Sky Jump

by Anastasia Bolinder

  “What do you want, Miss Deshion?” He asked and his tone made me want to turn and say never mind but I willed my lips to move as kids started up the SkyJumping wall behind him.

  “Have I completed enough time on the blocks?” I asked praying, pleading that he would gruffly nod and point to something, even just the SkyJumping wall for me to practice on.

  “What have you learned from it so far?” He asked tilting his head.

  I was stunned and racked my brain as to what I had learned, if I said something wrong who knows what dumb task could be next!

  “Nothing?” He asked again, his voice cold.

  I looked up and opened my mouth,

  “No-I mean yes.” I said and before he could speak I let the only things I thought I learned leave my lips, “That climbing is harder than it looks,” he seemed to slightly ease from his stern attitude as he studied me.

  “And that jumping won’t work.” I said and the moment those word’s left my lips he nodded to the blocks and pointed.

  “Back to climbing.” He said sternly.

  I felt my shoulders cave and I wanted to fight, back but I was so tired I stopped him from turning from me as I spoke out,

  “Then what can I do?” I asked, looking to him and feeling discouraged as ever as even the laughing about me falling had ended as if I had been something too dumb to even bother having emoting towards anymore.

  Mr. Sheplar turned to me and nodded gruffly,

  “You finally ask...” he said under his breath.

  Blinking and thinking I had misheard him I waited for his real response as my lips held in a soft frown.

  “Let me tell you a secret to everything in this room and if you understand it you may pass both the test and live if something ever was to happen in real life.” He said and for once he seemed like the teacher on the first day that I thought would become my favorite.

  “The height is easy, the climb is hard; the thought is consuming. The jump, is soul.” He nodded to me and then pointed again to the blocks as I ingrained his words, that sounded much like something my father would say, into my mind, “When you understand what that means you can work on your faults.” He said stiffly and turned away from me to go yell at a boy who was talking to two girls instead of SkyJumping.

  The whole climb back up the blocks I replayed his words in my head and thought about what he could want. If I could figure it out today I would be done and off to work on something worthwhile, finally!

  Reaching the second from the top block I looked at the last block that for months now I had been at a stalemate with for keeping me down.

  “The height is easy,” I repeated aloud as the room was filled with grunts and noise.

  Folding my arms, I looked to the block.

  “The height is not easy.” I mumbled shaking my head.

  “Hey, Quil!” A voice called.

  I turned around out of my thoughts to see Alissa up in the net getting ready to jump through the hole that Mr. Sheplar had created to eliminate having to set the net on fire and reset it all again.

  “Hi!” I yelled back and waved.

  She motioned to the ropes,

  “Watch me so when I fall you can come get me off the floor as a pancake!” She yelled with a smile.

  I rolled my eyes and cupped my hands over my mouth,

  “Yeah right, you got this! Just don’t push off when you swing!” I called and she nodded looking to the rope before she jumped out to one.

  I decided watching her was better than staring at the wall as I met the next line of his words.

  “The climb is hard;”

  Well yeah, any climb is hard. I rolled my eyes as Alissa started to get a rhythm to swinging back and forth.

  “The thought is consuming.”

  I barely watched as Alissa started to arc higher and higher as my brain fumbled with the words trying to find their meaning or some hidden clues behind them.

  I spoke aloud the last words,

  “The jump is soul.” At the exact same moment I looked up to watch Alissa jump and saw the way she clung to the rope and when she hit the perfect moment her release was too late and she was starting back instead of forward as she fumbled and fell far away from the bar with a shout.

  I ran to the edge of the block to see her on the ground and slowly lowered in a shimmering magic net. I would have glared at Mr. Sheplar but my mind caught on the way I had seen Alissa jump and then thinking about how I had jumped. As the image in my mind of what I did replayed, a sudden phrase caught in my mind’s ear and I looked up to the trapeze as another student went for it while Alissa said something from the ground.

  “The jump is soul.” I softly echoed and a smile caught my lips, if anything I just unraveled the last of the riddle-like clue.

  It meant the jump was not planned, it was simply done.

  The moment the words clicked in my mind I nearly ran down the blocks and would have raced over to Mr. Sheplar but it was only the last piece the puzzle.

  Turning, I looked to the block looming above me and suddenly wondered if it just had to be looked at in a different way, like the words.

  My mind came back to how I had watched the boy and it had not helped me when something struck my mind. When he ran at the wall, what if it wasn’t the speed that helped him as I had tried so many times, but how his shoes hit the wall?

  Immediately I backed up and ran at the wall and upon hitting it, felt my feet slide but as they did I tried not only just moving but almost hitting the wall with more force and less running motion. I felt myself slip down, but for once I landed on my feet and suddenly I looked from my shoes which I had felt held to the wall unlike before and a smile crossed my lips.

  Racing back, I looked at the wall and took a sharp breath, as a realization entered my mind. This was just like turning into my SkyJump beast form, I had to be focused but clear minded about it.

