Diving in

The water looked cold. I bent my knees and felt my toes grip the cold rock. It might have looked as though I was about to take off on my dive but I wasn’t ready yet. The water looked so very cold. I remembered reading that, by monitoring people’s brainwaves through decision processes, scientists had established that, at the point when someone made a choice - exercised their free will - they were merely rubber-stamping a decision that their subconscious had already made, milliseconds earlier. I tried to tell myself that it was all a done deal and that I might as well jump in now. But still I stood above the cold water. I crouched again, swinging my arms from behind my back. I even allowed the momentum of my arms to move me forward - onto my toes. And then back again. I would do it on the next swing. As my arms reached backwards, I sat my weight onto my heels, poised for half a second - maybe my subconscious could work with that? - rocked forward onto my toes as my knees bent further and then launched myself upwards and forwards.

I followed my thoughts into the water below.