The moon was full—that’s why they were going tonight. It hung way, way up in night, so bright you couldn’t see all the stars. Its light fell upon the lake and its cliffs, and they glowed, and it was bright enough for Brandon and Rachel to see the trail up to the Forbidden Cliff. That wasn’t really the name of the cliff; it had no name. But it was the highest cliff on the whole lake, and the water below was clear and deep, except one little spot to the left, out from shore, where a jagged boulder jettied out up to the surface. Brandon and Rachel called it the Forbidden Cliff because this is what Dad always said it was, forbidden, after that little girl jumped off and smashed her head on the rock a few years back.
“Dad’s going to kill us,” Brandon said, hauling himself up the trail, across some roots. The trail was steep, almost vertical, and they were dirty, and Brandon had cut himself on a rock earlier, but he didn’t say anything to Rachel. It didn’t bleed much, anyway.
“Shut up,” said Rachel. She was three years older, and she had dark eyes and always sat in the same chair when she went to after school detention. “What are you, chicken?”
“I’m not chicken.”
“Then keep your mouth shut.”
Rachel veered off the trail, climbed over a weedy outcropping, and found herself staring down the edge of the cliff. Brandon followed but stumbled over the rocks, and Rachel laughed at him. He finally caught up, his knee all scraped.
They both scanned the lake. From up here, it looked farther down, and the water sparkled in the moonlight. And there was the rock that killed the little girl; it looked evil. It had sharp stone teeth and long, open rock arms, like it promised it would catch you if you jumped into them.
“How far down?” Brandon asked.
Rachel shrugged. Fifty feet? Maybe sixty.”
Brandon shuddered. “That’s pretty far.”
“Yeah.” Rachel’s voice was a little shaky too.
“Dad told us not to jump from here. It’s dangerous. It’s really dangerous,” Brandon observed.
Rachel turned her head, shot him a look. Brandon knew he shouldn’t have said that. “We’re going to do this,” she said, voice low. She cracked her knuckles.
“Then you go first.”
“Okay.” She shuffled towards the edge of the Forbidden Cliff, and stopped when her toes were over the side. She breathed in a deep, deep breath, and she flinched, teetering on her leap, but she couldn’t do it. She looked back at Brandon. “You do it.”
He stiffened. “I don’t want to.”
“Fine.” She was quiet for a moment, and the song of the cicadas took over the night. “Let’s do it together.”
He nodded. “Okay.” He stepped to the edge, and he took Rachel’s sweaty hand and squeezed.
"Don't chicken out."
"I'm not," he replied.
"Okay." She nodded. “On three… one, two… three!”
That 'three' came and went, and they both remained in place, still and relaxed. They met eyes, and Rachel initially frowned, but that faded into a smile. They both laughed at each other.
“This is a bad idea,” Rachel said.
“Yeah... so does that mean that I don't have to jump off?"
"Yes."
Brandon breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."
She laughed againand pulled her brother from the edge, still holding onto his hand. “Come on; let’s go home.”
