He stood on the edge and breathed. His eyes closed, he felt the wind against his cheeks, the cement under his feet, and the emptiness in front of him, pulling at him like an eager lover.
He heard the screeches of tiers, the laughter of children, and the honk of horns. The city throbbed around, a living, pulsing organism.
Whispers and shouts rose up from below. People were watching him.
They were waiting for him to fall.
His heard pounded in his chest. It had to be now, before someone came up to stop him. Before he lost his courage.
A thought rushed through his mind – Flying is just throwing yourself at the ground and missing. He smiled.
And stepped out into nothing.
He felt the wind against his cheeks, the air under his feet, and the emptiness around him.
He opened his eyes and laughed.
He was flying.
Word Count: 149
This is for Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. Thanks to Priceless Joy for running the challenge and Grant-Sud for providing the prompt photo!
Living Authors' Society 
That was a neat ending. Life after death, or flying before the final fall?
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Thank you!
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I loved the mix of emotions you weaved here, the euphoria from flying, the fear of death and everything in between. I’m in awe of how you managed to capture them all in your story!
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Thank you!
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Lovely – an example how a morbid piece can also be written positively.
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Thank you!
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Very clever and well written. I really like the ambiguous ending.
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Thank you!
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Interesting piece. I too it as though he was jumping to his death, but it seemed a positive event for him. Great descriptions.
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Thank you!
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Very powerful piece here, well done! I think it’s important to think about the relief some people believe they’ll feel as they end their lives… I tried to emulate that in my own story, although I didn’t manage it in even nearly as an effective way as you have here! 🙂
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Thank you!
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There’s actually a poem very much like this where person is standing on the edge being coaxed to jump, but instead of falling, the person flies.
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Hmm. I didn’t know that – or if I did, I’ve forgotten. Thanks for letting me know!
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Wonderful story JA! Very intense and I loved the ending! My story is somewhat similar. Well done!
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Thank you!
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I like the definition of flying! If I could fly, I would be thinking about it before my first flight.
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Thank you!
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That’s a little disturbing. I like to think the Firemen were down below with the net encouraging him to jump before the flames got too close. Turning it into jumping for survival.
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Perhaps. I was intentionally leaving it open to interpretation, so your take could fit. Thanks for commenting!
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Hope he was not on hallucinogens. Great writeup though. Cheers, Varad
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Thank you!
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Yes I took the ending as ambiguous, but I suspect overall it is relief that he feels.
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The ambiguity is intentional. It’s interesting to see how everyone reads it.
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Thanks for commenting!
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Anyone who chooses to be guided by Douglas Adams has a head start on a magical outcome. Nicely done!
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Thank you! What better guide is there?
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Good point!
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Very nice, I enjoyed reading the story
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Thank you!
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