image [https://i.imgur.com/9NBUQyl.jpeg]
The group of ghosts hovered near the edge of the lookout, translucent figures cloaked in a shimmer of the setting sun. It was perfect for a show, and they’d found their entertainment: a nervous bungee jumper teetering on the ledge, looking down at the abyss below. The jumper’s legs wobbled, his face pale under the pressure of the crowd's encouragement.
“I’m telling you, this one’s not making it,” said Gary, a ghost with a faded top hat. He slapped an ethereal five-dollar bill into the hands of Maggie, a specter draped in a Victorian dress. “He’s got ‘future ghost’ written all over him.”
“Oh, please!” Maggie scoffed, her voice a wisp of wind in the air. “This guy’s a survivor. Look at him—he’s got that wild-eyed desperation! My bet’s on a clean bounce back.” She tossed her own ghostly currency into the pool.
At the edge, the jumper gulped audibly, glancing at the instructor with a shaky smile. "I don’t know if I can do this," he stammered, his hands gripping the support harness.
“Do it, coward!” shouted Steve, a spirit in a tattered bowling shirt. “Come on, it’s not like you have anything to lose! Well, except your life, but you can hang out with us if that happens!” He winked and nudged Gary, who let out a laugh.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Hey, hey, if you die, first round's on you, buddy!” Gary called out to the jumper, who didn’t hear them.
The living tourist crowd cheered below, oblivious to the spectral peanut gallery, and the bungee jumper looked over his shoulder one last time. He nodded hesitantly, like a man facing a firing squad, then took a deep breath. With a scream that sounded like both terror and excitement, he flung himself into the air.
The ghosts collectively held their breath—or whatever they had instead of breath. The jumper plummeted, arms flailing, the bungee cord stretching impossibly long as he neared the ground.
"Come on, come on!" Maggie muttered, her eyes fixed on the scene below. “Bounce back, you fool!”
The jumper snapped back up just in time, the cord rebounding with a force that yanked him skyward. His scream turned into a laugh of relief, echoing through the canyon as he bobbed up and down like a yo-yo. The crowd erupted in cheers.
Gary let out a groan. “Ah, rats! I thought for sure he was a goner.”
Steve shook his head, tossing his ghostly dollars to Maggie. “You win this time, Maggie, but I swear, one of these days, we’re getting a new member. It’s been too quiet around here.”
Maggie grinned as she scooped up the ghostly winnings. “Better luck next time, boys. But hey, there's always another jumper.”
They drifted back to the lookout, settling in for the night. As the jumper finally reached the platform and kissed the ground in relief, Gary yelled, “Hey! We’ll be waiting when you try that again!”