Read Online Fabulous Five 030 - Sibling Rivalry by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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skied down one slope, found a place to stop to catch her
breath, and then took the next. She did this several times before she came to
an abrupt halt on a ledge that dropped down sharply. A shiver went through Beth
as she looked down a slope only an expert could take.
Oh, no, she thought. This looks like The Jaws of Death. But
it couldn't be. How could she have missed the sign warning that it was an
expert slope? Why had Brittany let her go this way?
A feeling of panic gripped Beth as she looked down the slope
again. What was she going to do?
She looked back at the mountain. It loomed above her. There
was no way she could climb all the way back up to the lift house, and there was
no one else around.
"There's only one thing I can do," she whispered.
"I have to ski down. But how can I without killing myself?"
Then she remembered seeing Marcel standing on a slope
watching the class taking turns coming down. Every once in a while he would
slide sideways several feet down the hill to get a better position. The move
had fascinated her, and she had watched carefully to see how he was doing it. His
skis were pointed across the slope and his knees were bent slightly. When he
wanted to stop sliding, he dug the edges of his skis into the side of the hill.
With that, and the old faithful snowplow, maybe she had a chance.
Taking a deep breath, Beth let herself slide sideways over
the ridge. She slid almost twenty feet and was on the verge of panic before she
was able to dig the edges of her skis into the hill and stop. All of a sudden
she realized she was soaking with perspiration.
"So much for being cold," Beth said out loud.
Then she slipped another ten feet and stopped. Then fifteen
more feet.
It was going to take her hours to get to the bottom! Beth
was frightened, but there was nothing else she could do. She forced herself not
to think of the danger. Instead she told herself the mountain was made of lots
of little slopes and she could take them one at a time.
Beth side-slipped several more times, stopping to catch her
breath and rest her legs. They were starting to quiver from the exertion.
Finally she came to an area that wasn't quite so steep. She
looked above her, hoping to see skiers who could help her coming down the
mountain. But no one was there. She had never felt so scared and desperate in
her life.
It's all Brittany's fault, Beth thought angrily. She hasn't
given me a break since we arrived at Stony Lookout. And this is the absolutely
meanest thing that she has ever done. How could she send her own sister to The
Jaws of Death?
Beth pushed Brittany out of her thoughts and took a deep
breath. Then she snowplowed down the slope and came to another sharp drop-off.
She rested for a moment, but knew she had better keep moving. The sun was
starting to get low, and it wouldn't be long before it disappeared behind the
mountain. She would have to be at the bottom by then. She certainly couldn't
ski this slope in the dark, and she'd freeze if she had to stay on the mountain
all night.
She pushed herself gently over the edge and side-slipped
downward. When she reached a resting place, her legs were aching badly, and
steam from her jacket was rising in the cold air.
She allowed herself less than a minute to rest and then
moved toward the next incline. Suddenly she stopped. Had she heard
something? Someone? It had sounded like a voice.
No, now there was nothing. Maybe it had been the wind in the
trees or more squirrels. Maybe she wanted so badly to see someone who might
help that she had fooled herself.
But just as she was about to side-slip over the next ledge,
she heard it again. Someone was calling.
"Hello!" she yelled back.
"Help," came a faint answer. "Over
here."
The voice seemed to be coming from a wooded area to her
right.
"Keep calling!" Beth yelled. "So I can find
you!"
"Over here," came the voice again.
And that's when she spotted him sitting in the snow, leaning
against a tree. It was Todd, and he looked
breath, and then took the next. She did this several times before she came to
an abrupt halt on a ledge that dropped down sharply. A shiver went through Beth
as she looked down a slope only an expert could take.
Oh, no, she thought. This looks like The Jaws of Death. But
it couldn't be. How could she have missed the sign warning that it was an
expert slope? Why had Brittany let her go this way?
A feeling of panic gripped Beth as she looked down the slope
again. What was she going to do?
She looked back at the mountain. It loomed above her. There
was no way she could climb all the way back up to the lift house, and there was
no one else around.
"There's only one thing I can do," she whispered.
"I have to ski down. But how can I without killing myself?"
Then she remembered seeing Marcel standing on a slope
watching the class taking turns coming down. Every once in a while he would
slide sideways several feet down the hill to get a better position. The move
had fascinated her, and she had watched carefully to see how he was doing it. His
skis were pointed across the slope and his knees were bent slightly. When he
wanted to stop sliding, he dug the edges of his skis into the side of the hill.
With that, and the old faithful snowplow, maybe she had a chance.
Taking a deep breath, Beth let herself slide sideways over
the ridge. She slid almost twenty feet and was on the verge of panic before she
was able to dig the edges of her skis into the hill and stop. All of a sudden
she realized she was soaking with perspiration.
"So much for being cold," Beth said out loud.
Then she slipped another ten feet and stopped. Then fifteen
more feet.
It was going to take her hours to get to the bottom! Beth
was frightened, but there was nothing else she could do. She forced herself not
to think of the danger. Instead she told herself the mountain was made of lots
of little slopes and she could take them one at a time.
Beth side-slipped several more times, stopping to catch her
breath and rest her legs. They were starting to quiver from the exertion.
Finally she came to an area that wasn't quite so steep. She
looked above her, hoping to see skiers who could help her coming down the
mountain. But no one was there. She had never felt so scared and desperate in
her life.
It's all Brittany's fault, Beth thought angrily. She hasn't
given me a break since we arrived at Stony Lookout. And this is the absolutely
meanest thing that she has ever done. How could she send her own sister to The
Jaws of Death?
Beth pushed Brittany out of her thoughts and took a deep
breath. Then she snowplowed down the slope and came to another sharp drop-off.
She rested for a moment, but knew she had better keep moving. The sun was
starting to get low, and it wouldn't be long before it disappeared behind the
mountain. She would have to be at the bottom by then. She certainly couldn't
ski this slope in the dark, and she'd freeze if she had to stay on the mountain
all night.
She pushed herself gently over the edge and side-slipped
downward. When she reached a resting place, her legs were aching badly, and
steam from her jacket was rising in the cold air.
She allowed herself less than a minute to rest and then
moved toward the next incline. Suddenly she stopped. Had she heard
something? Someone? It had sounded like a voice.
No, now there was nothing. Maybe it had been the wind in the
trees or more squirrels. Maybe she wanted so badly to see someone who might
help that she had fooled herself.
But just as she was about to side-slip over the next ledge,
she heard it again. Someone was calling.
"Hello!" she yelled back.
"Help," came a faint answer. "Over
here."
The voice seemed to be coming from a wooded area to her
right.
"Keep calling!" Beth yelled. "So I can find
you!"
"Over here," came the voice again.
And that's when she spotted him sitting in the snow, leaning
against a tree. It was Todd, and he looked
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