Fear of the unknown - short story

"I didn't dare look over my shoulder. I knew if I did, it would all be over."
“I love life and I want to live!” John was muttering to himself repeatedly.
John was narrating to his friend Sheetal what happened the day before. John still looked dazed and was in shock.
It was a pleasant Sunday morning. Nancy loved that place on the cliff top. John and Nancy went on a picnic that day because John felt it was the right spot to express his love to Nancy. It was a place which she loved most.
Nancy and John worked in the same office. They had been dating for three months and it was Nancy who first declared that she loved John.
John was in cloud nine when he heard Nancy say that she loved him.
He decided to take her out on Sunday because he felt that it was time to accept her love and propose to her. He did not want to make her wait and give her a suspense.
John and Nancy reached the hill top and rested for a while. After a light snack and hot tea, Nancy took out her camera and started taking pictures of the scenic beauty around her.
John was fully enjoying nature. He walked slowly towards the edge of the cliff.

He was almost at the end of the cliff. He looked down. A gush of wind brushed his face and he raised his hand and felt the force of the wind.?

He suddenly felt a deep hatred to this place. People jumped. Why? Because they were stupid.
“Johnnnn!”
When Nancy called him, there seemed to be an echo. No one else was around.
“Turn back, and stay still, John! I want to take a snap of you. But be careful. Ok?”
John turned around and looked at Nancy.
He placed his steps carefully.
He loved the challenge, but there was some kind of fear.
What if he fell down? Would he die in a second? Or would he have the chance to look at a new world which the scientists have yet to discover? It made him feel that people are so small but yet they think big.
He closed his eyes for a moment thinking of what was over his shoulders.
Should he turn back, he would dive into the unknown world, deep down, and become a skeleton.
“Come on, say cheeeese! “ Nancy told him.
“Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!” He said while his jaws shook. He was scared stiff. But
he did not show out his jitters.
It looked as though time froze for a second.He felt a chill running through his spine. He was amazed and at the same time afraid. Is this what is called “fear of the unknown?”

“Come on, say cheeeese! “ Nancy told him.
“Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!” He said while his jaws shook. He was scared stiff.
“Come on, say cheeeese! “ Nancy told him.
“John, come on, open your eyes, and say cheese!” Nancy almost screamed. The echo was loud and clear.
“Click!”
He made a few, hasty steps forward. It was a great sense of relief.
He wanted to live. Life is valuable. He wanted to love, have a family, be more and more happy, enjoy every moment of his life till he lived.

He had learnt a lesson of life that day.
He started laughing loudly as he raced towards her, hugged her and planted a kiss on her forehead.
With a happy jolt , thanking God that he is alive,, John came back to this world again. He shrugged his shoulders as if he wanted to forget the unknown world for the time being and looked at Sheetal.
“Well, Sheetal, aint life worth living?”


A repost of the short story posted in Sulekha.com on 30th July. The starting line was given by Sulekha.com to form a story.