Read Online FRAGILE: Part 1 by Kimberly Malone - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kimberly Malone
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again?”
“Yeah.” I shrug. “It was a vigorous workout.”
Eli’s lips turn upward into a smirk, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “It was a good hike.”
“It was a very good hike. Probably the best hike I’ve ever had. Hot and hard, just how I like it.”
Grinning, Eli checks his phone now that we have a better signal again. I take the opportunity to glance at my phone too and send Larisa a “Just checking in on you” text. She responds that she’s having a good weekend—and might have found a new boyfriend. I’m eager to hear more, and I send her a message that we should catch up first thing tomorrow morning.
“Do you—” Eli starts to ask me.
“Help!” a boy screams, his voice echoing through the trees.
Eli and I spin, looking back up the trail. Three other hikers, an older couple and what looks like their young daughter, stop and stare up the trail as well. There’s more shouting, and Eli and I jog down the path. I start to make out multiple people calling for help, and I’ve got my hand on my phone, ready to dial 911.
We come around a tree bend, and I pause. There are two teenage boys and one adult reaching over the wooden fence that follows along the path. They’re looking down at another teenage boy on the side of the precipice. It looks like he had slipped off the side of the path under the fence or maybe toppled over it. I’d seen a few boys take a dare to walk the fence line, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if that is the case here—and now he is clinging to the cliff side above a stream that is forty-feet below the path. His blonde hair is slick against his face, and he’s staring up at his friends with terror.
“Jason, just hang on!” one of the teenagers up top shouts.
The boy that’s hanging onto the rocks whimpers.
“Do either of you have rope?” the adult asks Eli and me. She’s very petite and looks older, maybe in her fifties. She’s got a phone to her ear, and she’s leaning over the fence, looking at Jason, her other hand on one of the other teenager boys to keep him from climbing over.
“Yes,” Eli says. He drops his pack and pulls out a cord of rope. I set my pack by his and we hurry over.
While Eli ties the rope around a tree nearby and then loops it through the fence, I climb over the fence. Making it to the other side, I lie down as flat as I can while still keeping my grip on the fence, and I reach out to the boy, but Jason’s still three feet down—further than I can reach. There’s no way anyone’s reaching him without a climb.
“Keep the rope secure,” Eli says to me.
I nod, climbing back over the fence to safety, and grab the rope while Eli climbs the fence and leans over the edge, looking down. The family of three that had been by the parking lot arrives, and they lean on the fence, all of us watching with wide eyes. The petite female hiker sounds like she’s talking with a 911 operator, giving the location and details, and I catch that her name is Martha.
Eli eases himself down a little. “Jason, just hang tight until I can get beside you.”
Jason nods his head once.
“You’re doing really well, Jason,” I say. Jason looks up at me, and I give him a smile. “You’ve got this. How old are you?”
“Fourteen,” Jason says.
“What grade are you in?” I ask.
“Ninth.”
“Wow, this has to be a rough couple of months for you,” I say. “Being a freshmen in high school.”
Jason gives me a small smile. “Yeah. But it’s cool.”
“Any favorite classes?” I ask.
“Lunch period,” Jason says.
I chuckle. “Lunch is everyone’s favorite time.” Jason gives me a more solid grin. “Besides lunch?”
“I like history,” Jason says after a second. “My teacher’s a lot of fun.”
“That’s good!”
By this point Eli’s climbed down beside Jason. Eli maneuvers himself sideways so that Jason can grab a hold of the rope. Then, just as Jason reaches a hand out to Eli, he slips and falls
“Yeah.” I shrug. “It was a vigorous workout.”
Eli’s lips turn upward into a smirk, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “It was a good hike.”
“It was a very good hike. Probably the best hike I’ve ever had. Hot and hard, just how I like it.”
Grinning, Eli checks his phone now that we have a better signal again. I take the opportunity to glance at my phone too and send Larisa a “Just checking in on you” text. She responds that she’s having a good weekend—and might have found a new boyfriend. I’m eager to hear more, and I send her a message that we should catch up first thing tomorrow morning.
“Do you—” Eli starts to ask me.
“Help!” a boy screams, his voice echoing through the trees.
Eli and I spin, looking back up the trail. Three other hikers, an older couple and what looks like their young daughter, stop and stare up the trail as well. There’s more shouting, and Eli and I jog down the path. I start to make out multiple people calling for help, and I’ve got my hand on my phone, ready to dial 911.
We come around a tree bend, and I pause. There are two teenage boys and one adult reaching over the wooden fence that follows along the path. They’re looking down at another teenage boy on the side of the precipice. It looks like he had slipped off the side of the path under the fence or maybe toppled over it. I’d seen a few boys take a dare to walk the fence line, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if that is the case here—and now he is clinging to the cliff side above a stream that is forty-feet below the path. His blonde hair is slick against his face, and he’s staring up at his friends with terror.
“Jason, just hang on!” one of the teenagers up top shouts.
The boy that’s hanging onto the rocks whimpers.
“Do either of you have rope?” the adult asks Eli and me. She’s very petite and looks older, maybe in her fifties. She’s got a phone to her ear, and she’s leaning over the fence, looking at Jason, her other hand on one of the other teenager boys to keep him from climbing over.
“Yes,” Eli says. He drops his pack and pulls out a cord of rope. I set my pack by his and we hurry over.
While Eli ties the rope around a tree nearby and then loops it through the fence, I climb over the fence. Making it to the other side, I lie down as flat as I can while still keeping my grip on the fence, and I reach out to the boy, but Jason’s still three feet down—further than I can reach. There’s no way anyone’s reaching him without a climb.
“Keep the rope secure,” Eli says to me.
I nod, climbing back over the fence to safety, and grab the rope while Eli climbs the fence and leans over the edge, looking down. The family of three that had been by the parking lot arrives, and they lean on the fence, all of us watching with wide eyes. The petite female hiker sounds like she’s talking with a 911 operator, giving the location and details, and I catch that her name is Martha.
Eli eases himself down a little. “Jason, just hang tight until I can get beside you.”
Jason nods his head once.
“You’re doing really well, Jason,” I say. Jason looks up at me, and I give him a smile. “You’ve got this. How old are you?”
“Fourteen,” Jason says.
“What grade are you in?” I ask.
“Ninth.”
“Wow, this has to be a rough couple of months for you,” I say. “Being a freshmen in high school.”
Jason gives me a small smile. “Yeah. But it’s cool.”
“Any favorite classes?” I ask.
“Lunch period,” Jason says.
I chuckle. “Lunch is everyone’s favorite time.” Jason gives me a more solid grin. “Besides lunch?”
“I like history,” Jason says after a second. “My teacher’s a lot of fun.”
“That’s good!”
By this point Eli’s climbed down beside Jason. Eli maneuvers himself sideways so that Jason can grab a hold of the rope. Then, just as Jason reaches a hand out to Eli, he slips and falls
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