Page 64 of Villainous Fate

We definitely should have kept some of the fucking rope. It’s less than a foot wide and narrows even more at some points.

Turning around, I shine our last working flashlight toward the group. Their faces share my lack of enthusiasm, and I can see our exhaustion.

“Ideas?” I ask, coming up completely empty on my end.

Finn sets a sleeping Amira down a few feet away and joins our small huddle.

“What do we have to work with?” Marcus asks, pulling his bag in front of him so we can strategize.

“We have less than four feet of rope remaining and half a med kit.” Finn starts.

“I’ve got nothing,” I add, knowing my pack is the least helpful with the cooking supplies.

“Do we know how far the cliff drop is?” Marcus asks before continuing. “Because if we have enough clothing, maybe we could tie some together. It wouldn't be a long solution, but it might give us a few seconds if we slip.”

“Looks close to 100ft. Do you want to Rapunzel it over or tie us together in a Three, or rather, Four Musketeers moment? All for one and one for all?”

Now I know I’m overtired because the movie references are tumbling out of me, and I almost chuckle at my comparisons.

Marcus and Finn look at me like I’ve grown another head before working out a plan.

The rope will tie Amira to Marcus’s back so he can have both hands. Amira isn’t especially keen on being in ropes again, but she concedes once we allow her to peek over the edge.

I guess survival instincts trump PTSD.

Meanwhile, Finn and I find a way to attach a few tied sweatpants legs in a makeshift harness around our waists that will allow us to move independently of each other but assist in an emergency. The clothing ropes won’t hold for a total drop, but they might give us a minute to regrip if we slip or slide.

When we line up, I’m at the front with the flashlight, one I hope will last until the bottom. Marcus and Amira follow me, and Finn will be in last.

It’s nearly silent outside save for the crunch of loose gravel underfoot. Part of me wishes we could hear anything to distract us from the climb we are about to make.

The first few steps onto the narrow ledge go off without a hitch. I use my hands to balance as I sidestep and move swiftly, my heels hanging off the edge. Marcus, on the other hand, has to nearly lay his body and drag it across the rock wall. Even as light as Amira is, the additional weight has him fighting to keep from leaning back. Finn stays as far back as the makeshift clothing rope allows so Marcus doesn’t feel pressured or crowded.

This is a terrible idea.

Just as I think it, a chunk of rock falls loose under my foot, causing me to leap further ahead. The move keeps me from falling but leaves a considerable gap in the path Marcus and Finn must navigate.

Fuck.

“Hang on, let me get solid before you go,” I say, setting my feet as far from the gap as possible.

Marcus dares a look down at the almost eighty-foot drop and nods, his throat bobbing with his swallow. He could probably make the distance without jumping, but only if the two sides hold up.

Scooting as far as my section will allow, I attempt to find a handhold to secure myself in case he needs to grab me. Nothing allows me to get any kind of grip, but I dig my fingertips as hard as I can before reaching out with my other hand and nodding back at him, giving him the signal to go.

Marcus pushes off without hesitation, keeping his movement forward and only briefly pausing with one foot on each side before shoving his back foot off, grabbing my outstretched arm, and pulling himself across even as more dirt comes loose.

His momentum carries him across but also pulls my weight forward, causing me to lose my grip on the rock. In slow motion, I feel my balance shift. It’s just enough to have me teetering, my muscles fighting to counter the movement.

Releasing his hand, I grab for anything I can use to catch myself, flapping my arm against the unforgiving wall. I twist my foot, stepping backward and slamming my back into the hard surface.

Rocks cascade down the dark cliffs, the sound of them bouncing fades the farther they fall, and my eyes follow their path now that my body is facing out instead of in. For the first time, it hits me how high we are.

We wouldn’t survive a fall from this height.

I can’t fall.

I have to make it back to Grace. I can’t die.

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