The switch

Chapter two

I picked through the rubble of the place previously known as my training center. It had been blown to bits along with the west side of Portland. However, after hearing about this thing called 'the switch', I knew I had to find what had become of this place in order to see if I could salvage anything. I also needed to see if the computers in the lower levels were still running so I could hack the system for status report files. The first level of the building was completely ruined and I knew there would be no salvaging anything from the top level. I looked for the staircase, knowing I definitely wasn't prying open any elevator doors and climbing down a rope but found the problem with the stairs quite quickly. 

They were blown to bits with the rest of the top level. The bottom of the stairs was probably in tact, but the rubble of the top of the stairs probably covered the bottom level that was still in tact. Even the railing had been ruined, meaning I couldn't use that to get down to the bottom level. I chewed on my lip and sighed in annoyance. This was going to be a lot more difficult than I originally thought. I combed my fingers through my chocolate colored locks and pulled them up, using an elastic around my wrist to tie my hair up to keep it out of my face. I pulled my backpack in front of me and pulled out leather gloves I'd taken from our trip to the mall and a thing of rope. Looks like elevator it was. I put my backpack back over my shoulder and found the elevator, happy to see that the doors were hanging off and I could easily pull them off. The elevator was at the bottom so that made things slightly easier. 

I stretched my arms out, put my gloves on and got a running start. I jumped into the elevator and gripped the rope and started to slide. Panic flitted through me and I wrapped my foot around the rope, trying to stop myself from sliding away. Holy shit. I tightened my grip, trying desperately to stop myself from sliding but my struggling only seemed to be making me slide faster. I finally started to slow down and breathed a sigh of relief. I let the thing of rope I'd situated on my shoulder slide down my arm and keeping hold of the elevator cord with my legs, I tied a loop around the elevator cord and tightened it and then tied the other end of the rope around my waist. Though it certainly wouldn't stop me from falling, it would keep me to the only thing stopping me from an all-out free fall to my death. I gripped the cord once more with my hands and started to little by little inch my way down the cord. 

Finally, I got to the next level door. Now I just needed to figure out how to swing to the edge of the closed door. I didn't really think this through very well. I took a deep breath and gripped the cord with my hands and used my legs to start swinging the cord back and forth. It certainly wasn't very loose normally, but after the bombing, it had to have loosened at least a little bit. I was right. Okay now that I knew it would swing, I untied my rope from around my waist and started to swing once more and then jumped. That was a mistake. I wasn't nearly close enough to the ledge to land neatly. I let out a small shriek of terror as my foot slipped off the edge of the wall and I reached up desperately. My fingers caught the ledge just barely and I used my other hand to claw my way to being at a much safer position. 

I was sweating despite it being freezing and my heart was beating heavily against my chest. I was able to get my elbows up on the ledge and used my elbows to keep me from falling while I quickly pulled my gloves off to better grip the ledge. I was finally able to pull myself up onto the ledge and I took a moment to catch my breath, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart.

"Never again." I whispered to myself and then took in my situation. The ledge was small but not quite as small as the ledge back at the Control headquarters I'd been able to sit on but I'd have to be doing a lot more than just sitting and waiting. I would need to be moving around in order to pry the door open and the slightest misstep could send me plummeting to my untimely death. I swiped at my forehead and then ever so carefully pulled my pack in front of me and unzipped the bag, pulled out one of the daggers I'd got from the mall. I inched over away from the wall till I was right in front of the doors and I wedged my knife into the doors. I wiggled my knife around in the door. The door opened ever so slightly and I stuck my fingers in the door, using them to pry it open. I could finally see the other side. I almost smiled in relief to almost be out of this dangerous place that's only killed me plenty of times but I had to force it back. Something always goes wrong when you think somethings about to go right. I had to remain focused.