Flash Friday: Leap of Faith

Courtesy of Tassels

You wander through an old-growth forest with trees reaching into the sky  on a narrow, leaf covered trail. Wind whistles through the trees.   Branches rustle and sing as leaves scatter, captured by wild wind eddies, and fly around your head. You hear the roar of the waterfall, before the bridge comes into view.  The breeze pushes and pulls you and leaves crunch and crackle underneath your bare feet. Crack!

You jump and race forward as a huge tree crashes to the ground with a bone jarring thud. Once the dust clears,  you realize its blocked the path and you'll have to take the long way home. The wind whips up and pulls at you, until you sprint down the trail, almost flying. You've heard about the bridge but not seen it yet.  The view takes your breath away.  Two huge oaks trees stretch across the water toward one another, and the roots form a natural walkway. The wood is warm and bumpy underneath your feet as you walk to the middle of the bridge and stare down at the water.

The river roars underneath and empties into a crystal clear lake surrounded by ferns and wild lilies of white, yellow, gold and orange. Sunlight sparkles off the water and fish swim in aimless circles. You look across the tree tops to the edge of the village where a church steeple rises high into the sky. The tolling of the bells drifts by on the wind. A soft breeze caresses your face and whispers ‘I will catch you when you fall.’  The breeze plucks at your clothes, once again pulling you towards the edge. The kids all call it the leap of faith. You can do this.  You close your eyes, take a deep breath and jump.