Jump

For one brief moment, he stood on the precipice of greatness. Now, 30 stories above the earth, the view was very different. Suddenly, in a blink of an eye, the ground rushed up to meet him and it was over. He was 32 years old.

It didn't have to be this way but it was. There had been choices that begged for different answers. They had all been ignored in the pursuit. He had been blinded by the light and now there was nothing left.

There was no getting back up, no ladder to climb. The weight of what he had done would not let him eat another meal, plant another kiss on a baby's head, shake another hand, send another misleading e-mail. The end was a relief for him, if not for others.

The gathering crowd surrounded the still figure. No one had seen it happen but many would later recall being witness to the descent. It was a scene that would repeat itself with increasing regularity over the next months. Earthjumpers they would be called as a group.

It was bound to start happening with everything that was swirling around. The world as we had long known it no longer existed. With the axis of the earth on tilt we were all losing our balance and our hold on our sanity. It was hard enough for us to put one foot in front of the other. For him, it was impossible.

He had been in the right place at the right time for so long that he wouldn't allow himself to be anyplace else. The money had come so quickly and so easily. If he passed up the opportunity, it would only go to others. If there were no consequences to pay for him, to hell with anything else. To hell was where he believed he would be going now.

The policemen soon appeared. The area was cordoned off and the remains of the short flight were examined. As the wallet was removed from the dead man's rear pocket by the officer, there was a slight flinch and a gasp. He had heard of this person. He had seen him in the papers, shaking hands with other rich and famous like him.

Now, he was just the first of many to come. It had all been so senseless. The worst of times were precipitated by the worst of men. He had been one of them. He was now just the leader of a new group, the Earthjumpers.

Soon the crowd dispersed. They had seen all that they could. They would take away with them stories to be repeated over many months. When they learned of the former celebrity of the silent body, it would make their tale take on added importance. Even in death, he would retain his notoriety. Only now, it would be associated with all things evil.

This is a tale that has not happened, yet. However, with each day that we get revelations of lives turned upside down and people who swindled and cheated in the chase for the golden ring, this story will be written. And when it is , you can say you read it here first.