The air was crisp and cold atop the towering cliff, the wind biting through their jackets as Marcus and Adrian made their ascent to the wall of rock that lay before them, fortunately the two of them were already used to the feeling because of years of climbing experience they had since their childhood.
It has been for hours, since the two young men had been climbing the wall of rock, relishing the thrill and challenge of scaling one of the most dangerous hill faces they'd ever encountered. Marcus led the climb, his movements instinctual and confident, while Adrian, followed closely behind.
Then the earth trembled.
The first quake was subtle, more like a distant giant's grumble than a full-on shake. Rocks rattled under their feet, and Marcus immediately froze, instinctively gripping the wall tighter.
"Adrian, hold on!" he shouted, glancing back at his friend. Adrian nodded in understanding, his wide, expressive eyes conveying both his fear and nervousness.
But before they could regroup, another quake hit, this one violent and more merciless. Stones cracked and shifted. Adrian's foothold crumbled beneath him, and with a sudden jolt, his safety rope followed to snap from its place.
Marcus's heart lurched as Adrian lost his balance from the rock. Without hesitation and in a split second, he reached out and caught his friend's wrist, the force nearly pulling him from his own precarious perch.
"Got you!" Marcus gasped, his muscles straining to hold Adrian's weight.
The wind howled mercilessly as Marcus clung to the jagged edge of the cliff, his fingers raw in white, and began to bleed from the combination of the weight strain and the sharp rock that he used to anchor them both.
Below him, Adrian dangled precariously, his wide, terrified eyes locked onto Marcus's. The seismic tremors had come out of nowhere, shaking the mountain and sending Adrian's safety harness into unexpected disarray.
"I've got you, Adrian!" Marcus shouted again over the roar of the wind, his voice trembling but firm. "I'm going to pull you up. Just—just hold on, okay?"
Adrian was born with Congenital Mutism means that he is unable to speak, he instead nodded frantically, his hands gripping Marcus's wrist with desperate strength and raw adrenaline. His face was pale as he mouthed silent words of fear and gratitude.
Marcus tightened his grip, his muscles screaming in protest as he began to pull Adrian upward, inch by agonizing inch.
But before Adrian could reach the cliff wall again, another tremor rocked the mountain. The safety rope securing Marcus to the cliff began to groan dangerously, fraying under the strain of their combined weight.
Marcus's heart raced as he glanced at the rope, then back at Adrian.
"It's okay," Marcus said, forcing a smile despite the sheer panic clawing at his chest. "We'll figure this out."
The rope gave another sickening creak as yet another earthquake happened, Marcus knew they were out of time. He could let go of Adrian and scramble to secure himself, or he could hold on and risk them both falling.
Adrian seemed to sense his struggle. He looked up at Marcus, tears streaking his cheeks in silent cries, but his face was calm now. Resigned. His hand began to loosen its grip.
"No! Damn it," Marcus shouted, tightening his hold. "Don't you dare! I'm not letting you go!"
The choice was unbearable, but at that moment, Marcus knew there was no choice at all. He couldn't—wouldn't—let Adrian fall alone.
"We'll be okay," Marcus whispered, more to himself than to Adrian. "We'll be okay," he said like a broken record.
The rope snapped.
For a moment, there was nothing but the rush of wind, the weightlessness of freefall as gravity doing its work. Neither boy has the courage to look down. Adrian clung to Marcus, and Marcus held Adrian just as tightly the entire time.
The ground rushed up to meet them, and everything went black.