The Jump

The Jump

The expanse stretched a good fifty yards over the chasm; the drop-off was an easy quarter of a mile down. At the bottom of the abyss lay jagged rocks and the Salmon River forever flowing to its next destination.

Joshua Kenner inspected the ramp that extended about twenty yards over the rim of the crevasse and out into the nothing beyond. It was just long enough to launch the car across the chasm to the other side. The tricky part was that the car had to be going 120 MPH before its front wheels ever touched the ramp.

He wasn’t as concerned about the drop-down as he was about the space that lay in between. This was a long jump--the longest he had ever attempted, but he was ready. He had done all the essential homework and made all the necessary calculations. He figured he should be able to make the jump with room to spare.

The crowd of casual thrill-seekers began to settle in, preparing for the big show. Josh could tell by the look in their eyes--the expressions on their faces, that what they really came to see was for him to fail. They wanted blood--just like always.

The KMPH news crew was standing by. Their cameras were whirling as they tried to get every shot and angle of the death-defying jump. Josh had already given his interview. He had been eager to tell his story, but the blond-headed newswoman was more interested in the danger of the jump itself than the daredevil doing the actual jumping.

Josh tried to clear his mind; he approached the car with his helmet in hand.

The modified Chevy Camaro glistened as the sun flashed off its metallic silver paint job. All of the glass had long since been removed from the car, and Josh grabbed the door frame and slid in through the door. He tightly buckled the harness that would keep him locked safely into the front seat, then waved to the cameras and the crowd. He slipped on his lucky black helmet with the painted flames across the sides.

He was ready.

Josh cranked up the engine and heard it thunder to life. Slowly, he put it into gear, then drove to the lip of the gorge as if he were studying it for the first time--all part of the act.

The smell of exhaust and high-octane gas filled his body with the nervous exhilaration he so craved. The thrill of the jump was upon him.

He slammed it into reverse and backed up at high speed; dust and gravel shot high into the air. Stopping the car at the designated half-mile point, Josh checked his gauges. He revved the motor once . . . twice . . . three times. The eager crowd was hushed by the mechanical roar. Josh waved again to signal he was ready as all the cameras zoomed in on the car.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Josh eased the car into first gear. This was it--the moment everyone was waiting for--the jump.

He smashed the gas pedal down. The rear tires smoked and screamed. The car shot forward, and then time stood still.

Josh saw the bubble take its effect on the outside world. In slow motion, he shifted through the gears until he was careening down the runway at 70 MPH--85. He could see the ramp clearly in front of him. 100 MPH. The people seemed to freeze in mid-motion, becoming nothing more than a blur he saw from the corners of his eyes. At 120 MPH, the front tires kissed the bottom of the ramp right on target. Josh let out a yell as the car left the platform and soared out into thin air.

The front end of the car tilted slightly upward, and he saw nothing but sky in front of him. He was flying.

This was his dream come true, even if for the few split seconds it took for him to reach the other side--he was flying. It was over in seconds, but to Josh, the jump felt forever. Once his tires left the ramp and the engine noise fell softly into the background, all he could hear was the sound of the wind. Josh sailed through the air like a silver missile.

Slowly, the nose of the car dipped downward. He sat back and braced himself for the impact of the landing. The front end dipped lower and Josh saw his crew waiting for him on the other side. There was even an ambulance there--just another prop in the show.

The car tipped drastically downward.

Josh realized then, he was far short of the other side. Panic ripped through his chest as the car continued its downward descent.

Momentarily, he saw the concerned faces of the recovery team, their mouths hanging open in shock and surprise.

The front end continued to drop forward until the car was completely vertical.

Through the sides of his helmet, Josh saw the light brown cliffs move swiftly upward. He had the terrible realization that he was going to die; fear gripped his heart as hard as he gripped the steering wheel. He slammed on the brakes in an instinctive and futile attempt to stop his downward motion.

Desperately, he tried to release the safety harness, but it was no use. His mind whirled as he wondered what had gone wrong.

The fall seemed forever and Josh saw the sum of his life--the deep and winding blue-green river waiting to greet him.

Gripping the steering wheel with all his might, he smashed into the Salmon River and joined with it, forever flowing to his next destination.