"Jump Jump Jump"

"I can't believe you have never cliff jumped before, it's a thrill man!" Liam was always the adventurous between him and Adam. They had planned a coastal trip with a few of their other friends, a guys weekend away, the testosterone rampant as their jeep cruised along the steep coastal cliffs.

"Guess I'm a chicken shit, throwing myself off a cliff doesn't sound like a good time to me," Adam laughed as they approached the 4 bedroom beach house they rented.

"We'll get you to do it, plus there hasn't been deaths in years, we got your back man." Liam stalled the jeep and jumped out, Adam doing the same, both reaching for their bags in the back.

"Ah, there they are!" Jimmy, always the party animal of the group of five tossed a beer at each of the men as they walked up the drive.

"Hey man where are Tim and Jerrod?" Adam wondered where the other car was, he didn't really expect anyone to beat him and Liam, he thought they were making good time.

"Oh they had to run into town for some ice and a some munchies. You know me, I gotta take a piss and chug a beer as soon as we land." Jimmy, popped another can and sat on the porch, "go drop your shit and come back down."

Tim and Jerrod showed up about 30 minutes later, the other trio on the porch drinking and listening to some music.

"Man it's nice to get together eh? Been awhile, we're all too busy." Adam was glad he could finally have a guys weekend, work had been stressful and getting away was exactly what he needed. The first night was pretty routine for the five of them; drinking, music, and catching up. No kids, no wives, or girlfriends, just 5 guys hanging out.

"Dude we gotta pop Adam's cherry on this one, I can't believe we haven't done this before," Liam was more excited for Adam's potential jump than he was for his own.

"Don't worry man, I'm pretty stoked for it actually. I talked to Tim a bit and he said it's so freeing, just to let all that shit at home go and take flight." Adam nodded thinking about the fun they would have tomorrow down on the coast.

"Alright, you see that hole there? That's where we jump." Liam was showing the group where and how to jump into this one. Only he had jumped this one before, while the others were experienced it was a new jump for most of them.

"We better do this while I got the balls for it." Adam was ready, he watched a couple from another group jump and it only heightened his excitement for his own jump. He didn't waste another minute, with Liam's directions he ran everything through his head and took his first leap of faith, through the hole, he heard his friends hollering as he hit the swell of ocean and plunged below the surface.

Adam felt a hand on his shoulder, as he resurfaced, a little disoriented.

"Hey man that was epic, how do you feel?" Adam didn't recognize this man, he must've been from a previous jump.

"Dude that was awesome, my friends should be coming down in a sec, we should swim out of the way."

"Yeah I had to come check on you, I felt like you were under for a bit so I swam out here to make sure you were alright." The stranger eyed him carefully, taking in his features.

"Yeah yeah I'm good," Adam started swimming towards the coastline to make way for other jumpers. He felt the other guy swimming close behind as his feet finally touched the shore. "Oh man I bet my friends chickened out," Adam laughed, he felt good, his adrenaline was spiked, this was the biggest thrill he'd had in awhile.

"Yeah a lot of people do, I've seen a lot of people come to this spot. Oh, the name is Felix, sorry I didn't mean to spook you out there." Felix held out his hand for Adam to shake.

"Hey man I'm Adam, how do we get back up? I should let them know I'm alright." Adam scouted the beach, catching a few groups of people hanging out post jump.

"You have to walk around that bend down there a bit and back around, sit and take a load off." Felix was relaxed, as he plopped down in the sand. "You feel alright?"

"Yeah, my head kinda hurts, maybe the rush ya know?" Adam sat next to the new guy as they waited for more jumpers but none came. "For as popular as this spot is I'm surprised I don't see more jumpers coming to shore, my buddy told me this was a good one, it was actually my first jump. Felt pretty good doing this one."

"Ah, there is nothing like that first jump eh?" Felix watched Adam's features as he got super excited as he recalled diving off the cliff. "Well hopefully there will be more jumps in the future."

