Take a deep breath; steady yourself. There's nothing to be afraid of. You don't need to feel any fear, any terror, any abject horror at what you are about to do. You don't need to worry about the consequences, or the future. All that exists is here and now, and there is no fear. Breath in, and out, and be calm. Deep breaths; steady yourself. You will need to be steady.

Be steady and calm, and perfectly balanced with yourself and the ground and the sky and the air. Feel the breeze; it is growing stronger now, cool and steady. You can feel it slide and whisper across your skin like raw silk or a lover's caress. Let the wind be your lover, now. Breath it in, take it in, feel it all around you. Now breathe out, and be calm and strong like the earth beneath your bare feet.

The ground is strong, as are you. You can feel each individual blade of grass, cushioning the crumbling black earth with its greenness. Be steady and calm like the ground, because you will need the steadfastness of the earth; you are about to leave it.

Open your eyes and look out at the sky, at the clouds that hang in the air like fruit waiting to be plucked and eaten. They are swollen, heavy and pregnant with rain, but they do not concern you yet. All there is is here and now; do not fear and do not think of the consequences. Lift your head and do not look down; the breeze is a breeze no longer. It is a gale.

Step forward. You can feel the edge of the cliff beneath your feet, and the grass curls and crinkles between your toes. The ground is a very long way down. Take one last deep breath and feel the gale pushing you towards the edge. Feel the earth beneath you giving up and stopping. See the clouds, waiting for you.

Now you take one last step, and you are falling, down, down, down...Do not be afraid. The clouds are waiting, and you are cool and steady like the wind, strong and calm like the earth. And there is no need to be afraid, even as you fall.

The air rushes through your ears, screaming in a dischordant key while the cliff blurs past you, melting into the green of the ground that will greet you in a moment, if you give it half a chance. Your head is still up, though the force of your falling threatens whiplash on your neck. But you are not afraid.

Because just as it seems that you are going to meet the strong and very hard ground, you remember how to fly. Up, up, and up you soar, towards the clouds that were waiting for you.