Vacation Blues

Chapter 20- On Top Of The World

Forget being fearless.

The first thirty seconds were absolutely terrifying. I kept on fearing the fact that I would move a muscle and then slip out of the harnesses and fall down the canyon and die.

But after a few more seconds when no such thing happened, I relaxed and began to enjoy the ride. The wind roared so loudly in my ears that I couldn't even hear my drummer heart, which was a rare feat.

The adrenaline had my body on fire. I screamed as I flew down. Now I knew why people said zip-lining felt like flying.

My hair flew behind me and tickled the back of my neck. The few parts of my clothes that weren't stuck to me because of the harnesses fluttered uncontrollably.

Whatever Cameron had said made sense. It did feel good to have the cold winds beating on my face. The wind stung like icy needles but surprisingly it was a good feeling. I enjoyed every bit of it till I stopped inside the building on the other side.

The supervisors there released me from my harnesses, asked me if I was okay and on my affirmative reply, shot a thumbs-up sign to the building I'd come from.

I was a bit dazed after I set foot down on ground again. Those few minutes flying across the canyon had really brightened me up. I felt like a bottle of champagne, waiting for the cork to pop off. I looked across the canyon I'd just crossed.

In the river below I spotted three boats in the rapids. On the canyon walls, I spotted some guys rappelling too. It took me back to the time I'd done those two activities. That seemed like centuries ago.

Then I looked up at the building, from which, right now, Sean was shooting out. I smiled broadly as he shouted as he zip-lined.

The ghosts of the winds still lingered on my skin. The noises the winds made still resounded in my ears. More than anything, the zip-lining had made me feel alive. It had made me feel aware of every cell in my body. I felt so good. I felt on fire. I felt like I could take anything down. I felt on the top of the world.

"Hey Skye!" Sean greeted me as he came and stood next to me.

"Hey." I replied.

He slung an arm around my shoulders and I leaned into him.

"Who do you think would be next?" He asked.

"Hayley." I replied. I was surprised she wasn't already here.

"Nah, she said she's going last. Though I don't think Cameron would let her go last. He always goes last."

"Cedric then?"

"Probably. No wait, its that other dude with us. The bloke with the sleeve tattoos."

"You can see that far?"

"Yeah. Its not crystal clear. But I can make out the inked arms. Can't you?"

"Nope. They are just incoherent blobs to me."

"Oh, okay. So did you like the zip-lining? Your first time, right?"

"Yup. It was awesome! It made me feel so...alive!"

"You went first on your first time? Don't see that often. Even though I have zip-lined a lot of times, I still never have the balls to go first."

"You want a reassurance that all the harnesses are in order, huh?"

"That makes me sound so dorky. But kinda yeah. It's just a paranoia."

"I figured."

The other guy had reached too. He whooped as the supervisors removed his harnesses.