| THE ROPE PAGE 2 |
THE ONLY SOUND THAT THE CLIMBER COULD HEAR WAS HIS BREATH AND THE WHISTLING WIND AS IT WHIPPED UP SOME VICIOUS& VIGOROUS GUSTS AT THIS HEIGHT WHERE THE AIR WAS SO THIN! "SURELY BY NOW I AM CLOSE TO THE PEAK" HE THOUGHT, AS HE ADJUSTED HIS LAMP HE SHIFTED ANOTHER FEW INCHES OR SO WHEN SUDDENLY HE FELT HIS LEG CRAMP!! HE CLUNG TO THE ROCK WALL UNABLE TO MOVE AS FEAR FILLLED HIS HEART UP WITH DOUBT HE KNEW THE CRAMPING WOULD ONLY GET WORSE UNLESS HE GOT THAT MUSCLE STRETCHED OUT! WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? HE WOULD NEVER KNOW IT WAS A CLIMBERS MOST AWFUL NIGHTMARE PLUNGING SUDDENLY DOWN THROUGH THE DARKNESS FREE-FALLING THROUGH BLACK ICY AIR! WITH HIS ENITRE LIFE FLASHING BEFORE HIM LIKE A KALIEDASCOPE INSTALLED IN HIS HEAD HE KNEW IN AN INSTANT HE WOULDN'T SURVIVE AND REMEMBERED WHAT HIS WIFE HAD SAID! "GOD" HE THOUGHT WILDLY, "THE LAUGH IS ON ME!" THEN HE FELT A BONE-JARRING JERK HIS RIBS SMASHING INTO THE HARNESS HE WORE THE BUILT-IN SAFETY FEATURE HAD WORKED!! BUT NOW HE WAS DANGLING OUT IN MID-AIR TRAPPED IN THIS BLACK FREEZING SPACE ENVELOPED IN DARKESS THAT WAS SO COMPLETE HE COULD NOT SEE HIS HAND IN HIS FACE!! HIS CLIMBER'S HELMET WITH FLASHLIGHT ATTACHED HAD BEEN LOST IN HIS LONG FLAILING FALL SO HE HUNG THERE BLIND IN THE SUB-ZERO COLD FEELING TERRIFIED... WEAK AND SO SMALL EVERY OUNCE OF HIS PRIDE HAD NOW VANISHED HIS LIFE SUSPENDED BY ONE STRAND OF ROPE HE SOBBED JUST LIKE A YOUNG FRIGHTENED CHILD HIS SOUL PARALYZED...DEVOID OF ALL HOPE THEN HE FELT THE LINE GIVE WAY JUST A BIT AND HELD HIS BREATH...NOT DARING TO MOVE HE CURSED ALL HIS EARLIER SELF-CONFIDENCE WHAT HAD HE BEEN TRYING TO PROVE? EVERY CLIMBER ALWAYS USED TWO SAFETY LINES IN CASE ONE ROPE WAS EVER TO SNAP BUT FULL OF HIMSELF....HE'D USED ONLY ONE NOW HE WAS CAUGHT IN HIS ARROGANT TRAP! TO FINISH THIS FALL COULD MEAN ONLY DEATH AS HE HUNG HELPLESS AS ANY MAN COULD BE HE CHOKED BACK HIS TEARS AND THEN WHISPERED "DEAR GOD...IF YOU'RE THERE? PLEASE SAVE ME!!" ALMOST AT ONCE A RUMBLING WAS HEARD THAT SEEMED TO BE STRAIGHT OVER HEAD HE INSTANTLY RECOGNIZED THE LANGUAGE OF GOD AND THIS IS WHAT THE VOICE SAID: "DO YOU BELIEVE I CAN SAVE YOU, MY SON?" HE ANSWERED, "OF COURSE!! YOU ARE GOD!! "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU CHOOSE TO DO! ONLY YOU CAN SAVE ME..." HE SOBBED! "I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU TELL ME TOO, LORD! FOR YOU ARE MY LAST, ONLY HOPE!!" AND AS HE WAITED THEN TENSELY FOR ANY REPLY HE HEARD GOD CLEARLY SAY "CUT THE ROPE!" THE CLIMBER'S HEARTBEAT SKIPPED WILDLY AROUND AS HIS THOUGHTS RACED INSANELY ASTRAY.... HE FELT FOR THE KNIFE STILL ATTACHED TO HIS BELT BUT HE MADE NO MOVE TO OBEY! |
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