Turns
‘You first.’
‘No, you.’
‘So the credit will be yours, Mummy’s boy? The big hero? Not happening.’
‘There’s two of us, one parachute. You take it.’
‘No! God, I hate being your twin.’
‘Likewise. Let me go down with the plane. Then you won’t be...’
‘And get a proper slapping from mum for being selfish?’
‘Can’t say you haven’t deserved it. Look. I’ll put the bloody thing on. You hold on to me, and we’ll both jump.’
‘O.K.’
‘Hang on for dear life. Ready? I’m going to crack the door open. Steady? Here goes nothing. Geronimo!’
‘Shit, wish I’d brought my jacket. It’s freezing out here.’
‘It’ll be better once I pull the ripcord.’
‘How come you get to pull the damn string? You always...’
‘Now is not the moment for arguing. I’ll...’
‘Just cause you’re one minute older, you reckon you are...’
‘If we don’t, we’ll die...’
‘Ever the know-it-all, eh? Typical. Well, this time I...’
Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Alan Kennedy has been living in Spain for the past 28 years. In the past three years, he has seen 23 of his stories published. At the moment, he has completed the first half of an MA in Creative Writing at the Open University.
This story was shortlisted in the October 24 Monthly Micro Competition.