Hanging On The Edge 

My heart is racing as I lay face down, balancing on the edge of a cliff. Al’s hand starts to slip from mine as the sweat from running and the blood from our injuries make our hands slick. Blood is trailing down my arm from a deep gash that runs from my shoulder to halfway down my forearm.

“I’m slipping, John.” I look down at Al and see that the gash on his forehead has reopened and blood is running into his blue eyes that match mine. His dark hair is matted to one side of his head.

“I know. Just hang in there.”

“What do you think I’m doing, taking a nice stroll in the park?”

“Not funny.” A slight smile gracing my face. “Give me your other hand and I’ll try pulling you up.”

Al lifts his arm with all his strength but his fingers brush mine before his arm falls limply to his side. “I can’t do it. I’m just too tired.”

 

I know what Al is saying is true because the rocky soil of the cliff crumbled away each time I tried to pull him up. As I look down the cliff at Al’s terrified face; I see a ledge that looks about 3 feet wide, approximately 10 feet below his dangling legs. Maybe I can drop Al and hope he lands on the ledge and does not fall to his death. Or do I continue to hang on and waste more of both our energy with the real possibility of him slipping away? Both options could either end in death or with both of us safe. I weigh the options back and forth in my mind, hoping to come to a decision. I can’t believe that just a few days ago, I was curled up under my warm, dark blue covers being woken up by banging echoing throughout my apartment. I had flipped onto my stomach and buried my head under my pillow, hoping whoever was there would just go away. Abruptly, I sat up and remembered that today my younger brother, Al, and I had planned on going backpacking in the mountains for a week. Slowly I made my way to the door and flung it open.

“Do you know what time is?” I asked, annoyed. 

“It’s time for an adventure, my dear brother,” he said as he pushed himself in through the doorway.

“Go get dressed and I’ll make you some coffee. Extra sugar, right?” he said as he pushed me toward my room. 

 

I walked back out of my room, wearing my jeans, hiking boots, and flannel. I could smell the aroma of dark brewed coffee. As Al handed me my travel mug, I grabbed my waterproof backpack with everything I would and could need to go backpacking. We hopped into the car and made our way to the Cascade Range. When we finally arrived, it was early afternoon. As soon as we were ready, we started our hike. As late afternoon rolled around, we took a break and set our stuff down on the ground. As we were relaxing, the ground started to shake and Al and I could hear the sound of trees breaking and a rumbling sound like thunder getting louder. With a sudden boom, the ground was no longer beneath us. Rolling and tumbling downward, sharp rocks bit and tore into my arm. Al’s head connected with a rock that was flying through the air, creating a gash on his forehead. We finally slid to a momentary stop at the top of a cliff, but with his weight added to the already unstable ground, Al disappeared over the edge. Luckily a little bit of luck was on our side and I was able to grab him with a death-like grip. 

 

 Finally, coming to a decision, I decide to put Al’s life in fate’s hands and let him go. 

“Do you trust me? There is a ledge below you. I’m going to let you go and you’re going to land on it,” I said determinedly.

“I trust you, John, but if I don’t make it can you tell Jane that I love her and that I’m sorry for stealing her notebook back in 8th grade?”

“You can tell her yourself when we get back,” I said with a smile that did not reach my eyes. 

 

And with that, I let him go and watch him fall with an awaited breath. I want to look away but I can’t. I am transfixed, watching him fall in slow motion. With a solid thud, he lands. Looking up at me, he gives me a goofy smile and a thumbs up. Falling back with a breath I did not know I was holding, I stare into the cloudless, dark blue sky and whisper. 

“I swear if he had let me sleep in for five more minutes. We wouldn’t be in this mess.”   

     

 

 

 

The Edge

At this moment it feels like I am standing on the edge between life and death. Such a delicate balance they have, one moment I am living my life and then suddenly I’m fighting to survive. I stand on a ledge hoping to not fall to my death; blood runs into my eye and my hands are covered in blood. Half of it is mine and the other half is not. 

