Standing on the edge, a thousand frenzied thoughts overwhelmed him. His heartbeat equalled the state of adrenaline rush he placed his body in. Ignoring the beads of cold sweat forming along his forehead, he dared a glance down. There were ten metres worth of distance between him and the ground. Immediately, he closed his eyes and steadied himself, while simultaneously attempting to quieten his mind.

Did he really want this? To end all the screaming voices that surrounded him on a daily basis; the mocking, the teasing, the name-calling, the constant bullying. Everyone said he was too weak to do anything about it. But he will show them now. It was his turn to shine, his turn in the spotlight. ‘Yes,’ he whispered confidently, he wanted this desperately, craving to hear the hunters’ silence.

Slowly, with each step, he was closer to licking sweet victory off his lips. Charging himself for the momentous leap, he bent low whilst sweeping his hands in the air for balance. With a single, precise, practiced movement, he leapt.

Air rushed by his ears as he tried to control his body position, figuring out the best way to land. He didn’t want to feel pain – not too much anyway. Very faintly he heard someone screaming out from below. What was the verdict, he wondered cynically. Forcing his eyes open, he saw looks of horror and amazement glaring up at him. He smiled, wide and triumphantly before submitting completely to gravity’s consequence.

He held his breath, anticipating a violent, bone breaking, impact. As luck would have it, years of intense diving training paid off as he broke the water with a streamlined, perfect entry. Finally, he had accomplished what many of his friends had managed to do a long time ago. Embracing the cool water that washed away his terror and replaced it with excitement, he wondered what his diving peers would say of his first dive off the highest platform.