No Attachments - By Tiffany King Page 0,19

already cooling off. In Florida, it would be several months before they saw similar temperatures. After a lifetime of missing real seasons, I was greedy for them to begin. I wanted to see the barren trees once they shed all their current multicolored leaves. I wanted to make a snow angel and build a snowman. All three were items on my bucket list that would take little effort as long as I was still here. I just needed enough time.

I was at Mason Bridge in less than five minutes. By the time I pulled off the side of the road just before the bridge, the nerves I'd been keeping at bay reared their ugly head. Sitting behind the steering wheel, I swiped my hands down my shorts in an attempt to remove the moisture that had collected on my palms. I could do this. Opening my car door, I forced myself to get out before I could chicken out and go home. The cool breeze blowing through the branches of the aged oak trees that lined the banks of the river below made me shiver slightly. I warily eyed the bridge in front of me. It was now or never. I stripped off my sweatshirt despite the chill and tossed it on the passenger seat next to the towel I had brought along. Closing the door with determination, I left my car behind, heading for the bridge.

My knees shook more and more the closer I got to the middle of the bridge, and my breath came out in labored puffs like I'd just sprinted a mile. Peering over the railing, I took in the slow-moving river below. From this height, the water looked darker and more menacing than I thought it would. I felt lightheaded and slightly squeamish at the idea of being in water with god knows what lurking around me. In Florida, it was common knowledge that any body of water could have snakes or even gators. Indecision filled me as I gripped the railing with white knuckles. I clamped my eyes tightly closed to ward off the dizziness and gave myself a stern talking. I had to do it today. It was obvious by the chill in the air that time was limited. Pretty soon it would be too cold to jump.

With my mind made up, I kept my eyes closed as I attempted to climb over the railing that I was still gripping with both hands. Maneuvering was awkward with the death grip I had, but after a few false starts, I was standing on the other side of the rail. Finally opening my eyes, I slowly released one hand so I could twist around to face the water below. With the railing against my back, I faced my biggest fear. My breath wheezed past my lips as I fought back my panic. "This is the worst part," I told myself. If I could get past this, the actual fall would last only seconds. Stiffening my back, I finally released the railing and moved to the edge of the bridge. The desire to slam my eyes shut again pulled at me, but I fought it back. There was no cheating this situation. With one last look of yearning at the railing behind me, I stepped off the bridge and screamed, and screamed and then screamed some more.

My screams filled the air around me as I plunged toward the dark water below. It took less than a moment, and even though I was still scared, my screams were suddenly more exhilarated. I felt alive as my stomach dropped from the free fall. For the first time, I totally understood why skydivers claimed it was a rush like no other to jump out of a plane. I found I was actually disappointed when I hit the water feet first and sank down into the icy water. I wanted more. I wanted to feel the freedom of the fall all over again.

Chapter 6: Trying to be the Hero

Nathan

I was three miles into my run on Sunday, contemplating my next move with Ashton, when I came across her car on the side of the road near Mason Bridge. Before I could register why it was there, a piercing scream rang through the air. Sprinting toward the location of the screams, I made it to the railing of the bridge just in time to see the splash of someone's body hitting the water below. Without giving it a thought, I hurled