Up
Up. At least you think it was up. It’s hard to tell anymore in the crushing weight of the pencils. They press up against you, tighter and tighter until you feel like you can’t breathe. But even as you claw your way up there is no relief. You feel your head start to swim, and your vision fades.
You wake up to the sound of barking, and see a dog standing over you, jumping excitedly and looking for people around it. In an instant your entire body flashes with cold. You’re surrounded by snow.
It’s hard to remember what happens next, but you feel blankets wrap around your body and hear concerned voices buzzing around you. Food is spooned into your mouth and you slowly start to feel warmer but you keep sliding in and out of consciousness. Pencils and snow and cave walls swirl around your mind, and it’s difficult to tell what’s real until finally your vision clears and you see a figure standing over you.
“Thank goodness! You’re alive! Henry, look, they're awake!”
A dog sits up from your feet, where it was curled around you, and barks happily. You’re wrapped in a thick sleeping bag, and sitting in a bright orange tent.
“We were worried sick! That avalanche hit, and you shoved me out of the way but then you disappeared and- are you ok?”
You try to speak but the only sound you’re able to make is a quiet squeak.
“No no, it’s ok. You must have hurt your throat somehow. Just- nod your head if you feel alright” You nod. “Good. Ok. OK! We should keep going then. We’re almost to the summit.”
The summit! You and your friend Michael were mountaineering and got caught in an avalanche. Then the dungeon, and the darkness, and the clawing at the walls- it was all a dream.
“You still have feeling in your limbs right? Ten fingers, ten toes? Perfect. Let’s get moving. Do you need any help getting up?”
You shake your head, and carefully get to your feet. After some food and water you feel much more alive and that feeling only increases when you step out of the tent. The snow is so bright it’s almost blinding, and when you look back your jaw drops. Miles of mountains are below you, with sheer cliff drops that make your head swim. Your gaze turns to the peak ahead of you. The clouds are so close you could almost touch them and every ache in your body fades away as you feel adrenaline flood through you.
Michael steps out of the tent, and pats Henry on the head.
“You ready boy? We’re almost there!”
He barks happily and Micheal turns to you with a giant grin on his face. You crack a smile and with a rush shoulder your pack and start trekking upwards. After a few hours Michael hands you an oxygen mask.
“Here. We’re high enough that it’s going to get a lot harder to breathe”
You put it on and took a deep breath. You hadn’t even realized how thin the air was up here. You watch as Michael hoists Henry into a small airtight compartment in his backpack then keeps trudging through the ice.
The path gets steeper and you have to hook yourself to ropes and climbing gear so you can scale the cliff ahead. Soon you can see the precipice ahead so you start to rush your climbing, excited to finally get to the top, and suddenly you feel your rope start to give. You panic but before you can even react Michael grabs it and with the slack ties it back into a tighter knot. He gives a thumbs up, and you smile and nod.
You spot him as he climbs over the edge, and grab his hand to let him pull you up. What you see makes your jaw drop. The entire world is beneath you. Clouds swirl miles below, and you can see tiny cities dotting the landscape in between patches of green and brown.
You look over to Michael and see him starting to tear up. Neither of you have to say anything. You both feel it. He wraps his arm around your shoulder and you both take in the most incredible sight you have ever seen.
Ending 9/16