Chapter 49
49 Falling ten feet takes about a sneeze. Fortunately, Deke had me practice falling. First, backfalls onto a tatami mat. Then, a few feet off the ground onto a thick inflated bag. Then a few feet off the ground onto a tatami mat. Then we played “pretend this airplane is going down hard” and jumped with parachutes. All of that’s a far cry from a ten-foot drop onto the hard-packed dirt and rock of a cavern floor. As I overbalance, when my stomach turns hollow and my inner ear shrieks its primal warning, I kick off the rail and transform the fall into a jump. I’d rather break an ankle than a neck. A split-second of soaring freedom. I have almost enough time to close my teeth and tuck my chin to my chest. My feet strike unyielding rock. I let my knees and waist crumple with the impact,
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