Free As A Bird !

Debbi's mind was a whirl of mixed feelings and emotions. For sure, there was an element of fear. Leaping out of a plane was a potentially life threatening situation after all. Then she also remained acutely aware that she was naked apart from her safety harness. But the overwhelming feeling was one of intense joy and exhilaration. She could only think in cliches, feeling as free as a bird !

Debbi became aware of her personal cameraman, who had jumped out of the plane immediately after her, manoeuvring through the air to come alongside. She could only wonder at what bizarre shots he must be getting as her exposed flesh was buffeted and distorted by the fierce updraught of air, which was the only physical manifestation that she was plummeting to earth at breakneck speed. Otherwise it really felt like floating on air, the freedom of her nudity making it almost akin to the feeling when skinny dipping.

All too soon, her camera toting companion indicated that it was time to pull the chord. For a brief instant, fear kicked in again as the predominant emotion. What if the parachute failed to open ? Debbi pulled the chord and immediately felt the power of the upward tug on her shoulders as her body shifted from the horizontal to the vertical. She looked up to see the reassuring sight of the silk canopy billowing above her head. She looked down on the chutes of her companions similarly deployed, like a fleet of exotic jellyfish !

A feeling of serenity came over Debbi. For the first time, she could enjoy fully the panorama unfolding beneath her as she resumed a much more leisurely descent. Was it cold ? Well, a little chilly maybe but that was offset by the adrenaline rush. Debbi began to make out more distinct details on the ground below her, including the field with the big red 'X' which marked their landing site and where she knew Carol would be waiting with her clothes. The first of her colleagues on the dive already seemed to be coming in to land. All seemed to be going to plan and she availed herself of one last look around at the splendid vista before she descended too low to be able to take it all in.

It was when she turned her head back to the landing site that Debbi had the first inkling of trouble. The site, which had been more or less immediately beneath her, now seemed to be significantly off to her right ! She could still see her colleagues landing successfully but all of a sudden, she appeared to be moving sideways as much as she was descending, trapped in an invisible cross current of air. Debbi had no idea how to operate the strings on her chute to control its' direction and anyway, she didn't want to risk impairing the functionality and falling to the ground out of control. All she could do was drift helplessly in the current. Where was she going to land now ? Turning her head to the left, Debbi could see that she was headed inexorably towards town !