“Al, you still there?” a voice from up above says, pulling me out of my thoughts that were starting to turn dark. 

“Yeah, I’m still alive, if that’s what you’re asking . . . luck is on our side today, huh brother?”

“Yes, indeed she is,” replied my brother John.

 

There is silence once again from John. In this momentary quiet, I look off to what I guess is the west to see the sun dip behind the trees to share a secret kiss with the horizon. Their love seems to set the trees ablaze from behind. As you can see, I’m a hopeless romantic with the wish that one day Jane and my love will shine that bright.

When I fell to the ledge, I knew I had landed awkwardly but now with the adrenaline greatly decreased, I have a stinging discomfort in my right leg. I look down to see that the bottom of my leg is starting to swell; I know instantly that it is broken. With this in mind, I break two slim branches off a small tree growing out of the rock to my left. Ripping strips from my shirt, I use the sticks and fabric to make a makeshift cast.

“I think I broke my leg but don’t worry. I took care of it,” I bellow up to John. 

“The sun is setting. We should stay where we are and figure this out in the morning,” I say to John.

“Do you think you’ll be alright to spend the night down there?” John replied.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

 

I find a comfy spot and let my exhaustion overtake me. I welcome the peace that is sleep. I wake up a few times during the night to find a new position that does not include a piece of rock jabbing me painfully. Too soon, the light of early day greets me. With great effort, I sit myself up and reach down to feel my injured leg; hot flesh greets the cool skin of my hand. I look down to see that my leg is red and blotchy. This, plus the heat and tenderness of my skin, tells me all I need to know: during the night, an infection had sunk its ugly claws deep into my leg.

“John, I’m afraid infection has set in.” There is no response but I can hear movement.

“Do you have a plan to get us out of this?” I pause.

“If you find yourself in danger because of me, abandon me and save yourself. Don’t let that big heart of yours control you. Just save yourself. That’s all I ask,” I whisper as tears prickle my eyes, half from emotion and half from pain. 

“You know I can’t leave you. We’re two peas in a pod, always together. I don’t care what you say. We are both getting out of this,” John said with a tremble.

 

I’m struck speechless at the tremble in his voice, his show of deep emotion. This coming from my usually calm and impenetrable brother shocks me. The only thing I can manage to say is, “Yes, we are going to make it out of this alive. And once I get home, I will do all the things I’ve always wanted to do because you never know which day will be your last.”

“So what’s your plan.”

“My plan is I’m going to see if I can find one of our packs. I think I saw one of them get caught in a tree. You packed a rope didn’t you?”

“Of course I did who do you think I am?”

“Anyway, I’ll grab one of our packs and with one end of the rope, you‘ll make a harness. I’ll wrap the other end around a sturdy branch, then tie it to myself and help pull you up. Does that good?”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll be right here waiting for you.”

“Ok, I’ll be back soon.” And with that, I hear him walk away. 

 

Two hours later, according to the position of the sun, a rope suddenly hits me on the head. I follow the plan and wrap the rope around my waist, tying it in front, then pull the rope between my legs and once again tie it in front. 

“Well, I’m ready to do this. Are you ready on your side?”  

“Yep, ready when you are.”

 

Using my hands and one working leg, I ever so slowly make my way up to the lip of the cliff. With one hard tug from John, I am pulled up and away from the unsteady ground of the edge. As I lay sprawled on the solid ground, heart thumping, body drenched in sweat, John calmly informs me that when he found the pack, he also found the radio phone and had contacted search and rescue. They would pick us up in a clearing one-fourth of a mile to the east of our current location. The walk, or in my case limping and leaning on John, got us there in less than 20 minutes. I can hear the helicopter before I see it. Soon enough it lands in front of us: men rush out and load us both onto the helicopter. Seemingly before I can blink, I’m once again safe, surrounded by my loved ones. John leans over my bedside and whispers, “Wow! That was a close one!”