The Experience of Being Alive

Chapter Nine

Binny was disappointed that her idea was received so coolly. Was it really so crazy to want to do something for a friend? "It was just an idea. I read his book, and I sensed he might be a little sad. He was nice to me, and..."

"Really Binny, what's better than hanging out with us?" Arya waved her sword back and forth absent-mindedly in a mock threat.

At least Binny thought Arya was kidding.

"Come on Binny. Wouldn't you rather be part of the in-crowd?" Katniss seemed to be mocking her now. Katniss' eyes sparkled in challenge.

Binny thought for a moment. Nobody seemed very excited about her poem idea. She felt kind of stupid for even suggesting it. Binny did want to fit in with these girls. She was on her own here in the Stacks and this was the closest thing she had to a family. "Sure. Of course I'll go with you guys."

Binny saw that Hermione looked relieved and gave her a smile. Binny didn't notice that Katniss actually looked a little disappointed.

¤

The sound was deafening. Binny couldn't even imagine how many gallons of water were rushing by. Millions? Billions? Zillions? Was zillions a real thing? Binny was pretty sure it wasn't.

Hermione had a big smile on her face and it was easy to understand why. The falls stretched endlessly in either direction. They had walked as close to the edge as they dared. The spit of land got narrower and narrower until it too was swallowed by the rushing water which seemed in constant danger of engulf their feet and maybe more.

Binny looked over the edge of the waterfall into, what was it exactly... space? Binny knew that back home, well in her book home, the planet was curved. It didn't look that way when you were standing on it. It generally looked flat. But if you kept walking to the horizon you would never get there.

But here, in this place, with Hermione, Katniss, and Arya, they walked to the horizon and they actually got there. They were at the edge. And beyond it, there was nothing. "It's like the Earth is actually flat," Binny gasped.

"You're not on Earth," Katniss remarked.

Hermione frowned. "You're on Discworld."

"And this is Rimfall." Arya stood precipitously close to the edge.

"Careful, you're scaring me," Binny said.

Footsteps. Binny thought she heard running footsteps. It was hard to hear over the thrum of the rushing water. Where did it all go? The sound of the footsteps got closer. Binny looked over her shoulder.

A woman was running towards them at top speed. She was wearing a gorgeous gown but her feet were bare. Her hair looked old-timey. Little wavelets across the top with the hair gathering into a gentle and thick fancy braid flying behind her. Binny stared, giving Hermione a little tap to turn around.

They watched together for a moment, distracted from the majestic site of the waterfall stretching endlessly in either direction. But then, the woman didn't stop. If anything, she was picking up speed. It looked to Binny like the woman was going to jump off the edge.

Binny started waving frantically trying to get the woman's attention. "Stop! Stop!" Binny yelled. The woman kept going.

"Let her do it," Katniss mumbled after turning around to see what the commotion was all about.

But Binny had no intention of letting that happen. Binny started running towards the woman trying to cut her off.

If the woman had noticed Binny she might have tried to adjust her course. But apparently she hadn't. Or perhaps she just didn't care either way. Binny went barreling into her and they both tumbled getting wet in the process as Binny's shove sent them flying just beyond the spit into the rushing shallows.