Adam looked around again, thinking he might have missed his friends jump, the beach still had the same people that were there when he first came to shore. Time seemed to be moving quickly, the tide started to come in as he stared off into the ocean, his head started hurting more than before, he turned and looked up the cliff edge hoping to catch a glimpse of somebody.

"You know walking to the jump spot there were so many people walking along the cliffs edge, but I don't see anyone now." Adam's head really started to hurt as he tried to focus on the ledge above, still hoping to catch a glimpse.

Felix was quiet as he stared out into the ocean just watching the waves come to the shore, soon to be lapping at their feet.

"Don't worry about them, they'll be fine," Felix continued to stare off into the ocean as he spoke. Adam turned and watched the new guy as he became very passive and non-responsive with his concerns.

"Oh wait, I think I see them up there..." Adam tried to get his attention.

"There's nobody there Adam, I've seen guys like you and your buddies, hell I was one of them, you do this all too often. Cocky bastards, always ready for an adventure, you drink too much, think you're cool, and you do stupid shit."

"Who the F---" Adam was getting aggressive now, frustrated that Felix didn't want to help him find his friends. He was doing everything except help him in any way possible.

"You died man, you didn't make your jump, you didn't wait for enough swell and you hit rock bottom...why do you think your head hurts?" Felix turned his body in the sand, deadpanning him. "Look it happens--happened to all of us," his arms gestured the others littered across the beach who stared his direction for the first time since he emerged from the water.

Adam collapsed into the sand, confused, his head pounding more than ever. Dead? I can't be dead, that--

"I know it's a lot to take in," Felix shrugged and tried to offer his new friend some comfort, "we wait for the next one, we try to help them I guess, calm them down, keep 'em relaxed," he took a deep breath tried to relax his own features, there was no sense in arguing in the afterlife. "In the meantime we just watch the sunrise and sunset everyday, it's the same thing everyday."

"You literally sit here and wait for people to die?!" Adam screamed, not really feeling the comfort he was supposed to be feeling. "I had a job and a girlfriend--" his eyes welled with tears, unsure how to process all the new information.

"I told you, everyone will be fine, they always are," his passive attitude as the newest beach mate made himself known.

"How do you even know? Huh! How do you know if we can't talk with them?" Adam screamed trying to make sense of the information. He rose from his spot and started running, away from Felix and his nonchalant attitude, towards the bend, towards the area that Felix told him to go to get back to the ledge but it was an endless pursuit, there was no path. No way off the beach.

"No." Disbelief crossed his features as he stared at the spot where the path should have been.

"It's gone..." a young woman, no more than 16 years of age approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "everyone's story is different you know, everyone has a reason they jump..." she turned away from Adam as she caught his attention, her feet making their way closer to the ocean, "I was 16--am 16, my family came here on a trip in 1999, just a getaway you know?" She huffed out a small laugh, remembering the excitement her family had for the trip.

"1999?" Adam forgot his own problems as he listened to the young woman. "I'm sorry, I--" she interrupted him continuing her story.

"We all have different stories and different timelines, we just make the best of it. It wasn't my first jump, my family loved it, we had done all sorts of different ones. I'd been jumping since I was 14, I don't know why my parents weren't more worried about the dangers," the sun was starting to set as she turned her gaze once again to the ocean, "I just wish I could grow up ya know?" Adam didn't know how to react, he felt bad for the young woman, he had started living his life, he was in his prime and she didn't even get a chance.

"When sundown comes we all just sit and wait for it," she nodded her head towards the setting sun, "we disappear, I don't know where we go, we just go, only to come back again the next day." She shrugged, brushing her sandy hair off her shoulders as she sat in the sand. "Just like the swells of the sea, or the tide that comes and goes, just go with the flow, it'll help you adjust."

"So what's going to happen when the sun goes down?" Adam sat next to her, as he too stared off over the water watching the suns reflection meet water.

"That's your story, I don't have an answer, just remember to go with the flow."