Out of Darkness

I plummeted into the darkness, the wind rushed in my ears, feeling numb and cold inside. Countless thoughts flitted through my mind, scattering like frozen leaves. The darkness below beckoned to me, sucking me in, but some small part of me, a survival instinct, perhaps, forced my heavy body into motion. Somehow, through more luck than anything, my staff snagged a hidden crevasse, pulling me to a stop. The sickening lurch almost tore my arm off, pain shooting through the numbness, but I held on for all I was worth.

Taking a shaky breath, I risked a glance down, finding my feet dangling above what seemed an endless abyss. A wave of dizziness washed through me, black spots dancing before my eyes, my stomach twisting violently. My grip nearly broke then and there, but I struggled to take deep breaths, and the vertigo lessened.