Cascade through time

Jacob never knew why he agreed to go skiing that night. He hated the cold, and the thought of the snow whipping in his face was enough to make him shudder. But he was a young man, still trying to find his place in the world, and he figured that maybe a night on the mountain would give him some clarity.

He was wrong.

Jacob wasn't an experienced skier, but he wasn't a novice either. He'd gone a few times in his life, and while he wasn't particularly good at it, he figured he knew the basics. So when his friends suggested they hit a steep, off-trail slope in the middle of the night, he didn't question it too much. He just wanted to fit in.

The first few minutes were exhilarating. Even Jacob had to admit that the rush of flying down an untouched mountainside under the stars was pretty incredible. But then he hit a patch of ice. He didn't see it coming, and by the time he realized what was happening, it was too late.

He tumbled off the side of the mountain, his skis flying off his feet as he tumbled through the snow. For a few terrifying seconds, he thought he would just keep falling and falling, until he hit the ground far below. But then he hit a tree, and everything went black.

When Jacob came to, he was sliding down the mountain, still out of control. He tried to dig his heels into the snow, but his hands were numb and he couldn't get a grip. The only thing he could do was watch as the mountain rushed past him, a blur of white and black.

As the night wore on, Jacob started to realize that he was probably going to die. He didn't know how long he'd been sliding, but it felt like hours. He was cold, hungry, and he could feel his body slowly giving out. But even as he started to accept his fate, his mind wandered to other places.

At first, he thought about his childhood. His parents had fought constantly, and he'd spent most of his young life just trying to hide from their anger. But there were moments of peace, too. Jacob remembered the time in seventh grade when he won the school spelling bee, and how proud he'd been to stand in front of the entire student body with a trophy in hand.

Then he thought about high school. He wasn't popular, but he wasn't a complete outcast either. He had a few friends, but no one he was really close to. He remembered how he'd spent most of those years just trying to blend in, to not stand out too much. But there were moments when he'd felt alive. Jacob remembered the time he'd taken his little sister to the movies, just the two of them, and how happy she'd been.

And then there was college. Jacob had made it, finally. He'd gone to a decent school, gotten decent grades. But he hadn't made any friends there, either. He'd spent most of his time just going to class and then coming back to his room, staring at a blank computer screen. But there were moments of excitement, too. Jacob remembered the time he'd kissed a girl at a party, and how his heart had raced in his chest.

As Jacob replayed his life, he started to see things differently. He wasn't just a guy who'd floated through his existence, trying to avoid trouble. He was a person who'd lived, who'd loved and laughed and hurt. He was a person who'd done things, who'd mattered to some people, even if he didn't always realize it.

And eventually, as the sun started to rise, Jacob did something he never thought he'd do. He started to fight. He fought against the snow, against the mountain, against his own body. He started to try and move, to try and stop himself from sliding.

It wasn't easy, and it wasn't quick. But gradually, Jacob started to slow down. His body was giving out, but he kept pushing. He clawed at the snow, pulled at his clothes, tried to find purchase.

And then, finally, he stopped. Jacob lay there on the mountain, panting and exhausted. He was alive. And somehow, in those hours of sliding down a snowy slope, he'd figured out what he wanted to do with his life.

It wasn't much. He didn't want fame or fortune, or a big house or a fancy car. He just wanted to matter. He wanted to make a difference, in whatever way he could.

Jacob smiled, looking out at the world around him. He didn't know how he was going to get down the mountain, or what he was going to do with the rest of his life. But he knew one thing, at least. He was going to live it.