  Starting forward, I came to the wall in seconds and moved my feet deliberately in a pawing motion that looked just like running; I took two steps up the wall as if by magic but on my third bound my foot started to slide and it was all going to be over as my eyes looked up and lunging with my arms my fingers gripped the edge!

  Dangling as my legs slipped I made sure to keep my balance as I held on and even with a great lack of sleep I pulled myself up and collapsed at the top with my arms shaking, I smiled and then grinned. Months of facing that box had just passed in two bounds, I stood up and threw my fist in the air.

  “YES!” I yelled looking to the glass window I had yet to see atop these boxes that looked out to the land around and beyond.

  The room had fallen silent as I turned and found everyone looking to me as blush crossed my cheeks madly. Alissa gave me a thumbs up, but I still called out sorry though she pumped her first to me, I felt my heart singing.

  Turning back to the window that slightly bubbled like all the windows in La’ket, I found words written on the glass that stopped me in my tracks. The font was a gothic text and the color once painted into the words was faded to a dim red.

  “The height is easy, the climb is hard; the thought is consuming. The jump, is soul. A Skyjump is strong, a Mage is wise; the Earthen Brethren despise. The world is alive whether man see or creature hide; defense is not given but applied.” Below in tiny engraved words read where the poem had come from as I gawked,

  ~The Melody of Skyjump Defense.

  Chapter 18

  “When all is but as it is.”

  Upon finding the words, my mind tossed and turned, for such a phrase which until this moment I had never heard from my father. I felt lost and found in one moment.

  “Everyone come down.” Mr. Sheplar announced.

  Turning, I felt conflicted as I wished more than anything I could bring my camera up here and take a photo of the window, but ever since that night, the red eyes… I could not bring myself to take it anywhere.

  Jumping down the blocks I came over to Alissa and she held out her hand for a high f
ive, slapping her hand she grinned and nodded at me.

  “You did it! You finally got up that block all while I clumsily fall to the ground.” She said with a laugh.

  I opened my mouth to speak when Mr. Sheplar quieted the class and we both turned our attention to him as did all the rowdy teens.

  “Today I have seen great progress but you must remember it is not going to be an easy test and you must put your whole soul into what you’re doing.” He glanced my direction and for once I might have felt I did not hate him.

  “Next week, we will start the last training for combat and you will only be allowed to practice the things you have been working on, if you do well enough in combat then I will allow you to practice other weak points.” He said and with a swish of his hand he nodded as the bell tolled, “Class dismissed.” He always sounded like a general releasing an army.

  As the other kids started to leave, Alissa started walking but I wanted to ask Mr. Sheplar about the window.

  “I need to ask a quick question, I’ll meet you guys at our table!” I called, Alissa seemed quizzical about my response but nodded just the same as I worked my way back through the crowd.

  Delphine was talking with Mr. Sheplar as I approached and I suddenly felt I should just turn around and leave but I knew I couldn’t as I felt the spark of curiosity in my mind.

  I had yet to say anything to Delphine about how much of a hero she was to me as my bravery to talk with Mr. Sheplar wavered.

  Before I could turn back around Mr. Sheplar turned to me, noticing I had come up and motioned to Delphine who kindly smiled over at me.

  “We will talk later.” He said to her and she nodded and walked away from us as the room started into silence.

  “I saw you finally made it up the last block.” He said and walked over to a group of ropes that were on the ground as I followed.

  I considered what I might say and figured he was the kind of teacher you did not try and sound smart around, just honest.

  “I think I might know what the last part of the secret to this room is.” I said, he stopped working to untangle the ropes and stood, turning to me with a look of real interest.

  Gulping down the lump in my throat I soldiered on,

  “The part about ‘the jump is soul.’ I think it means you can’t judge everything on what your mind says alone, you have to feel what to do not just think about it.” I said rubbing my bracelet as if to somehow make it take all the worry I held crisscrossing in my chest.

  He did not speak for a good ten seconds, of which I am sure my neck held droplets of sweat forming and my mind raced and replayed how I had said it and hoped it was right.

  Mr. Sheplar nodded and motioned to the door,

  “You start on the ropes tomorrow, now be off.” He said, his voice softer than its hard tone.

  My mouth was slightly ajar but I closed it and tried to process if I heard right as I thanked him and walked out of the room. I felt like I was in a daze and even when Lucy said something about my hair I passed her by without thought as she had stopped to harass me.

  He said I could move on!

  My smile felt deeply satisfying and I did not care if I looked like a fool. I went into the cafeteria, had to wait in line and got my food all in a slight haze as I marveled at the reality I felt was more fairytale in this particular moment.

  “Whoa, did Lucy finally fall in quick sand today?” Zac asked as I sat down and both he and Alissa looked at the girl that looked confidant instead of shy in that moment.

  Grinning, I was on the verge of giggling as I played with a caesar salad I really had no real care for eating.

  “I’m off the blocks!” I said at last and a girl at a table behind us sat up and looked back at me.

  “Stop yelling!” She said and glared at us.

  We all smiled the moment she dropped back down and I felt I could not keep the smile off my face.

  “That’s awesome!” Zac said and nodded, his cheeks bulging like a chipmunk with a stash of acorns though his cheeks were filled with fish sticks.

