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It was the thrill that I lived for. The wind rushing past my face as it
danced in my curly hair. Nothing but the sound of my thumping
heart. 2,000 feet up in the air. Views as clear as an untouched pond.
James always said that it was a risky business; that every time I jumped
out of a plane it could be my last time. I never listened to him, only
focused on the ground below and the empty space between me and
the earth. I was always looking for something to jump off, climb up,
swim across or devour. In the small town of Morven I was known as
the daredevil, the one who was bold, brave and literally bulletproof
(my attempt at climbing the police wall back in ’07 resulted in me
being fired at and as a consequence, scars now mark my skin).
Nothing so outrageous or risky was too much for me, I was up for
anything.
I have had my fair share of accidents though. A snake bite left me
paralysed for a few hours. Food poisoning from a curry sent me to
hospital for a week. My most lethal stunt was swimming from Spain
to Morocco. I swam into a bloom of jellyfish. All I remember was
sinking into the Alboran Sea. Darkness overcame me as the sun
above was fading and I could no longer see my oxygen bubbles.
James saved my life by pulling me out of the water. After that, I was
forced to break from my extravagant antics, for James’ sake.
Now I was travelling eight and a half hours to London where my
next stunt stood – 300 metres of pure glass and shining beauty.
Nobody was going to hold me back. There was a lack of adrenaline
in my blood and I needed the feeling of thrill back in my veins.
‘
I walked another three steps, just somy head could lean over the edge
of the building. The view of London was majestic at this time of
night. London Eye was turning at a leisurely pace, making everything
seem like a slow motion movie. I could hear the shouts of the crowd
gathered behindme yelling to climb back over the safety barrier. This
was my most dangerous jump and as much as I wanted to get back to
safety, my stiffened and cold legs restricted me. The weight of my
parachute strapped tight on my back seemed to get heavier and
heavier as the seconds, which felt like hours, passed. I took my hand
off the railing, shuffling even closer towards the edge. I took one last
glance back at James, he mouthed ‘see you at the bottom’, before
turning around. He could never watch me jump; too scared for my
life. The sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon, making the
Audacious
Louise Monsell-Butler
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