A Jump Too Far

The whir of the helicopter blades was deafening. It was nothing compared to the pounding of Graham’s heart. The turmoil inside his head hardly helped.

Graham stood aboard the helicopter, the parachute get-up tight around his rotund body. He knew he should feel happier. A charity skydive was something he had never felt able to face. Yet here he was, facing his fear. It struck him as being ironic that what should have been the proudest moment of his life was drained of any sense of pride by the circumstances leading up to it.

The reason for Graham’s anguish was also his reason for being on the helicopter in the first place. On his finger was a ring, the provider of which had broken his heart with her mere memory, daily for the past month. It was Katie’s ring, the only woman he had ever loved in all his life. Throughout their years together since school, she raised his spirits.

“You were bullied by the captain of the football team,” she had told him many times, “but don’t be afraid. That doesn’t need to define you. You can move past it. You can be brave…”

That led to the skydive. This could prove Graham’s bravery, along with raising some urgently needed funds towards Cancer Research UK- the charity which helped his late mother live out her days and die with a sense of dignity. Then came that fateful conversation which brought his happiness screeching to a halt like a speeding car before a red traffic light.

“There’s someone else.”

Tony. The thug behind Graham’s misery, who had bullied him relentlessly throughout their time at school. Now he was Katie’s new partner. How could this have happened?

“Alright, Chubby!”

That rasping voice, burning into his soul, made him jump. Stood beside Graham, wearing sky-dive gear over his six foot tall, athletic body, was Tony.

“Katie said you’d be here,” Tony leered. “Did you think you could impress her? Hah- as if a fat little creature like you could have any chance of impressing anyone, let alone the hottest girl in school.”

As Graham opened his mouth to retort, Tony gave a bark of laughter. “Anyway, you’re too late to impress Katie. She chose me.”

Tony laughed loudly as the helicopter door opened. Graham grimaced, suddenly feeling nauseous. Both men strapped to an expert each and stood by the door. Graham saw the ground, miles away. The view covered roughly half a dozen fields and the edge of the nearby village. The scale of it made Graham feel dizzy.

“You can be brave…”

Katie’s words echoed in Graham’s head. “I can be brave,” he murmured, barely audible over the noise of the helicopter.

Tony cackled again, his guffaws synching with the beats of the helicopter blades. “Nobody cares, Fatso! Katie certainly doesn’t. She never will, and neither will anyone else. You’re just a nobody and a loser.”

Graham felt his guts churn into a tight knot. He had always wanted to prove his bravery. But now, Katie was no longer a part of his life. Now, he could hardly see the point.

“So long, Chubby,” taunted Tony, ducking out of the helicopter with his expert, beginning his dive.

Graham’s head continued to spin, almost as fast as the helicopter blades. The ground beckoned. Falling forwards, Graham decided that he only had one choice and one hope of escaping his turmoil.

“Release the catch,” his expert commanded from behind him.

Graham ignored the instruction.

As he plummeted towards the ground, the waiting crowd screamed, but it was still not as loud as the soon-to-be-ended agony in his heart.