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Heather
loved the freedom of soaring high above the land and sea. She learned how to
hang-glide from her boyfriend.
Initially,
she was scared to death. The first time he took her up, she hung on for dear
life. But by the end of that flight, she was hooked. Half a year later, she
bought her own hang-glider.
Almost
every weekend, she drove to Torrey Pines and leaped off the cliff. She could
soar to La Jolla in less than five minutes. She liked to fly over the town. She
would wave at kids pointing and looking up at her, and they would shout and wave
back excitedly.
One day she
was returning to the launch site when she noticed a red hawk rapidly approaching
her. It briefly disappeared. Then she heard its claws ripping the wing’s fabric.
It flew off. But the next thing she knew, it was flying straight at her. She
turned out of its way, but it dove at her again. She was scared.
She had to
evade its attacks four times before she was able to land safely. Even after she
landed, it circled overhead, as if daring her to fly again. What did I do to
you, she wondered.
As she
drove home, she found out that she had been lucky. The radio news reported that
in Australia, a hang-glider had been attacked by not one, but two, eagles.
Maybe it
was something in the air, Heather thought.
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