The Climb (Written by Kyra Organa)

Author's Note: The meaning of this story could be something cringe-y like “to fly, one must first leave the ground and accept the risk of falling” or something. XD

Jason clung to the rock face, clenching his eyes shut as the salty sea breeze whipped his sandy hair around his face.

               “Come on!” a voice exclaimed from above.

               Jason pried his eyes open to see Samantha impatiently glaring down at him from the top of the ledge.

               “Don’t rush me!” Jason replied sourly, groping for a handhold and heaving himself up another foot.

               If I fall, I am going to die.

“You are not going to die,” Samantha laughed as if reading his thoughts.

“Yes, yes I am!” Jason shot back over the whirling of the wind.

“You’re fifteen feet from the ground!”

“That’s enough to die, trust me,” Jason muttered, nervously glancing down at the rocky shore beneath as foaming waves collided with the base of the rocky outcropping, spraying him with sea mist.

“What, you know from experience?” Jested Samantha

“Yes, yes I do,” Jason retorted matter-of-factly.

How does she always talk me into things like this?

“Climb the rock she says,” Jason muttered under his breath, “It’ll be fun, she says. It’s only thirty feet she says.”

“I heard that,” Samantha rolled her eyes.

“I’m turning back!” Jason shouted in frustration. He slowly began to shimmy downwards.

“You’re more than halfway there!” Samantha said. She suddenly looked over her shoulder and gasped, “you gotta see this!” She then disappeared out of view.

“Come back!” Jason cried angrily, face flushing, “Don’t leave me here!”

And she leaves me behind. As always. Should’ve seen that coming.

“You’ll be fine,” Samantha’s distant voice sounded.

No, I won’t.

Jason stopped climbing. It was a long way down and he was almost there. Almost meaning twelve-ish feet.

I’ve been around Samantha too much, he sighed.

Slowly but steadily, Jason progressed up the rock face. Finally, after many attempts to give up, he reached the top.

“Wow, he breathed, stiffly getting to his feet. From this vantage point he could see what seemed to be the entire coast, with its pebbly beaches that faded into brilliantly golden sand. The sand blended with the rich aquamarine waves that seemed to stretch past the horizon.

Then he saw Samantha kneeling in front of a small clump of fluff. Jason slowly stepped forwards. In front of her was a Puffin nest. The mother was aggressively circling around, but the babies were buried up to their heads in airy feathers and squawking passionately.

Maybe it was worth it after all…

“So,” Jason said after a while, “How do we get down?”

Samantha rolled her eyes as if it was obvious. “You can’t be that dense.”

Then, she charged off the cliff and dove into the frigid water.

“Nope!” Jason sighed, flopping down in frustration, “I’m just going to die here.”