Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz 5th post

'He took a deep breath, tensing his body, trying to think of the muscles in his legs as coiled springs that could launch him to safety. His right foot was resting on the mine. The left foot was on flat ground. That was the one that would have to do most of the work. Do it! Alex had to force himself, knowing that he might be making the worst mistake of his life, that seconds from now he could be crippled, in agony. He jumped. At the very last moment he changed his mind but continued anyway, launching himself down the slope with all his strength. He thought he felt the mine shudder very slightly as his foot left it. But it hadn't exploded, at least not in the half second that he had left the ground. Automatically, he crossed his arms in front of his face, to protect himself from the fall-- or from the blast. The slope was rushing past him, a dark streak at the corner of his vision. Then he hit the ditch. Water, cold and muddy, splattered into his face. His shoulder hit something hard. Behind him, there was an explosion. The mine. Clumps of earth and torn grass rained down on him. Then nothing. His face was underwater. He pulled his head back, spitting mud. A plume of smoke rose to the sky. The fuse must have given him three seconds before it detonated the mine. He had taken those three seconds and they had saved him' (Horowitz 53).

Even though the events in this passage take place in a matter of seconds, they help draw a picture of Alex, the main character in this book. Just the fact that he is standing on a land mine tells a lot about him. His life is filled is many dangers, this just being one of them. He is also very calm in the face of danger, even when an ordinary person would have lost his nerve. The author also mentions that Alex automatically "crossed his arms in front of his face, to protect himself from the fall," which implies that he has had training of some sort, and is used to act instantly in the face of danger. By using a lot short, simple sentences, the author gives the reader some insight into how the character is taking in all that is happening around him. This makes the passage seem very long and drawn out, as if time were slowing down during his jump.
Some questions I have about the text are: Why did he second guess himself right after he started jumping? Is it unusual for a mine to explode three seconds after the fuse has been activated?