Upwards of Ten Thousand Feet

by The Cowl Editor on February 8, 2019


Creative Non-Fiction


by Kiley McMahon ’20

As we continued upwards of ten thousand feet,
the vehicle’s engine roared loudly in my ears.
The GoPro stuck to his head recorded my every motion, reaction, and feeling.
My fingers turned to ice through the tips of my gloves.
Thoughts of loved ones raced through my mind.
What would happen if something went wrong?
Would my soul care for my loved ones if the worst occurred?

My future was in his hands.
Why was he being so nonchalant about the possibility of death?

As we climbed to the edge,
butterflies danced in my stomach.

As we jumped,
my thoughts escaped my mind upwards of ten thousands beats per second.
My heart raced and my palms sweated through my gloves.

I flew through the air,
just as an eagle,
searching for its prey.

As I stared in utter disbelief
at the Swiss Alps,
which I had learned about in class,
but never dreamt about flying over,
my palms sweated through my institute given gloves,
upwards of ten thousand feet.

My life is a fantasy,
and I am just living it.

Upwards of ten thousand feet.