In truth, Gina had known her whole life that this was where she would find herself. She had fought it, resisting so-called destiny, the inevitability of genetics.
Yet she couldn’t deny the magnetism that drew her to high places. She had travelled the world, searching for mountaintops, seeking another path.
In time the fire of denial dwindled. Standing here now, she marvelled at how right it felt. She toed the platform, scanned the upturned faces below, then stepped off to a roar of delight, her adoring audience rapturous as one more flying Grimaldi swung and twirled above them.
*****
Another story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Read all the other 100 word stories written in response to this week’s prompt here.
If you like high-flying thrills, here is a video you might enjoy.
Onto the page 
Thought here goes another jumper, you caught me out. Love it,
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Thank you, Mike. That’s just what I wanted you to think.
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Clever twist at the end! Well done. I can’t imagine dong that every day!
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Thank you, Laurie. I watched a few Youtube videos to try to find one that fitted my story, and I could have spent hours watching some of them. Amazing skills and courage. I don’t know how they get up there in the first place, let alone swinging and leaping as they do.
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Well you did a wonderful job of telling it 😆
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Soooo very happy it was not another jumper! Well not the to-the-death kind! 🙂
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I’m glad you’re happy, Dale. No death jumps for Gina. Some of the videos of trapeze artists I watched to select a good one for my post were heart stopping. At least they use a safety net. Thanks for reading.
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Yeah for safety nets!
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I’m not so convinced it’s not another jumper. You left enough ambiguity for the reader to have to choose between two tales – there’s The Wire, – and then there’s the one Grimaldi who didn’t fit, didn’t join the family business. Lovely!
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I like that you saw some ambiguity in the story. She was under a lot of pressure to follow the family profession, and perhaps she’s kidding herself that she can fit in. Love your comment, Neil.
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Excellent twist.
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Thank you, Sandra.
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lovely twist. I was expecting a hard splat!
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Ha! That would have been a very messy way to conclude. Thanks for commenting.
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Dear Margaret,
Am I the only one who wasn’t expecting a suicide? I wasn’t expecting the actual end either, though. Masterfully done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Maybe you were, Rochelle. I’m glad you were still surprised by the ending. Thank you for your lovely words. Cheers, Margaret
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I thought we’d written similar stories till I reached the end. Good surprise finish, and I was so mesmerised by that video that I almost forgot to comment!
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I’m always amazed by how easy it is for two, or more, of us to come up with similar ideas. One story I wrote a year or so ago could have been a sequel to someone else’s story, with the main characters even having the same name. I don’t read anyone else’s before I write mine, as a rule, just to be safe. Isn’t the video amazing! I was enthralled by it too. Glad you liked it, and the story.
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Love this, Margaret. You’re so imaginative and had such a surprise finish. The video and music was just dreamy. I wish I could that!
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Thank you, Amy. I don’t feel very imaginative most of the time. It usually feels like torture trying to come up with an idea. I don’t know how some clever writers can post so early. I’d love to get ideas that quickly. I’m glad you liked the story, and I enjoyed watching the video too.
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I struggle every week, Margaret. You’re not alone! And you are quite imaginative. I’m always impressed with your ideas.
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I didn’t expect suicide either, more mountain climbing, or climbing on skyscrapers. The twist with the circus artist is much better than my imagination.
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Ah! Now that would have been interesting. I did briefly consider having Gina abseil down from a skyscraper. I remember one performance like that I saw in Sydney when the 2000 Olympics were on there. Spectacular. Thanks for commenting, Gah.
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Her love for heights was apparent from the first line, so I was not worried about her. You wrote a beautiful tale, Margaret.
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Thank you, Lore. She was always going to end up somewhere above the rest. Glad you enjoyed my story.
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