She is falling. Spiraling downwards, wind rushing through her hair and catching her breath. Her arms don’t flail. Instead, she is motionless while the world is speeding past her; a flurry of color.
     It is in that short burst of time between being absolutely terrified and utterly amazed when she realizes just how beautiful the planet is. Countries look similar to green slabs of artificial grass, glowing dimly. The sun is beaming soft, radiant light on everything it can touch. Entire oceans gleam and glimmer an astonishing deep blue, depth unknown.
She can see the curve of the Earth.
     She decides she has known nothing up until now. The textbook studies in her small town of Sunnyvale, Arkansas, don’t even hold a flame to this majestic inferno of a fire. It is blazing, fiercely consuming her mind. She feels almost unreal. And she knows if she turns to face the galaxy, celestial stars will glitter and reflect in her amber colored eyes. Swirls of rich purple and foam green snake around the planets, like smoke curling around a warm fire.
     She swears she will never go back to her provincial way of thinking again. No more “the Earth is a cold dead place” mindset. Because she is flying, wind sharply cutting her cheekbones with her heart in her throat. She wants to scream, but nothing comes out. Landing from her descent, she is a new person. She has fallen from the sky.