At this height I knew it was dangerous to hold my breath. At the Peak the air was far too thin to do so. But I couldn't help it. As I forced myself to breath, I intently watched the others go through their Rite of Passage. And I knew that the time I had been waiting for had almost arrived. One after another Fledglings approached the Hole in the Sky. Some tried their best to be brave, they looked to their family and smiled reassuringly. But without fail, when their time came, fear crept across their face. Their lips became taut, their eyes stared without aim, their faces became flush. Then they jumped. One by one the Fledglings met their fate. Around me families were celebrating with their sons or daughters who had successfully made the jump. The relief on the faces of those who had flown exhibited pure elation. They had cheated death and the adrenaline from the fall was coursing through their bodies. Their mothers hugged them. Their fathers shook their hands and said how they had always known that they would survive. But for every family that was celebrating, there were those who were not. If their kin could not fly, the family quietly returned home. Never again would they see their child's face. Never again would they hear their child's laugh. Never again would they feel their child's love. I remembered years ago when my cousin did not survive the fall. His parents seemed to take it well. They went home without a tear. I recall seeing his mother a week later at the supermarket, and giving her my condolences. Although she seemed distant, as was to be expected, she seemed to be doing okay. The following day her and her husband's body was found. They were found below the Hole in the Sky. Although they both could fly, they had committed suicide by jumping from the Peak and falling to their death, just as their son had done a week earlier. As these thoughts ran through my head I saw a Fledgling. He looked at me and smiled. Like the others, as he crept towards the Hole, fear overtook his courage. Then he jumped. It takes 11.3636 seconds to learn whether or not a Fledgling survives. As the time ticked away I watched the boy plummet, urging him to fly. Praying that he would fly. Then it happened, his body crashed into the Earth and I knew he was dead. Just then I heard a scream. An ear splitting scream. "My son!" The voice had said. I could not locate the speaker. But as I fell through the Hole in the Sky to join my son, I realized that it had been me.