Flying Mile High Chapter 14
#23 of Flying Mile High
15.05. Hobart time: Jonathan guided Sarah through his holiday mansion with a blindfold tied around her eyes. He guided her out of the simulator room and took her back into the atrium, carefully walking her down a set of stairs, then took off her blindfold.
Sarah opened her eyes and her jaw dropped. She was standing on top of a waterfall at least 10 metres high.
"That's beautiful". She gasped.
"Shall we take a dive?". Asked Jonathan.
"But I didn't bring swimsuit". Replied Sarah.
"No need. This is where I take my baths".
Jonathan slowly untied her neckerchief and placed it aside. Sarah took off the wolf's blazer and dropped it next to her neckerchief. She slipped out of her high heel shoes, then took off her stockings. Jonathan unbuttoned Sarah's vest and one piece dress, then dropped them to the floor. The two continued to strip each other until they were fully naked.
"You ready for this?". Jonathan asked.
"Not sure, this is pretty int........".
Jonathan took Sarah's hand and jumped off the waterfall. Sarah was screaming in fear as she felt the air rush past her exposed body. Her head was now facing downwards as she saw herself falling closer and closer to the manmade river. Adrenaline ran through Sarah's system as she was gaining speed towards the earth. She screamed her last words and closed her eyes. "I'm too young to die!!!".
Sarah plunged into the river, holding Jonathan's hand as tightly as she could. She felt a tug from the wolf and found herself being pulled back up to the waters surface. She took a huge breath when her head broke the surface. She started laughing uncontrollably as she wrapped her arms around her lover.
"Let's do that again!". Pleaded Sarah.
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15.21. Hobart: Joe wandered down the streets as he looked at the different retailers. Some were selling clothes, while others were selling jewelry. Out of all the shops, one of them caught Joe's eyes.
Joe opened the door and entered the small shop selling chocolate and confectionaries. The shop was old but well maintained. It still had the old British architecture before Australia had declared independence. A teenaged Deer was staring blankly at a booklet when she noticed him enter the shop.
"Can I help you Sir?".
"Australia's best chocolate comes from Tasmania right?".
"That will depend on the type of chocolate. The best Belgian chocolate comes from Tasmania, and that is what my family has been making since before they even immigrated to Australia in the 1890s. However, my great-grandmother was French and she had a traditional family recipe of French chocolate from her village".
The deer handed Joe some chocolate.
"Try this, it's entirely made out of my grandma's recipe".
Joe took a piece of milk chocolate and placed it into his mouth. It was slightly bitter at first but it melted away on his tongue, with a smooth, creamy texture and a slight scent of fresh milk. It began to sweeten as the chocolate continued to melt. Joe was in pure heaven when the final layer of chocolate broke open, releasing a flow of caramel onto his taste buds.
"This is better than the chocolate I buy from Paris. Is it handmade?".
"Yes, those are handmade by my parents. Who do you intend on buying chocolate for?". She asked
"It's for my girlfriend". Answered Joe.
"I can give you flowers to go with it if you'd like. Better take this as well".
The deer handed him the box of sample chocolate.
"What's this for?". Asked Joe.
"Girls love it when their boyfriends feed them chocolate. You might as well have some ready and on demand. So you are buying one box?".
"Two boxes of French chocolate, and I want another box of Belgian please".
The deer had gone to the storeroom to find some wrapping paper, when Joe noticed the booklet she'd left on the table. He picked it up and read it to himself.
'A rock falls from a cliff, 50 metres above the ground. Calculate its final velocity (assuming there is no air resistance)'.
Joe tried to remember how to answer this question. He'd done physics in high school, only to realise it was useless when becoming a pilot.
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12.34. Perth time: Air Tangara flight 178 was only 100 feet above the runway. Bob pulled back the joystick as he eased the descent rate of the fully loaded A340.
"50".
"40".
"30".
"Retard! Retard!".
He pulled the throttle back to idle, and pulled back the joystick of the plane.
"5".
Gwen and Bob shook as the plane made contact with the Earth. Bob pushed the joystick forward and dropped the nose wheel back onto the ground. He pulled the levers attached to the throttle control, opening a series of panels on the 4 engines. They started to spool up again as they sent a powerful force of air in the reverse direction. Gwen monitored the airspeed indicator as the plane continued to decelerate on the runway.
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Joe stared in awe at the beauty of the diamond on a 24 carat gold ring. It had a price tag of $2000. This piece of rock carried his destiny. It could lead him onto a road full of surprises and joy, while the other option could place his life into a paper shredder.
"Can I help you Sir?".
Joe looked up at the male wallaby and gave a blunt reply. "Not yet".
Joe could turn away and pretend this had never happened. He could always come back, but he had made that decision all too many times and not followed through. He had known Gwen for more than 10 years and the two of them were starting to grow old. Joe took a deep breath and pointed to the 24 carat ring.
"I want to buy that one. I'll pay by card".
'There's no turning back now, I've made my decision as a mature man'. Thought Joe. He placed his credit card on the counter and completed the transaction.