The cliff

The sun was shining bright on that day. It’s a good day to die, Julian thought as he entered the forest. The air was thick as he started hiking up the hill. His heart was thumping so hard that he could hear it. The trees towered above him, and he could hear the gentle sway of the leaves, bringing a calming feeling to his heart. His mind was raging with all kinds of thoughts.

A few minutes after hurrying up, his breathing had grown laboured and his legs heavy. His legs felt like lead and he was so tired that it was affecting his vision. Because of that, he nearly stumbled over rocks and tree roots on the path. At that point, he felt like he was dragging himself up the trail, his feet barely lifting off the ground. Desire everything, he continued.

After what seemed like hours, he reached the top and immediately collapsed on the ground. He lay on his back under a shady tree and stared at the bright blue sky. The world was so beautiful and he found himself wondering if ending his life was the best thing. When Julian realised that he was starting to have second thoughts, he quickly got up and ran towards the hillside, letting himself slip off the edge and fall down below. When he hit the ground, he felt a searing pain in his head, hand and legs. It didn’t last long because a second later, he could feel the inside of his chest constricting as he struggled for breath. Suddenly, there was nothing.

When Julian opened his eyes, he felt the heat of the afternoon sun. He was not directly under the sun. He looked up and saw that the tree he was under was not very leafy and let in some rays of the sun. Memories of what had happened flooded back to him as he looked around and saw the hill. His eyes widened as he remembered what had happened. Had he survived? 

He sat up when he couldn’t feel the pain in his limbs and head anymore. What was going on? Had he dreamed the whole thing up? If so, why was he there? Suddenly, he saw a figure a few metres away. It was a tall, lanky man holding up a phone as if he was looking for a signal. Julian quickly stood up and tried to look for a hiding place. He didn’t know the person and they might be dangerous.

“Hey!” the man yelled just as Julian tried to hide behind a large tree.

Julian stopped and turned back.

The man was staring at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. “What the…”

“How did I get here?”

“How are you standing right now? You were dead.”

“What? Me? Dead?”

The man came closer. “Yes, I checked you. You didn’t have a pulse.” He glanced at his phone. “Ten minutes ago. Your legs were both broken. Your left arm too. I’m quite sure of it. What the hell is going on?”

“I don’t understand. I remember jumping off the cliff and I was dying and then there was nothing. I could feel pain all over my body but now I’m okay. It’s like I never jumped at all.”

The man staggered back and reached into his backpack. He pulled out a pistol. “What are you? Don’t come close to me. I don’t believe this.”

“Me neither. Are you sure I was really dead.”

“Yes, I checked for as long as I could. I even came and checked again. What is going on here?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Julian insisted.

“Back away from me,” the man said, pointing his gun at Julian who had not even moved close to him. He started moving away. At some point, the man started running, leaving Julian more confused than ever.

Julian looked up the hill, feeling more confused than ever. He remembered falling off it and how his head had felt in those few seconds. How could he be alive and have no injury after that? 

He glanced at his hands and then he saw it. The ring. He brushed a finger over it.

“Could it be?” Julian wondered. 

“No, no, no,” he shook his head. “That’s impossible.”

A ring that could bring a person back to life. Julian chuckled at the thought. He couldn’t believe he had even considered that something like that could be possible. The ring was made of metal. If such rings existed then they could make one for everyone and no one would have to die. If the ring had that much power, why didn’t his parents use it to bring them back to life? Why would they let themselves die and leave him alone?

Julian glanced at the hill one more time before looking at the valley before him. He had no idea where to go so he decided to follow the man who had found him. He was struggling to make sense of what he had just gone through. Would anyone even believe him? He was pretty sure even Gary was going to doubt him this time.

He pulled out his phone and l saw that there was no signal in the area. He needed to call his uncle to find out what the ring was all about. His uncle had been so adamant about him finding it, saying that it would change his life and make it better. Now he was starting to believe what uncle Mason had said.

After walking for what seemed like hours under the scorching heat of the sun, Julian finally found a road. He walked for a while before he saw the street sign and realised he was not so far from his old home. He decided to go and see if he could find some answers in the shed where uncle Mason Had claimed he kept the map. Maybe he could find a clue.

When Julian finally reached his street, he dialled his uncle’s number.

“Unfortunately, the number you have called is out of service.”

His lips parted. This was getting weirder by the moment.