“It’s started again.”
“Wow, that’s got to be a good…what, 80 years now?”
“I don’t know, I’ve kind of lost track.”
“Yes, well, anyway; which one was it this time? Since you’re here, it must have been one of yours. Let me guess, water?”
“They don’t call you wise for nothing Monk.”
“Circumstances?”
“Fell off a cliff.”
“Really? That’s a new one.”
“Yeah, well, I guess He was getting bored with all the peace. You should go, or you might miss them.”
“Them?”
“Yeah, another one saved Water.”
“Wow, lucky break. So, who’s the other one?”
“You’ll see – I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise for you.”
****
Two boys sat near the edge of a cliff, watching the waves roll over the rocks below. Seagulls flew through the sky, making occasional landings near the two, no doubt hoping for some scraps of food. But the boys did not have anything; they were just two brothers, sitting and talking.
One of them was about 14 years of age, the other about 16. They both wore specially designed clothes. They were both huge fans of swimming – in fact, this was about the only trait they both shared – and as such, all their clothes – whether they were T-shirts, shorts, jumpers or tracksuit – were all waterproof and able to dry within minutes of leaving the water.
“So Troy, who do you think is going to win the races next week?” Dylan asked his older brother.
“I don’t know Dylan,” said Troy in a bored voice, “who do you think?”
“I’m betting on ‘The Flame’. He is so cool.”
“Really? How much?” Troy was suddenly interested in what his brother was saying.
“No, I just meant I think he will win. I’m not actually betting money on him.”
“Oh,” said Troy, disappointed.
Dylan continued to talk excitedly about the races, while Troy ignored him, wishing for a way out of this boring situation. Troy hadn’t ever really liked his brother much, but, since he was family – the only family he had – Troy kept him company, making sure he didn’t get into trouble.
As the two sat there, watching the sea, the wind picked up - violently. It wasn’t just a slight breeze anymore, but a powerful gale. But it wasn’t spread out as it usually would be, but all moving in a single direction; towards the edge of the cliff.
The two realized what was happening, trying to find something to grab on to. But this was a cliff; a flat, plain cliff. Before they could run away, fin safety, they were blown off the edge, plummeting to the rocks below.
****
Fred saw the two boys fall, and instinctively ran to the edge and dived down. Fred had taken many parachuting and base-jumping lessons before, and this was the time to test those skills. Fred weighed a bit more than the two boys, so he caught up with them quickly.
Then, everything seemed to be in slow-motion. Fred saw the outcrop of rock jutting from the side of the cliff, and in his mind, saw the relative distances between it and the boys. The one in green would make it easily, but the blue one was too far off; he wouldn’t be able to save him. Fred’s training took over. He could hear his instructor’s voice in his head, “if you can’t save them all, don’t try!”
Fred leaned his body towards the green one, grabbing him around the waist with one hand, and opening his parachute with the other. The two safely landed on the outcrop of rock, but what of the other boy? Fred looked over the edge, seeing the boy narrowly miss the rocks. In fact, it was more than that; it was if the boy had been blown away at the last second. He fell into the water with a huge splash.
“Can your brother swim?” Fred asked the boy he had just saved.
“Yeah, we can both swim really well,” replied Dylan, getting over the shock of what had just happened. But as he looked down at the rolling sea, nothing surfaced. He scanned the surrounding water, but there was no trace of his brother to be found. “Oh my god, he’s dead.”
