a person, is this…
My vision was blurred…nurses shouting…something about an “antidote.” I couldn’t remember anything that had happened. Panic struck me. I had no idea what was going on, and was too weak to express this, but it was obviously serious. What was a “Chinese Bird Spider”…? I was on holiday in China, that much I knew…My eyes were getting heavier…
…”he’s coming around…” The sun was shining, dazzling, in my eyes, it was difficult to see, I could however, ask what had happened. I had been bitted by a “Chinese Bird Spider.” One of the most venemous and dangerous spiders on earth. If my mum hadn’t recognised it instantly, and taken me to the hopsital. I would have died. No doubt. The pain in my neck was definitely present, but dull and numb, it must have only just been in time.
This event has also made me really appreciate life, and how amazing it is. I now realise that I took everything I had for granted. Fear, I feel, is the ultimate form, of humanising someone, making them realise what life is truly about, and how to live it.
