Fly High, Do or Die

An evening sun sank below the skyline, casting a beautiful shade of color above a small town called Crest-wood. Standing on the edge of the cliff expectantly, with his heart racing in a quick beat yet natural pallor on his pale face, was Jake. He felt he was almost prepared to take the jump of a lifetime.

"Are you really serious about this?" shouted his friend Max from behind him, anxiety marked on his face.

"Of course!" answered Jake, although doubt was already gnawing at him. He was an adrenaline junkie, but this was a whole new ballgame.

They had seen the footage on the Internet: a group of thrill-seekers . The rush, the free-I mean, it was intoxicating. And now here he was, standing at the brink-the very motto that drove his passion ran through his head:"Fly high, do or die."

But this is what gnawed at his heart, heck, what if something went wrong?

"Just remember," Max said moving in a little closer, "it's not all about flying; it's also about surviving the whole thing."

Jake inhaled deeply, at the brisk air gusting tangled hair out of his eyes. The sight of rocky ground beneath broke his spirits. He was scared; the falling was an exhilarating prospect, but fear clamped him helplessly.

It was a choice to be made.

Images of Lily, his younger sister, danced through his mind. She believed in him. Had always done.

"Jake, you're the bravest person I know," she had said just a few days ago. "You can do it!"

Her sheer confidence sent a spark deep down him. He remembered their commitment to each other: never to step back from any challenge. He simply wanted to inspire her and show her that courage could trump fear.

Jake stepped back to face Max. "I'm on it!"

Max nodded his head, a mixture of excitement and apprehension in his eyes. "Just remember to pull the cord!"

With one last burst of speed, he jumped into the abyss, heart racing not strangely. Hilly fiery bells rang inside his ears as pulsating drums of expectation. He cast a quick glance back at Max, who gave him an uplifting thumbs-up.

"Three...two...one...jump!"

With one last push, he jumped into the void.

The world went blank.

For a second, he felt like he was floating. An expanse of stillness filled the realm of senses as the winds rushed past him like ambivalence. Chance surrounded him like a gentle embrace. He was flying.

Then the drop came from somewhere beyond the horizon.

He pulled the rope, and the parachute whacked into him very hard at once. Relief set in, but the buzz had a long way to go. While he soared in the sky, he noticed something in the distance below him: a plume of smoke rising, black against the shrinking blue light.

His heart raced again, this time from exhilaration.

"Max!" he called into the wind, but his voice was gulped down by the void sprawling all around him.

He knew that part of the forest well. There had been rumors of illicit activities being conducted there. He felt an instinctive pulling in his stomach, an intuition he couldn't ignore.

Jake glided southward toward the smoke. As he slid down, the shadows of the trees loomed larger--the ground rising to meet him. He landed in a clearing, his heart thundering in fear and exhilaration.

He unbuckled himself and cautiously moved in the direction of the smoke source.

What he found was breathtaking. A tiny cabin, hidden deep in the woods, flames licking at the wooden

structure. Several men stood outside, their voices raised in anger.

“You were supposed to keep watch!” one man yelled, shaking his fist at the air.

Jake ducked behind a tree, heart racing with adrenaline once more. They seemed not to have a place in the scene.

"Someone must have seen us!" one man said, screening the zone.

Jake's intellect whurd in overdrive. Ought to he call for offer assistance? Run back to Max? Or ought he investigate further?

At that moment, the motto surged into his brain once more:

"Fly high, do or die."

This had gone beyond just thrill-seeking; it was time to summon all his strength to ensure he made a decisive move.

He reached for his phone, but there was no signal. An icy freeze settled in. There was no time to leave; he had to verify that anything was going on in and around the camp.

He moved closer, careful not to make a sound. The men were agitated, pacing like trapped animals. As he listened, snippets of their conversation began to take shape.

That was supposed to be the last snatch. We cannot afford to hint anything!

What if they do? What if they tip-off?

Jake's heart raced. They had struck helplessness.

He turned to slip away, but a twig snapped beneath him.

The men froze, their heads snapping toward his direction.

"Who's out there?" one bellowed.

Jake felt as though he had been punched in the gut. He turned around quickly and ran towards the trees, using the terror of his hunted state to help him escape. The men that were chasing him some distance behind yelled out as they ran, the sound of their feet pounding against the ground in unpleasant excitement.

He pushed his way through the bushes, arms and hands reaching out to shield his face from branching trees. The forest was dense and intimidating, however, Jake was used to it. He might play hide and seek at the moment.

“Don’t look there!” he steeled himself. “Shoot for the skies, live or perish!”

He deviated from the central course intending to manage them. He breathed rapidly, his chest on fire. He could hear their shouts dissolving into the distance behind him, but he did not bother turning around.

Finally, he stumbled onto a familiar trail leading to the ledge he had leapt off. He ran upwards, his heart racing, his mind working.

As Jake came to the beat, he turned his head towards the back. The men were nowhere to be found. A wave of relief washed over him, but he still felt the urgency in the pit of his stomach.

He needed to alert Max.

Jake reached for his phone and gestured for a signal.

“Please,” he barked, willing the call to connect.

Immediately, a bar appeared. He was quick to make the call.

“C'mon! Pick up already!”

“Jake?” A voice filled with worry, belonged to Max.

“I found something. You need to come and meet me at the cliff right now. It’s urgent!”

“Is everything alright? What has happened?”

“I’ll explain that when I arrive. Just hurry up!”

A few minutes, which felt like an eternity, passed by and Max finally arrived, almost out of breath.

“What is the problem?”

“Somewhere in the forest, there is a hut. I believe they are up to no good. We have to report to the law enforcement.”

Max’s eyes widened. “Do you mean that?”

“Yes! We cannot let them get away with it!”

They hurried back to the nearest street, calling the authorities. While they waited, Jake was relieved.

The threat was still present, but they had done something.

Policemen came and Jake showed them where the cabin was.

As they got closer, the men were still in a dispute, but this time there were police with bright flashing lights.

“Freeze!” one of the officers instructed, and there was fear evident on the faces of the men who did so.

Jake watched as they were apprehended, the weight of the world lifting off his shoulders.

He had beaten his fear; he had understood the incomprehensible; he had acted correctly.

At that moment, he understood something important.

"Fly high, do or die" was not even close to the idea of adrenaline rush or taking risks. It was about being brave. It was about doing the right thing, even when it scared you the most.

As they walked away, Max slapped him lightly on the back. "You did good, Jake. You truly did."

And for the first time in his life, Jake truly felt as though he was gliding in the air.

Courage is not the desire of a man to excel; that is simply, recklessness. It is doing what one believes is right and confronting wrongdoing even in the face of fear. Instinctive behavior and incisive behavior of those who mean well often pull people and things in the right direction.