“Can you stand?” he asked, clinging to a nearby rotten log and looking down the crevice.
“I don’t want to fall—but...I think I can...” She reached out for his hand and he took hers, steadying himself as she found her balance.
He looked up at the edge where Gail and Connor leaned over, and then backward at the crack. “Okay…Can you climb up to that log there?” he pointed.
Miah looked, and then nodded hesitantly. He helped push her feet up further so that she could grab a hold of it and pull herself up higher. “That’s it.” He pointed to another foothold, and she climbed up further. He climbed after her, and she soon found another handhold, slowly pulling herself up toward the edge.
But when she was eight feet from the top, she couldn’t figure out how to get up. “What do I do now?”
“Here, can you reach my hand?” Connor reached down.
Gail bit her lip. “Careful—”
Miah reached up, almost fell back, and clung to the cliff side in terror. “I can’t reach—”
“Gail, hold onto my feet.” Connor lowered himself over the edge even further, and Gail gasped and grabbed his legs.
“Connor!” Miah cried, reaching as far as she could.
He grabbed hold of Miah’s arms. “I’ve got her! Pull me up!”
Gail pulled as hard as she could, and Connor struggled to keep hold of Miah.
“Don’t drop me!” she cried, holding on as tight as she could.
Pulling her over the edge, Connor gasped, “Alright, let go.”
They stood, and helped Miah to her feet. There were black specks before her eyes, and she blinked. They wouldn’t go away, and she swayed, unbalanced; Gail took her arm and steadied her. Ben clambered over the edge, and put a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”
She touched the back of her head gingerly and brought her hand back, covered in blood. “Ben…” She gaped at her trembling hand.
He grit his teeth and said, “Lay down. Lay down on the grass.”
Gail covered her mouth as she saw the trickle of blood running down Miah’s neck. Ben pulled his shirt off, putting it under her head and holding it there. “I’m so sorry…”
Miah found tears in her eyes, and it only clouded her vision further. His eyes spoke sorrow, and she blinked to keep hers open. He kept his gaze locked on hers to keep her eyes open and held the cloth to her head to stop the bleeding.
He grabbed hold of Miah’s arms. “I’ve got her! Pull me up!”
Gail pulled as hard as she could, and Connor struggled to keep hold of Miah.
“Don’t drop me!” she cried, holding on as tight as she could.
Pulling her over the edge, Connor gasped, “Alright, let go.”
They stood, and helped Miah to her feet. There were black specks before her eyes, and she blinked. They wouldn’t go away, and she swayed, unbalanced; Gail took her arm and steadied her. Ben clambered over the edge, and put a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”
She touched the back of her head gingerly and brought her hand back, covered in blood. “Ben…” She gaped at her trembling hand.
He grit his teeth and said, “Lay down. Lay down on the grass.”
Gail covered her mouth as she saw the trickle of blood running down Miah’s neck. Ben pulled his shirt off, putting it under her head and holding it there. “I’m so sorry…”
Miah found tears in her eyes, and it only clouded her vision further. His eyes spoke sorrow, and she blinked to keep hers open. He kept his gaze locked on hers to keep her eyes open and held the cloth to her head to stop the bleeding.
She couldn’t feel the ground beneath her; she put a hand out to feel the grass. “I feel like I’m still falling,” she whispered. “I’m falling.”
“No,” Ben pulled her close, gently, “you’re not falling, see.” He smoothed her hair from her face. “You’re here, you’re safe. I won’t let you go.” He held her tight, and she closed her eyes, but the black specks remained. She shivered, taking a shuddering breath.
“No,” Ben pulled her close, gently, “you’re not falling, see.” He smoothed her hair from her face. “You’re here, you’re safe. I won’t let you go.” He held her tight, and she closed her eyes, but the black specks remained. She shivered, taking a shuddering breath.
“Just keep breathing…keep breathing...” He closed his eyes tightly and whispered, “Please don’t have anything wrong with you, please don’t…”
She gulped in air, and he held her tighter. “Don’t die, Miah.”
Miah sobbed and felt the darkness overcoming her vision. “I can’t see—”
Barely able to see himself through the tears blurring his vision, Ben lifted her from the ground and walked to the shelter of a tree where the pine needles made a soft bed. He lay her down and tied the cloth around her head. “Please be okay…please be okay…”
Miah sighed and closed her eyes, slowly falling asleep. Ben sobbed into his hands, cursing himself for his lack of attention, his selfishness, his pride; as the day grew dark, he sat by her side, waiting for her to open her eyes.
Gail and Connor sat a distance away, knowing neither of them could truly do anything. Connor blamed Ben in his heart for the whole misadventure, and for a second wished Miah would die, if only to punish him. But at the horrible thought of Miah’s death, he took it back, clenching his fists. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair.
“Don’t die,” he whispered, and Gail looked up from where she sat staring at the ground.
“There’s nothing we can do now but wait,” she said to Connor, wiping her eyes. “And pray.”
The night closed in on them all, and Connor promised God he would do anything if only Miah could live.
And then all was dark.
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