Thirteen In The Dark: Part 5
I slowly walk over to the broken window with the thick black glass beneath my feet. Without wincing I grasp the razor sharp sides of the building. My head peeks out and embraces the cool rain, slowly becoming mist. It relieves my long sweaty hair for the first time in years.
My gaze fixes below me, on the endless fog. We can't jump, I know that. I don't know how far down it goes. My body pivots towards my scrawny unit. "We are going to make a rope."
"But how? There's nothing here...." They all mumble amongst themselves. I think for a moment, and beam at they're long clothes. When we were each given these rags they were meant to last a long time. As in years to be precise, so they were gigantic when we received them.
Then I think how we could make the rope. We could use bed sheets, but their aren't enough. Then it hit me...
"Rip off your pant legs and sleeves. We will need lots of them...." I confirm. I flit around, snatching all of the bed sheets to add to the extension of the rope. We pile all of the clothing into two heaps of the strong cloth and the less durable. The girls knot two of each weak piece of cloth side by side, creating a strong substance.
The other girls and the guys help me with the stronger cloth. We knot tight so that it can withstand our weight. Not that we are heavy, but we can't risk it falling apart.
"This is looking pretty long," I say, pleased.
It takes us about fifteen minutes to complete the long rope. We knot the more durable end onto a thick, long branch from the old apple tree that reaches to us. My unit pushes the heavy bundle out the window, unraveling its true length. Someone must test this, someone truly brave.
"Harry, you try it out first. If it is not long enough, holler to us and we will pull you up." I decide.
Anxious, he nods at me and grasps the cloth rope. "Good luck," Macy smiles.
His feet bounce off the glass as he slowly lowers his grip on the rope. Harry slips beneath the fog, and we can only hope his survival for we do not know how far down sit goes.
I pace back and fourth, because I have just sent my best friend down the outer wall. It has been about two minutes now, and we hear a faint shout. "Should we pull him up?" A boy asks me. My head shakes and I tell him to wait for the voice to echo to us. The holler repeats and this time it is clearer. "It ends five feet from the ground, but I can jump!" He yells at the top of his lungs.
Relieved, I send one more boy down the line. I tell him to yell at half way, and notify the rest of the unit.
"Once you get past the fog, shout to us so we can send the next person down." I explain to everyone, "We can't waste any time."
We send the stronger ones down first, so that the week ones can be caught because their legs may be frail.They catch each other as they reach the bottom, and after an hour am the only one left.
I check the room for anyone else, but no one appears to linger. Right as I prepare to lower myself, the door creaks open and one of them enters the room. I freeze as he walks closer to me. I do not recognize this one, maybe he is new. "Planning an escape I see." He chuckles. "Are you going to try to stop us?" I choke up.
He just stares at me, puzzled. "And why would I do that? I never thought I would even see you again." My teeth and fists clench with fear. Again? I had never seen this younger man from what I can ever remember. Who was he? What did he want? "Who are you?" I ask boldly. A frown plants on his face as he answers. "You don't remember your own brother?"
Part of me wanted to except this, but I didn't want to believe it. He had the same dark brown hair as me, and he had blue eyes. "Let me help you," he pleaded. "How do I know you are not lying to me?" I screamed.
"Just trust me. I could've told the maechants any time now, and it haven't." I don't trust him, I trust my instincts. So I raced down the rope as fast as I could, past the fog. I slow down because I know as long as he can't see me I am safe. At the bottom, I hear them cheering me on. I think my "brother" thought I made it to the bottom already, because the rope tumbles down when I am twelve feet from the ground.
Sally Beth
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Sienna Williamson
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Clear Cascade
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