Imagine this

As I ease up to the very edge I struggle to overcome the feeling of vertigo beginning to spin inside my head. A hundred and forty feet is such a long way down. Taking a deep breath, I try to shake it off before placing my feet far enough out so my toes can actually curl over the edge of the cliff.

I know I can't stand here long or I will be overcome with the power of self preservation and instinctively step back a safe distance. So, without giving it another thought, I flex my knees and bend my back, while moving my arms behind me enough to counter all the body weight shifting forward. I must control how fast my body tilts forward so at the precise angle I can put all my energy into the push off.

All I see is the surface below and the face of the cliff I'm pivoting on when I thrust my arms forward and push with all the strength of my legs to ensure I get far enough out in the open air that I'll meet no obstruction on my way down.

My yell is as much a release of my fear as it is an audible display of exhilaration. I'm falling, head first. My yell seems to last forever as the wind quickly builds to a whistle in my ears. The sound of my own heart pounding is the only other thing I hear once all the breath in me is depleted by my vocal display.

I'm falling faster. The wind encapsulates my body, I feel it's force even on the bottoms of my feet. I hold, not daring to take the next breath until the last instant for fear I will loose it before I can return to the surface again.

With my arms spread slightly and my head tilted back I watch as the cool surface of the water rapidly approaches, knowing with each passing instant the speed of my decent increases exponentially.

At the last possible instant I suck as much air as will fit into my lungs, straighten my neck and clench my fists together to make a large enough hole in the water for my body to slip into. At my rate of decent I dare not attempt to arch my back, it would easily break if I arched too much.

My body is almost submerged in the hole made by my fists before I even feel the stinging pain of impact in my knuckles. As quickly as the water refills the void of my entry still only my feet are left to slip through it's closing.

The pressure builds quickly in my ears as I plummet deeper and deeper in the chill water. I can feel the force of the water slowing me until finally my own buoyancy begins to alter my direction.

I reach for the surface with both hands and pull with all I am to speed my way back to the surface as quickly as possible. The air is already beginning to burn in my lungs, and I begin releasing a tiny stream of air through my nose as I work even harder to increase my assent.

I feel frantic as the last of my air slips out of my lungs even tho I can see the glimmer of the surface only an arm's reach away... then suddenly I feel the warmth of the air against my face and shoulders and gasp it in to replenish my exhausted supply. My heart pounding so very hard I'm surprised it hasn't leaped from my chest.

Another yell explodes from deep within. More from exhilaration this time than fear.... and I look for the spot where I can climb out so I can scale the face of this cliff and do it all over again.