This is the second of a series of short stories I am writing this December.
Click here to read the explanation of why I’m writing them.
I took the liberty of jumping from ‘Point’ to ‘Peak’ for this story.
“Let’s keep up the pace” I heard Erwin shout above the wind.
“God, I hate Erwin” I thought. It’s gotten so bad that I hate his face. His voice is like nails on a god-damn chalk board; it makes my blood boil. Every action he takes makes me wish I had never agreed to come on this expedition.
We’ve been travelling for less than a week so I don’t know why I am so damn annoyed by his stupid, stupid face. It wasn’t long since basecamp in Branscomb Glacier but ever since Erwin’s feet had hit Mount Vinson he had become a right arse.
“You need to get past it” I cajoled myself, “concentrate on the climb”. The four of us were scaling the particularly steep slope from ‘High Camp’ up to the Peak. Travelling single file, each of our harnesses bound together in a long line.
The rope tied to my waist went taught and I turned to see what was up with Stefan.
“Are you alright?” I began to shout when I noticed the limp unconscious body of Stefan sliding over the icy surface and over the side of slope.
My blood turned to ice as the adrenaline pumped into my veins.
“You need to brace” my brain blurted out but it knew it was already too late, my god.
Stefan’s going to drag me over the edge.
The rope yanked at the harness around my waist and I was falling; shoes losing their purchase on the slick ice below me.
A shrill scream filled the air, it was me.
I heard Rosario and Erwin shouting after me.
It was too late, slapping my hands and feed into the ground did nothing, they couldn’t find purchase on the ice.
“Use your ice axes” some small corner of my brain was repeating but it couldn’t be heard over the panic coursing through my body.
“I’m going to die”.
My feet slipped over the edge, followed closely by the rest of me.
I’ll have to talk to Erwin when we get back to Seattle, I’m not sure this relationship can carry on now I’ve seen this side of him.
“Is that seriously my final thought before I die?!”
My shoulder slammed into the side of the mountain, impacting the freezing cold rock; popping my shoulder. Searing pain shot along my collar bone; if I lived then it was going to hurt like hell.
God the sky was beautiful, not a cloud in sight. Somewhere below me Stefan was swinging from his rope and I was probably ruining this view for him; our final vista. His weight and mine were surely too much for Rosario and she would come toppling over the edge soon.
The rope came to an abrupt halt, flinging me into the back of my harness. Rosario had somehow braced herself, “she probably didn’t panic like you did”.
It had only been seconds since my contempt for Erwin and his face, but I would trade anything to see it one last time.
“Are you OK Noah?” echoed from above, barely audible over the wind howling along the mountainside.
“I’m alright, Stefan’s unconscious” came the response, my response.
Jesus, am I in control any more or am I just a passenger in my own body?
The wind whipped around me, the response unintelligible, my body and Stefans still swinging like some unloved string puppets.
“Please save me” I begged to no one in particular, the tears freezing on my cheeks stung; maybe a God somewhere will take pity on me.
“Use your ice axes” the small corner of my brain was repeating and this time it got through the static. This was no time for self-pity. With a busted shoulder there was not much hope of pulling myself up and over the ledge with Stefan attached to me, but with Erwin and Rosario pulling too there was a chance.
“There’s no second place. Get moving.”
The ice axe bit into the side of the mountain and I oriented myself with my feet facing downwards. Stefan is hopefully still alive but his body is swinging which kept pulling me back away from the edge, but the combination of my pick and cleats kept me in place.
Climbing was hard, one arm dangling uselessly at my side, but there was no other choice. Stefan wouldn’t give up if the roles were reversed. Besides, I very much wanted to slap his unconscious arse awake so he could witness me strangling him to death instead.
Minute after minute passed, the adrenaline dump could only go on so long and I began to tire.
“The ledge is right there, only a few more feet.”
A gloved hand swooped over the edge and grabbed mine.
“I’ve got you” Erwin shouted down as he pulled me up and over the ledge.
Rolling onto my back I joined the effort to pull Stefan up, the last drops energy leaving my body all at once.
We pulled him up and over, secured the lines while Rosario checked on him.
“He’s alive and breathing”, thank god, “he’s coming to”, she said.
I turned to Erwin.
“I’ll never call your face stupid again” I said through blurry eyes as he looked at me with tired and perplexed eyes.
