𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄'𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 | an apocalyptic novel ©

Chapter 76

Slackline between Insanity and Hell

2035

Valencia

I could punch Aidan right into his perfect jawline.

What we are doing here is completely ill-considered.

In other words - it is the deadliest move. My feet dangle in forty feet of empty air above the ground, above the gaping hole in the underground garage.

I can't look down, I can't. I will fall. I already see the vivid image.

Why are we doing this? Why am I doing this? Why am I blindly following a stranger? Most importantly: Why am I trusting a stranger?

Every time the metal does as much as move, ache or groan under my steps, my heart skips a beat. Aidan doesn't seem so stressed out - in fact, he is faster than I am, walking along the narrow crane arm like it is his typical afternoon stroll. Our distance from each other increases more and more. Not that I mind that in general, I mind that right now. I don't even know if the stranger would care if I fell to my death.

"What are we doing, Aidan?" I hear myself call out to him. It feels weird to say his name, it also feels weird to call him a stranger.

"To be honest, I don't know," he responds. The wind up here almost carries his voice away from me.

Why am I following him? I swear under my breath as the bar I am standing on right now creaks in its angle.

Aidan is now farther away than he was just seconds ago. He was right, I am stalling time. I need to catch up. Either to him or to the thought of being closer to the pharmacy with every step.

Sometimes throughout the little time I have spent on this trip so far, I caught myself forgetting why and for whom I was doing this and as soon as I remembered, I was worried.

A part of me is already relieved knowing that Henry is safe in Aidan's shelter. But the other part thinks of worse possibilities.

A stranger offered my brother shelter - a stranger whose intentions I still don't know.

My steps are getting weaker the more I think about it. I have trouble holding my balance on the narrow crane beam. Stretching out my arms doesn't do much.

"Shit!" escapes my lips when my knees start to wobble. I row with my arms to maintain my balance. My heart races.

I will fall, I will fall, I will fall.

My posture shifts from my left to my right, I automatically look down to the ground. Forty feet. My heart drops and my stomach churns.

I can't. Fuck me, I can't!

This distance feels so far, I will fall.

I will f-

"Breathe."

Someone appears in my vision. I look up. An outstretched hand is held in my direction. I don't even have to think twice about who it is.

This time, I grab it without hesitation. Our hands interlock, and I hold on to Aidan's tightly. He somehow managed to turn back around to go back to me. And now, he leads me across the crane.

"You will fall. Let me go, for your safety," I remark, but he shakes his head.

"If I let go, then you will fall. And you know pretty fucking well that you are the one who needs to return to your brother, not me."

Damn it. He's got a point.

I don't know what to say to that, so I focus on the way in front of us - on the building in front of us. A strong gust of wind almost knocks away my balance again, but Aidan's grip is firm around my hand, we are now walking safely over the crane, somehow faster than I was on my own.

At some point in the middle, the crane makes a bow, so we have to walk down on it. My steps are small, I don't dare to trip or skitter. The building is now closer than it was before. Suddenly, the crane aches under our next step and even moves down a bit. I wince.

"Easy, don't worry," Aidan tries to calm me down, stopping mid-walk. Then, I see the issue - the crane only reaches here, there is a good three feet distance between us standing and the building. We have to jump.

Jump.

How will we find a way back? Aidan might be optimistic, but being optimistic in this case is irrational.

We have to jump - without a run-up.

Unless we can make one from a small distance.

Aidan also thinks what I'm thinking. Although he is hesitant, he tries to hide it, and it almost works.

The somewhat good thing is that the crane is located higher than the actual building - we'd have to jump down, not up or forward. But still, the distance is three feet, if not more.

"Are you sure that you can do that?" I ask skeptically when Aidan gently lets go of my hand and takes a few steps back - his definition of a run-up. For me, the distance would be too small, I'd need at least five more steps for an appropriate run-up.

He shrugs. Great.

I walk back too, back up the little arch, to make space for him. My breath hitches when my shoe wobbles slightly again.

Breathe - as Aidan told you to, Valencia.

"Don't die, you'd splatter on the ground like a tomato," I repeat his sentence from earlier.

That makes him grin. "I don't want to test out that theory."

Then his face grows serious, concentrated. He checks the distance again, adjusts his position and bites his lower lip to focus.

I don't think he is untaught in survival, he seems even better than I am, so this might actually work out for him.

Suddenly, without a further word, he starts to run.

His feet leap off.

And he jumps.