Rise and Fall [[BEING MOVED TO ANOTHER ACCOUNT]]

Chapter Thirteen

Thirteen

There’s a ringing in my ears as I look over the valley. The thin scattering of trees bend as if under some tremendous weight. I look around at the others, and they look as dumbstruck as I am. Their faces convey everything from fear, to anticipation.

“This is insane!” Adelaide yells over the noise. “You’re going to get us all killed!”

No one looks at her. This is one thing that won’t grant her any attention.

Sasha moves to stand in front of us. “Okay, so I know this looks bad, but-“

“This looks more than bad,” Adelaide snaps. “This looks like suicide is what it looks like.”

“Shut up, Addie,” Sasha says. “Anyways, I know it looks bad, but the trick is to stay low, and you’ll be fine. I’ll go first, and you can follow me.” She shoots a look at Adelaide. “Unless you’d rather stay here and die of dehydration.”

I swallow painfully. Remembering my thirst. I watch the others sink into discomfort as well as Sasha turns around, and proceeds to walk down the hill. Descending into the valley’s gale.

I look around, and set my jaw. They’re all looking at me. Expecting me to be the first to follow. Taking a deep breath, I follow Sasha over the crest of the hill.

The wind hits me like a hurricane, and nearly throws me off my feet. My hair whips around my face, and I squint against the onslaught of air. Sasha’s already halfway down the hill. Moving in a crouch. Low to the ground. I copy it awkwardly, and inch forward. The grass is long, but it’s plastered to the hillside. Creating a sort of slide. I slip, but regain my balance before I’ve gone too far.

Soon we’ve reached the bottom, and the wind is so strong that it’s all I can do to keep my balance. I hunch against the gusts. Finding it harder and harder to walk. Sasha looks back, and I meet her eyes. She motions, and I run awkwardly to meet her. We wait. Soon, the rest have gathered around.

“Through here is a dangerous stretch,” Sasha all but screams in my ear. The sound barely carries, though, and her scream takes on the volume of a whisper before it’s ripped away. “There are giant boulders left by the glaciers. People have died here before because the wind has thrown them into them.”

We all nod our understanding, and Sasha takes my hand. “If we link up, we’ll have a better chance of staying safe,” she yells. There’s immediate movement. Adelaide grabs my hand, and drags Tallan with her other. Tallan stumbles and Raelyn reaches out to right him. Victor takes her other hand, and take’s his brother’s as well, while Stefan takes Jacie’s. Sasha peers down the line and nods. We’re ready.

The first couple steps aren’t bad, but we soon realize that without our hands, we’re going to have a harder time than we would even with them. We stumble over nothing, and are battered by air as we make painfully slow progress across the barren valley. The only changes in the landscape being the few broken trees, and the massive boulders that stand twice my height.

It’s when we reach the heart of the valley that everything seems to go wrong. The wind –if not already strong enough- seems to double in strength, and I can feel my feet threatening to part connection with the earth. Sasha yanks my arm, for there’s no way any form of verbal communication can be passed, and I squint at her. The wind is like knives in the small slit between my eyelids, but I can see her crouching even lower than before. I follow suit, pulling Adelaide down, and soon, the whole line has dropped again. As Stefan drops, though, Jacie is thrown off balance, and stands straight up to catch herself. The wind rips her from Stefan’s grasp, and we all watch in horror as she seems to fly.