I was standing on a building’s rooftop high above the clouds. 5000 miles from earth. I admired the view of a black sky and the clarity of stars beneath me.
An old friend approached from behind and asked "What do you want?"
I thought about that question for a while. This was my one chance. A one-wish genie. I knew I wasn’t wise enough to answer this for my present self and future self. I stood facing the infinite and said "I want it all."
"Then it will cost you everything."
I nodded.
I felt a hand on my back. Over I went. I was terrified. I began screaming and flailing and crying. After about a minute I stopped screaming. After 2 minutes I stopped flailing. After half an hour I stopped crying. I was exhausted and had no choice but to calm down.
My adrenaline was depleted. I realized I wouldn’t hit the ground for days.
Hours passed. With nothing left to give, I fell asleep. Sleeping as I fell through the sky at 100 miles an hour. You wouldn’t believe the dreams I had. People looked out their office windows dumbfounded. It’s one thing to see a man falling from a building. It’s another to see him sleeping on the way down.
I woke up. Played with my cheeks. Made waves with my hands. Eventually I got bored, took off my shoes and socks and tucked my arms inside my sweatshirt.
The sun set and rose again.
I’m going to die. At some point, I accepted that. It may not be today, and it may not be tomorrow, but I am going to die. Now I only have a decision to make. Will I spend the rest of my life afraid?
