Elise - S01 E12

Story 8 months ago

Elise - S01 E12

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 12

At my house I opened up the garage and we entered from there.

"I need to change," I said. "Make yourself at home."

I dashed upstairs and changed quickly swapping my boots for trainers and pulled on a fresh t shirt.. Back downstairs I found Elise looking at a photo.

"Your parents?"

The photo showed a middle aged couple with a younger me between them, sitting on rocks at a beach smiling.

"Yes, that was one of the last times we were all together."

"I'm sorry, Ger. They look like nice folk, your mom was beautiful."

I took the photo from Elise and looked at it before I put it back on the shelf.

"She was." I said quietly. "OK, let's go before it is too late."

Back in the garage I put a large kit bag in the trunk of the Mustang.

"What's that?" She asked.

"Just a little something we need for a not boring something."

A gentle kiss on her lips and we drove out of the garage.

I headed to the outskirts of town and took a dirt road I knew well. We pulled up at a little airstrip that had a few single engined planes on it and a Cessna 182 parked next to a hanger. Getting out of the car Elise was looking puzzled.

"We're going flying? I know I said a not boring something but flying?"

"Kind of flying in a way," I replied, "You'll see."

I got the kit bag out of the trunk and slung it over my shoulder. Taking Elise's hand we headed into the hanger where a few folk were around a table. A guy raised his head and came over to us.

"Long time no see, Ger."

"Hi Graham, it has been. Meet Elise, she wanted to do something that was not boring."

"Well she is in the right place for that. Hi, Elise. You are going to love this."

"Graham, have you got coveralls that would fit her?"

"No problem, she looks to be the same height as Marissa. Five six, five seven?"

"Five seven," Elise said looking at me. "What's going on?

"Not much, we are going to throw ourselves out of a perfectly good airplane and hope we reach the ground safely."

"WHAT? Oh no, when I said not boring I did not mean life threatening. I'm too young to die!"

Graham laughed and said to Elise. "You are not going to die. You are going to be in safe hands as long as you listen to Ger. He has done this loads of times."

"He might have but flying coach is my experience with planes, not jumping out of them."

"The first time is the best time, you'll see. Here you go, put these on." He handed her a set of bright blue coveralls.

"Don't worry, I'll be there too."

Elise looked at me, her eyes wide.

"Ger, I'm scared. Promise me I'll be ok."

I took her in my arms and hugged her.

"You are going to be fine. It is perfectly safe. You will laugh about it when we get back on the ground."

She stepped into the coveralls and I zipped her up giving her a kiss when the tab reached her neck.

"It is a good idea to plait your hair otherwise I won't see where we are going!"

As she was plaiting her hair I took my jump suit out of the kit bag and squirmed into it. They are meant to be quite close fitting. I left my foot covers off as we had to walk to the plane and didn’t need them for this. I donned my tandem rig with a bigger canopy that would allow more air time and a tandem emergency canopy.

I got the buddy rig out of the bag and onto Elise making sure it was adjusted properly. She looked at me and I could see she was nervous. Who wouldn't be doing this for the first time?

"You will be fine. Nothing is going to happen to you apart from a sensational experience that only happens once."

"You are sure, Ger? I'm not a chicken but I am nervous as hell."

"I promised I would never hurt you and I promise you will be ok."

We were interrupted by the whine of one of the 182s engines turning over and then firing. The pilot evened it out before firing the second engine, a burst of smoke erupted from the exhaust as the engine caught. He ran them up and the 182 rocked a little on its brakes. He dropped the revs and cycled the flaps, rudder and ailerons checking each function.

Graham handed Elise a light helmet and goggles. I put the helmet on her head and locked the chin strap. I left the goggles up as I put on my own. My altimeter checked out ok and I zeroed it for the location. My drogue was tucked into my thigh pocket and after an inspection by Graham he gave thumbs up. I checked his rig and patted his helmet which had a mounted camcorder.

Another skydiver, Tony, joined us and was checked out ok.

We walked out to the plane with Graham first, myself, Elise and the last guy Tony. First in last out.

Tony slid the door shut and tapped the pilot on the shoulder.

The engines revved and the plane bumped its way to the strip. I looked out and saw the windsock hanging limply, perfect conditions.

I sat With Elise between my thighs and I coupled her harness to me tugging each linkage.

I leant into her head and said, "Here comes the boring bit."

"Boring? I'm nearly peeing my panties now."

I hugged her to me and she gripped my arms tightly.

While on the ground Graham had explained what she needed to do. I went over it again with her as the plane taxied to the end of the runway. The plane turned and with the brakes on the pilot ran up the engines making it shake.

Elise gripped my arms even tighter when he released the brakes and the plane rolled down the runway.

It is nearly impossible to speak above the engine noise on take off so I hugged her and kissed her neck. The Cessna rumbled down the grass strip gaining speed quickly. The noise changed as the plane left the ground and started to climb slowly, taking wide circles and gaining height.

Elise relaxed a bit and it was easier to talk to her with the loss of ground noise.

"It takes a while to get to the height. We are going to ten thousand feet so you can get another ten seconds free fall before we deploy the chute."

"Ger, I don't want to be a splodge on the ground. Promise me."

"You won't be, I promise."

The plane reached altitude and Tony opened the door and threw out a wind streamer. As the plane circled he watched its descent. He turned and gave a thumbs up. He tapped the pilot and the plane went around once more. He opened the door and crouched in it. The engines throttled back and he leapt out. The engines revved up again and the plane circled again to regain altitude.

I shuffled us to the door and held the sides with my feet on the step frame ready to kick off. Elise had her arms folded and her knees tucked up as per the instructions we had given her. I knew her eyes would be closed as she hunched her head into her shoulders. I put my mouth to her ear.

"Open your eyes and relax your shoulders."

The engines throttled back once again and I pushed us out into the air with Graham hard on my heels. Elise gave a scream and I stabilized us and once stable tapped her shoulder and she spread herself out under me. I pulled the drogue out of my thigh pocket and it wavered in the slipstream above us. Graham was circling round us with the camcorder on his helmet running. He came in close to capture Elise's face and pulled back out recording us.