He sighed. He’d have to do it. He stepped forward, let himself go over the edge. The motion was painless, but he didn’t fall. Not down, anyway. He fell forward, across the water. He looked down at the white caps of the waves. He realized he was rising. He shat his pants.

Soon he could no longer keep his eyes open. He peeked out and saw the curve of the earth below him. He felt his clothes freezing. Finally, he sensed stillness. He was floating in free-fall, looking down on the entire dark face of the earth. He knew he had to be very far from earth, to see it like this.

He felt a nudge at his arm. He looked and saw a small, dark stone. He took it in his hand; it had some heft to it, despite the lack of gravity. He smilled, pulled his arm back, and gave it a good lob towards the earth.

Then he was moving again. He closed his eyes, and waited. In time, he found himself back on the cliff where he’d started.

He looked up, and watched a brilliant line cross the sky, brighter than any he’d ever seen before.