CYOA Page 108
Sep. 13th, 2013 01:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lumy12You hurriedly dry off the ends of the rifle as best you can with the underside of your shirt, and lower it to Joel, stock first because you figure that will be easier for him to grasp. You use the broken railing to brace yourself, which isn't what he wanted you to do, but that rock is too far back!
And this is, too... shit! He can't quite reach it. You extend your arm as far as you possibly can and he still can't fucking reach it!
"Joel -- hang on -- I'm gonna hold the rail with one hand and then--"
"No! Ellie -- I'll pull you down -- that way -- just keep it -- right there -- right... ... yeah... like that..."
"But you can't reach it!" you cry helplessly.
"Just -- hold it --"
You do as he says, watching him turn so red that he's like... purple. He's gritting his teeth... scrunching up his face... and -- oh my God! -- somehow he's managed to propel his arm high enough to grab the rifle!
"You did it!" you squeal in relief. "You did it! Oh thank God --" You try to pull him up, but he's not budging.
"Hold on a second," pants Joel. He has one hand on that jutting rock and the other on the stock of the rifle... you can feel the rifle quivering.
"Hurry up -- your arm's gonna give out, Joel, look how it's shaking!"
"All right -- just keep it -- right there --"
He lets go of the rock and swings his other arm up to grasp the rifle. You feel a big jerk downward, and you strain against it...
The broken railing you're leaning on is starting to give way! "Joel! I'm gonna fall!"
Joel has managed to get his foot on that rock now, and he's high enough to take your hand!
You want to let go of the rifle and grab him, but his other hand is still holding it. You try to pull him up, but it doesn't feel like you're making any difference. You hook your foot through the precarious rail so you can lean down farther to grab his arm and yank it upward. It's scary as fuck, because if Joel wasn't there, you'd probably end up dangling there upside down by your foot. It feels like the struggle against gravity is stronger this way, and you're not sure it's even helping...
But then he's at the top! Clutching the edge with one hand, then the other...
You right yourself, kicking back off the railing -- and the force causes it to finally give way completely, so it's a good thing the kick was successful! You grab Joel's shoulders, tugging on his shirt with both hands as hard as you can -- you've dropped the rifle (into the abyss below you), but you don't care -- you pull and pull... he gets one forearm up over the edge...
When his whole torso is over the edge, relief washes over you with such force that you burst into tears (you don't care about that, either!). "You made it!" you gasp, continuing to pull with all your might even though you're sure he's not going to fall backward now.
He climbs all the way up with a final groan of effort and flops there face down in the dirt, taking big, heaving breaths. You flop, too, right over him, your whole body rising and falling with his breaths. He turns his head to the side. "Thanks, kiddo..."
You're still weepy, but you have to laugh at that. "That's what you say, like... after I pass you the potatoes at dinner."
He chuckles. "It's still... appropriate..."
"You're shaking," you observe, sitting up and taking a closer look at his arm.
"Nah... just muscle spasms..."
At least the color in his face is returning to normal. "I really didn't think you were gonna be able to reach it. How did you?" You swipe at your tears, which seem to have stopped now...
"Don't really know myself." He starts to get up.
"No! You haven't even caught your breath yet. Keep resting." You practically push him back down.
"Yes ma'am." He relaxes. "I think I... I felt like I had one... adrenaline rush in me, I s'pose you'd call it? ...one final push..."
You consider that. "Okay, but then... you did it again. And again. To lift yourself up."
"Not like that first time, though. I rested a little in between. The first one... was do or die."
Literally... you shudder. "Don't ever fucking scare me like that again."
"I don't plan on it." He gives you a little smile.
"Good, just don't." You sigh. "I dropped the rifle. It was a nice one, too, I think. There's no way it survived that fall, huh."
"Stranger things have happened. But we don' need to be goin' down there to get it." Joel rolls onto his side and props himself up on one forearm. "If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead right now."
"I know -- you totally owe me." You're only half joking about that.
"I do," he agrees.
"So much for an easy trip, huh?"
"Mm. Whose idea was this, anyhow?"
Shit. "Technically? I guess it was Tommy's... or Layla's, if you go back--"
"Who volunteered us," he amends the question.
You smile sheepishly. You're still just so fucking thrilled that you're sitting here talking to Joel right now like normal!
He nods. "Right. So I reckon we're even, yeah?"
"Nice try," you snicker. "You still owe me."
Honestly, you've lost count of all the times you and Joel have saved each other. And he's not only saved your life... he's given you a life.
Any second now he's going to say you have to get going, and you'll insist that he rest a little more. Maybe it would be better to do that in the alcove with the blankets, though, instead of out in the open -- next to a cliff. And you really ought to go round up the horses...
But for now, you're content to stay right where you are: by Joel's side.
If you'd like to start another adventure, return to page 1.
Carlos
Date: 2020-11-29 12:30 pm (UTC)RE: Carlos
Date: 2020-11-29 02:22 pm (UTC)