Covered Edges

Chapter 33

Cursing into the night, I pick up a rock near my feet and chuck it into the forest. Tears brim my lower lash line and my vision begins to blur into a kaleidoscope of colors. I have no idea what to do, and as each second ticks by I visualize the life slowly leaving Jessica's unconscious body more and more. I stumble around to the driver's side door and try to pull it open, hoping I'll be able to help her somehow. The crushed metal won't budge.

What do I do?

I look around; we're in a valley completely surrounded by forest and the only hope for civilization is high above me. I look towards where we dropped. It's an almost vertical climb but it has enough slant to it that if one were to climb it, it would essentially be a steep hike. And it's our only way out.

I brace myself for the pain that I'm about to endure as I make my way towards the base of the hill. I find a durable limb along the way to use as a walking stick. Once I reach the base, I'm already sweating from the struggle to just get over here, and I'm leaning my weight against the wood. This leg of mine is really going to hinder me through this climb, but I have to make it out of here to not only save Jessica but also save myself.

Just one foot in front of the other, I chant in my mind as I hum along with Kris Kringle's voice, trying to distract myself.

I let a long breathe slide through my gritted teeth, and I take my first step. I use my good leg and swing my other forward, trying to put the least amount of pressure on it as I can. I repeat this action four more times as I slowly, but surely, make my way up. Surprisingly, the pain is almost nonexistent since I don't have to actually step with that leg, just drag it along. Although its dead weight is exhausting, it's bearable. My spirits rise and a smile crosses my face; maybe I can do this after all!

Five minutes later and halfway up the hill, I'm leaning against a slender tree trying to catch my breathe. Trickles of sweat patches coat my face and soak my clothes, and I drag my forearm across my mouth to wipe away the salty flavor. I look down at my progress, intensely annoyed. With two good legs, I could've made it up this hill within three minutes. It looked much longer from the car, but now that I'm here I realize it's really only steep, and if I didn't have to carry a quarter of my weight up the hill then I could've been at the top and finding help by now. Knowing how slow I'm going, anger flares inside of me and I decide to pick up the pace, but there's only one way to do that: start using my bad leg.

I push myself off of the tree and begin my trek once more, this time purposely putting weight on my bad leg as I step forwards with it. White hot pain strikes me like lightning. I stumble forward, clutching my thigh and yelping out in pain. It hurts so much, but I know I have to keep going so I pick myself up and push on. Each step is followed by agonizing pain and as I near the top of the hill I begin to wonder whether I will be able to make it.

With only twenty feet to go, I've had to resort to crawling the rest of the way up. I'm not fully on my hands and knees, but I'm bent over and using my palms to not only push myself but also add some traction as the cliff has gotten even steeper.

Come on, Scarlett. Come on! I beckon myself. Digging deep to recover some will power I lost along the trip, I reach for a root in the ground in front of me to pull myself higher. My shaking fingers stretch towards the root while I also try to calm my exhausted, irregular breathing. Upon grasping the wood, I wrap my fingers around it and tug forward.

Suddenly, the remaining root surfaces with a crack and splits out of the ground. As if in slow motion, I watch my fingers slip out of their clutch on the wood and I start to feel that horrifying feeling one gets when falling backwards, like when you tip back just too far in your chair. With a light gasp, I tumble down the hill. My side slams against the base of a tree, knocking the wind out of me. I'm not allowed the time to focus on breathing, though, as all my mind can target is the excruciating pain resonating from my leg. The fall threw my torment into a whole other level, the pain and fear becoming all consuming. I couldn't find my voice after the initial contact, but now that I can breathe again I let out a blood-curdling scream that scares away perched birds nearby. I can hardly hear the rustle of leaves from the birds' movement over my own voice. Tears flood my eyes, and I don't hold back this time. I let them stream down my face, uncontrollably.