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College Adventure

One Thursday evening after a bunch of us had consumed several beers, our stupid genes kicked in, and we began talking about our next college prank: painting our dormitory name and floor number on the local water tower. “Let’s do it now,” someone said. So off we went to do the stupidest and most dangerous prank we had done to-date. The local water tower was an old fashioned model with what looked like a coffee cup on top. It was probably a hundred feet or so from the ground to the walkway around the water tank. After arriving at the tower, I began to wonder if I could do what was planned. I was always afraid of heights and my fear was about to be tested. A short while later I was midway up the first of two ladders. The first ladder angled inward to the bottom of the water tank. The second ladder angled outward from the top of the first ladder to the water tank walkway, leaving nothing but open space between me and the ground. Gary was already on the tank walkway, and he knew I would not make it to the top if I looked down. “Don’t look down,” he yelled. I didn’t look down and kept saying to myself, “I’m just a few feet off the ground.” One rung, another rung, a few more rungs, and my hand was finally on the rail to the walkway. I raised my leg up and over, and I was on the walkway. Then I looked down, something I should not have done. I freaked. How will I ever get down? Would I be returning to the dormitory or would I be going to jail?