~ Just as they passed the point in time when Jaden's injuries were making the climb not strictly enjoyable for him anymore, the breeze rushing over and down the cliff face began turning colder and stronger. At first Jaden thought nothing of it. Until the sunlight suddenly dimmed and he looked up to find a thick blanket of dark clouds quickly taking over the skies. They were scudding fast and low in front of the wind, looking ominous and angry.
"Those don't exactly look healthy," Andrew called up to him.
"I'll say. Takyle, you notice the weather?"
"Yeah, let's get off of here as fast as we can," yelled Takyle, her voice getting caught and carried off in the wind that was ever growing stronger. Not terribly far off in the distance, Jaden heard the first low rumble of thunder and a large drop splashed against the back of his neck. The storm was coming fast. The wind buffeted the ropes, pinging Jaden's carabiners against the rock with hard gusts. More raindrops splashed against the cliff, falling on Jaden's hands and face, turning chalk dust into paste.
Not five minutes later the rain was coming down in icy sheets. Jaden blinked water out of his eyes as the drops streamed down his face, in a useless effort to clear his vision to find handholds on the slick rock. This was not good. This was not good at all.
A tiny shower of wet grit tumbled down from above and Jaden looked up to see Takyle struggling to regain a foothold. Their fun little stint of rock climbing had quickly taken a very treacherous turn. Jaden's own foot slipped and he banged his knee hard against the slick granite, sending a shooting pain all the way down to his foot.
"Ah, dammit! Ow!"
"You ok?" yelled Andrew, his voice sounding faint over the rain and wind. Jaden bit his lip.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He experimentally put some weight on his still tingling foot and found it to yet be operational. He shook the water out of his eyes, and began edging upwards again. As he continued on, his hands grew numb from the cold rain and he began to shiver.
"Good Lord, this is ridiculous. Why the hell am I here?"
"Not far to go!" Takyle shouted down.
"There's nothing quite like the thrill of a win."
"We can do this!"
"And there's also nothing quite like dying."
"No Jaden, take the left one!" directed Andrew.
"Don't be stupid. You're not going to die today."
"Keep that rope clear!"
"I hope you're right about that."
"A little further!"
"I am. You'll see."
"Jaden, give me your hand." Takyle leaned over the top of the cliff, her arm outstretched to Jaden. He grasped her wrist and threw his over elbow over the rock ledge, hauling himself up beside her. He quickly turned to look down at Andrew, only to find that he had swiftly closed the distance between them and was already grabbing Takyle's hand to scramble up onto the top of the cliff. A deafening crash of thunder followed immediately by a stunning double fork of lightning shook the entire mountain beneath them. The members of Team 6 looked at one another, and then out over the land.
For a moment, it didn't matter to Jaden that he was battered, bruised, soaked to the bone and shivering. Storms are impressive from any vantage, but viewed from atop a mountain they are nothing less than awe inspiring. Streaks of lighting chased through the clouds over and over again, running down through rain soaked air to touch the earth here and there in the blink of an eye. Fire slipping through water; then quickly back again to hide in the thunder.
Takyle sat back on the wet granite and shook her head.
"I've never seen anything like it," she said over the roar.
"And you may never again," mused Andrew.
"This is why I'm here," thought Jaden. "It really is the experience of a lifetime." ~
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