  Alissa nodded,

  “I figured because you finally made it to the top, right?” She asked.

  Nodding, my mind returned to the words on the window. In my glorying over passing the blocks I had completely forgotten about the words on the window!

  “Actually, it was because of a question I asked him about the secret to the room.” I voiced, thinking back to what he said.

  Alissa shook her head and Zac seemed to catch on to what I was saying but seemed to become quiet.

  “What?” Alissa asked confused.

  “When I went to ask to change where I was he was about to send me back to the blocks when I asked what he wanted me to do.” I said and looked at my hands as my bracelet slightly glowed in the bright cafeteria’s lighting.

  “He said there is a secret to the room and it’s a line from a melody.” I said and mustered up all my minds memory as I still felt slightly dazed and closed my eyes as I spoke, “The height is easy, the climb is hard; the thought is consuming. The jump, is soul.” I said opening my eyes.

  Zac seemed to be far less shocked by this then Alissa as he nodded to me and asked, “So what does it mean?”

  In a way I felt his tone meant he knew...

  Shaking my head, I put a hand to my bracelet and bit my lip.

  “I only know the last part, “the jump is soul,” I said still going over what the rest meant.

  “And?” Zac asked again as Alissa looked to me and nodded though she too caught the calm knowing catch in Zac’s voice.

  “And it means that you can’t judge everything just on what your mind says, you have to feel what to do.” I said and Zac nodded approvingly.

  Alissa frowned,

  “How did you figure it out?” She asked puzzled.

  Giggling I nodded to her.

  “When I saw you jump, after thinking about it and the blocks and how I jumped I guess I somehow figured it out.” I admitted sounding more like the slightly daft girl I was more than the girl who had just passed a small test from Mr. Sheplar.

  Alissa laughed and then toyed with her food as much as I did mine and finally looked up as Zac had gone back to his munching.

  “So what does the rest mean then?” She asked almost to herself.

  “It means…” Zac stopped himself and we both looked to him as for the first time red rose to his ears and stood out against his dark hair.

  “Zac?...” Alissa asked with a fold of her arms.

  He glanced at both of us though his ears still glowed red.

  “I promised like every other student from his class, I can’t tell.” He said and made an “X” in the air to cut us off.

  Feeling the air slightly deflated Alissa and I sat back and I played with my food when Zac spoke up,

  “Wow, never thought that I could get out that easy from you two.” He said and before either of us could shoot back a comment we all started into a fit of laughter.

  That night when I had gotten back to my room after finishing an assignment for English and math I placed a piece of new paper before me. I had my small lamp illuminating the page as my elbows held my chin up and my fingers lazily twirled my quill pen.

  “Dear dad,” I said and wrote my words curling in the style I had practiced for three months just because I had nothing else better to do.

  “Humm.” I sighed looking to the ceiling as I considered what I wanted to say.

  The banner still hung lazily above my head and for the seven hundredth time I reminded myself that tomorrow I would take it down, after my tour from Keten of new rooms in the school which I had yet to see.

  A smile crossed my lips at the thought of Keten. He had eaten lunch with us numerous times and Alissa was sure it was because of me. I easily brushed her comments off with words but deep down my heart always flip flopped at the thought. I had never lived anywhere long enough to really date guys and most of the time they seemed too annoying to even think of trying to even b
ecome friends with.

  I always reminded myself I was only sixteen and knew my father would say as much and so I was just happy to have Keten around but did not want to get into anything too serious, for the moment.

  My large night shirt swayed carelessly as my legs were folded under me as if I was sitting on the floor, not a chair. It brought my mind back to my father, he had always said my mother sat like this when she was thinking.

  “What am I going to say?” I asked, shaking my pen as if to make the ink magically write a well written letter back to my father of its own accord.

  Looking at the first line I smirked and imagined if I wrote everything that had happened over the past week. I just hung out with Keten again, he has a really nice smile, not overwhelming and not snarky either, just nice.

  “Quil, get ahold of your mind.” I scolded, knowing that was definitely not the best thing to write back to him after my last letter was quite vague.

  Glancing to the side, I caught sight of his latest picture that I had on my bulletin board. It was of a forest that seemed in the middle of fog, yet all the lovely aspens guarded the view like sentinels keeping the photo with a sense of mystery.

  If only I could write as well as I thought about pictures and music and… Keten, I mused.

  I caught an idea of what I could say as passing Mr. Sheplar’s question test entered my mind and got my quill into a jutting motion on the page below the formal starting line.

  “I found out today in defense class after finally passing a small test that there is a melody on the window in the class room that is by SkyJump’s and it goes,

  ‘The height is easy, the climb is hard; the thought is consuming. The jump is soul. A Skyjump is strong, a Mage is wise; the Earthen Brethren despise. The world is alive whether man see or creature hide; defense is not given, but applied’ have you ever heard of it? I don’t ever remember you talking about it. Other than that…”

  Stopping, I put the quills feathered end to my cheek as my lips moved around like a worm trying to wriggle away.