The vow

"Open your eyes!"

Nothing.

"Sophie! Open your eyes!"

Darkness. Light. Darkness. The end.

5am. 20°C. A normal morning for tropical North Queensland. It is quiet. The roads are deserted. Only a few early-morning joggers and workers punctuate the Cairns Esplanade. Farther beyond, the sun is rising.

Sophie woke up earlier than usual this morning. In today's Facebook post, she writes

"It is happening today. I have made up my mind. Wish me luck!😍" before pressing the SEND button. Sophie types up posts ever morning. This is what she does to set herself up for the day. Planning before executing.

And today's morning was planned out well in advance. Because it is happening today. She jumps out of bed, places her laptop inside her rucksack and heads for the shower. After a quick dry-off, she puts on the clothes she has laid out the night before: pants, socks, bra, leggings and T-shirt. Time is ticking. She rushes to the kitchen, grabs the last chocolate bar in the fridge and runs down the three flights of stairs of her building. As she closes the front door, she sees a young blond-headed blue-eyed man waiting outside of a shuttle bus.

"Good morning. Here I am, right on time!"

"Good morning. Name, please."

"Sophie. Sophie Thomson."

"All good, Sophie. Take a seat and buckle up, please."

Sophie greets an Asian couple at the front of the bus, and twins who appear to be in their twenties like her, before making herself comfortable into one of the back seats. It is not long before her ipods are inserted in her ears and a random choice of 80s songs mute the noise of the growing traffic: laundry delivery vans, food trucks, taxis, UBER drivers starting their day...

After a few sharp turns, the courtesy bus comes to a halt.

"This it it folks! See the big wide door? This is the entrance. Careful when you get off the bus." The door closes and the bus drives off.

Stranded in front of a big building, they approach the main door slowly, not knowing what or who is behind it. There is no bell to ring nor door handle to use. The sensors above the entrance soon make the doors slide open to reveal a big open space, to everyone's relief. They enter hesitantly. A few sterile-looking white chairs are lined up against the right wall. Slightly to the left, a junior receptionist is talking to a seasoned colleague. In the far left, across the chairs, coat-hangers support blue trousers, cheap-looking plastic goggles and face masks. No paintings. No music. Just plain white walls, five strangers and two employees into one room.

"Good morning everyone! And welcome to you all" bellows the young man. "We have Sophie, Bradley and Bren, Hu and Chang. Is this correct?" All nod quietly. "It is a pleasure to have you here," he continues. "After watching the compulsory safety briefing video, I will ask you to place all your valuables in one of the lockers behind you. Once you are done, please pick one of the coat-hangers and put the blue trousers on. The face mask should be placed around your neck, for the time being, and the goggles, above your head. Are there any questions?"

The small group, as if rounded up in the middle of the room by a sheep dog, shakes their heads nervously in unison.

"My name is John. I will look after you today. You will shortly be introduced to the rest of the crew. How are we feeling?"

The siblings whisper something inaudible to the white-ashen faced Asian couple who need a chair to settle their nerves. They kneel beside the couple who slowly regains some colour. A few more seconds and their smiles return. They thank the boys for their assistance, and manage to stand up to join the 3 other adults again.

"We are ok, I think" Sophie ventures. "My heart is racing. It is my first time here." The rest nods in agreement.

"No worries", says John. "Let's watch the video. We are expected on the tarmac in 20 minutes."

Now all in similar attire, the group jumps onto another bus that stops a brief moment later right in the middle of the runway. On its right, five well-built men in the same outfits standing confidently. Behind them, a small plane with two benches.

"Each of you will be assigned a crew member. They will take adjust the safety equipment for you. Do exactly as they say" orders the young employee. "Listen to them and everything will be fine. Stay safe" are his last words before he turns his back on them and is swallowed by the same twelve-seater bus.

Each assigned crew is now partnered with the five scared-faced individuals. Sophie gets onto the plane last. The engine starts, they are now moving backwards. Then take off towards the cloudless rain-free sky.

It is happening. It is happening... today. Now.

At 17,000 feet above the ground, Sophie's partner signals the opening. The last one in is the first one out. It is time. It is happening. Right now. It is cold and windy. It is so high and so scary. But there is no turning back.

"3!..." Sophie is counting down out loud. "3!...2!..."

Push. And fall.

"What?!" There was supposed to be another second before the plunge. Sophie's heart is pounding. She feels pulled down.

Fall. Long fall. Falling down rapidly. Gravity is pulling them down. She feels faint. She is going to be sick. She is... Her thoughts are interrupted by her partner.

"Open your eyes!"

Nothing.

"Sophie! Open your eyes!"

Darkness. Light. Darkness. The end.

It takes a full minute for Sophie to dare open her eyes to face reality. She can now see how high they are. She also starts taking in the beautiful scenery. Vast lands of lush forests, a deep-blue sea; birds in the distance. It is so peaceful.

Falling. Falling down so fast. The fall slows down, the parachute is pulled open. Another minute. The sudden twists to reach the right landing spot make Sophie want to throw up.

"Concentrate on the horizon" she repeats herself. "Look at beauty, embrace the serenity, take it easy..."

They touch the ground. It is over. It feels safe. It feels unreal. It feels good.

The skydiving experience changed Sophie. It made her more aware of her surroundings. Of nature. Of time. Of how fast time goes by. Of taking the time. And of having the time of her life.