I grab my sister’s hand and pull her towards the cliff edge with me. She nods slowly in my direction.

Then we jump.

No time for second guessing. No time to question the reason why. Just the feeling of the wind rushing past us and are stomachs somersaulting inside us as we hurtled closer and closer to the darkness.

Some may call us brave. Others stupid. But if we had a chance to save our family then we would take it.

Neither of us knew if we’d survive but we both agreed it was a risk we had to take.

For months now the black hole that had sucked up our small village had been creeping closer and closer. Devouring everything in its path.

Those who stepped to close paid the ultimate price when they got pulled into the mouth of the black hole, disappearing forever. Our parents and youngest brother had been one of those unfortunate people.

Weeks had passed since then. My sister and I were on our own. Those smart enough had fled, though I wondered how safe they really were. The blackness kept growing, getting larger and larger by the day, sucking everything into itself.

I would not run. And neither, apparently would my sister. If there was a place on the other side, somewhere the inky blackness would spit us out, I had to trust that’s where our family would be.

The free fall lasted only the blink of an eye and then the force of the black hole’s gravity became a crushing weight, suspending me in mid air.

My hand that had been clasping my sisters lost their grip on hers, forced apart by an unseen weight.

I tried to turn my head but I couldn’t see her. I could not open my mouth or speak at all.

Then I started spinning, faster and faster. My stomach under normal circumstances would want to rebel but it couldn’t.

I have no idea how I didn’t pass out.

I couldn’t tell how much time had passed. Or what had happened to my sister. Where was she? Was she trapped like me? Had she even made it?

I was spinning closer and closer the heart of the black hole. My eyes began to water and I shut them tightly. Praying if there was something, anything, on the other side I would survive to see it.

Though I had no choice I surrendered myself to the blackness and waited for it to be over.