another short

The cool water lay just beyond the over hang. Deep blue, dancing beneath the thunder of the crashing waterfall. A bird screeched and soared out from the branches of tall lanky pines nestled into the mountain. Laughter rising from a log floating in the center of the wide lake. Heat pressed in around her, humidity descending on her already moist skin. A voice behind her told her to go.

Jump off the side of the mountain, into the water, step out in faith, it will be deep enough. She backed away slightly. A boy ran out and lept from the ledge. Yelling, he somersaulted through the air. Crashing into the rippled surface, water burst into the air, and fell just as quickly.

"What are you waiting for?" another voice asked. She turned. Buried in the shadows of the mountainside a boy was kneeling. Curly red hair poked out from under a baseball cap proudly displaying a white S on black. His misty blue eyes danced as he smiled. "Are you going to go, or what?" She leaned over the edge and peered below her.

The blue water was crsip and clean. Sunlight beat down on her face, her arms were already turning colours. Cool water would be sweet, refreshing. The dirt tickled her toes as a soft wind brushed past her face and tangled her hair. Something sighed at her shoulder. She turned to see the boy looking over the edge of the over hang with her. "Pretty huh?" he asked in a quiet voice. As though he could only stand in awe of the beauty surrounding him. She nodded. Shaking his head he reached up and pulled on the bill of his black cap. "You were always waiting," he murmured. Her eyebrows shot up in question. He didn't answer.

Instead he yanked the cap off, and shoved it into her empty hands. Laughing he jumped from the ledge and tucked his knees to his chest. She watched him fall to the waiting lake. It surged up around him as he tumbled in, enveloping him into the darkness of the deep.

She looked down at the hat in her hands. You were always waiting. She looked back up and watched him swim to the edge and then touch his feet to the sandy bottom. He looked back up in her direction watching her as she slowly smiled. Stepping back a few steps she got a running start and lept off the edge. Soaring for a moment before splashing into the water and sinking through waves of cool beauty wrapped up in water.

He grinned. Not waiting anymore.