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Shoving her inappropriately timed thoughts away, Alex called back, “Nearly there, guys. I’m right at the end.”

Her body was screaming in agony, the pain heightened by having to turn around and check on everyone after each swing forward. Her muscles were begging for a reprieve, her shoulders feeling all but pulled from their sockets, and yet she continued onwards, knowing they wereso close.

Hope welled within her as she started to ease her way up the curved lip of the overhang, already able to see that the top surface veered straight back towards the cliff, offering a flat area where they would be able to recover. She could have cried as relief overwhelmed her, knowing that in just a few more seconds, they’d all be able to rest.

She wanted to rush, to hurry forward to the awaiting respite, but she deliberately kept her pace slow enough for the now lagging D.C. to keep up.

“Only a few more swings,” Alex encouraged, pausing to look back at her again. “You’re doing so, so well.”

And she was… until she wasn’t.

Because as D.C. swung forward, her fingers visibly fumbled for the next hold.

Alex wasn’t sure if her friend’s arm cramped or if she simply slipped, but a petrified scream left D.C.’s mouth when she lost her grip.

And then, suddenly, she was falling.

Seven

Never before had Alex been so thankfulfor her Meyarin reflexes.

As if watching D.C. fall in slow motion, Alex instantly dropped one of her arms and clamped her hand around her friend’s wrist.

As D.C. was brought to a sudden halt, the drag of her dead weight nearly pulled Alex right off the overhang with her. Fingers slipping dangerously, Alex ground them into the rock, heedless of the pain as the rough surface tore into her flesh.

“Hold on!” she screamed as D.C.’s weight made them swing back and forth—making it even more difficult for Alex to maintain her grip.

Tears streamed down D.C.’s face, leaving dirty trails from the dust on her skin, but she nodded desperately in agreement— too terrified to speak—and raised her free hand to latch onto Alex’s arm, strengthening the grip between them.

The boys were crying out, their panic clear as they rushed almost recklessly closer. All of them were still hanging so precariously, and the only way any of them would survive was if they made it over the outcropping. But handicapped with only one free arm, there was no way Alex would be able to haul both herself and D.C. up over the edge on her own.

“Dix, I know you’re scared right now,” she said to her friend, her breath coming in pants from the strain of her position.“But I promised I wouldn’t let you fall, and that’s one promise I intend to keep. Do you hear me?” When D.C. didn’t respond, Alex prompted, “Dix? Iswearto you that we’ll get through this—I need to know you believe me.”

It was tentative, but D.C. offered another nod, tears of terror continuing to fall silently down her cheeks.

“I need you to remember that,” Alex said. “Because I’m going to pull you up now and I need you to be strong enough to keep going. Just a few more feet and we’ll be safe. But I can’t do this on my own without your help.” Alex flicked a glance towards the pale-faced boys and finished, “No one can get past us—we need to get up over this rock so everyone else can, too. They’re relying on us, do you understand?”

It was a trembled breath of sound, but D.C. seemed more focused now as she whispered, “Okay.”

“Okay,” Alex whispered back. “Now, can you see that space about half a foot from where my hand is holding the rock? That’s where I’m going to pull you up to. I need you to be ready to grab onto it—can you do that?”

“I think so,” D.C. answered.

Pride welled deep within Alex, but all she said was, “Good. On three, then.” Willing her screaming muscles to cooperate for just a few seconds longer, Alex called, “One, two, three.”

And with a mighty heave that tore even more flesh from her fingers clawing the rock, she drew D.C. up until she was high enough to let go of Alex with her free hand and reach for the hold she’d been directed towards.

“Got it?” Alex grunted, still bearing half of D.C.’s weight even after she’d latched onto the rock.

“Yes!”

With her confirmation, Alex raised the wrist she was still gripping until it lined up with another handhold.

D.C. didn’t need further direction; she buried those fingers into the rock as well, and the relief of no longer bearing her weight almost sent Alex off the mountain.

“You good?” Alex panted.

“No,” D.C. panted back, sniffling even if her tears had ceased flowing. “But I’m secure. So let’s finish this.”