《Two Hikers》Chapter 1 Part 2
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We are all in Ryans park ranger car on our way up to the mountains. It's Ryan and Gabe in the front and me and Alex in the back, I'm behind Ryan and Alex is behind Gabe. I am so glad I wore jeans because I would not want to be hiking in a skirt. We get out of the car and prepare to search, Ryan is getting his bag out of the back and we are stood looking around. It was at this point I wish I brought a flashlight or something and just hope Ryan brought one. He brought a lantern, not exactly what I was expecting but it's something.
We enter the gates of a huge brick building with the word 'TYPHON' on the front. I just hope we can find Ethan in time, Gabe is handed a sat phone to get in contact with Typhon to tell them that the are five people up in the mountains so they can't allow the blast to go off. As he is calling Ryan calls me and Alex over to see something. This place gives me the creeps there is no denying that. "It's been ages since I've been here. My dad used to bring me here, he'd call me his little miner in training." Ryan tells us. "Why don't you come here, and should we be worried?" I ask him in wonder. He tells us its outside of his jurisdiction and we don't need to be worried if we can get through to Typhon. As he finishes his sentence Gabe comes running to tell us he got through and that they are postponing the blast until we find Ethan. So we are no longer racing a clock, that makes me feel a bit better but I still don't like it.
I am now stood in this big open area and I don't know where to look there is just so much going on. So much for a peaceful life in Haven. I make my way over to this big gate where Ryan and Gabe are stood while Alex is looking around and spending a lot of time near one helmet, I saw the purple glow around it but didn't think it was important as there are more pressing concerns right now, strange can she see it too? I ask the one thing that's been bugging me since we got out of the car "What happened here?" Ryan tells me the story and I look at his emotions but I can't tell if its fear or sadness or a mix of both. I was about to look deeper but then Alex comes up behind us and asks the same question I did but instead Gabe answered. Alex then takes a few steps back and pulls something out, it's a comic? How's that going to help? She starts to compare it to the mine and we can see the comic looks exactly like the mine. "The whole story is about Ethans character breaking into a monster stronghold deep underground." They then start talking about where he could have gone and we make the decision to look around for something that could show us where he went.
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Gabe has gone to a gate to try and pick the lock while me, Ryan and Alex look for a way through the processing building. Alex compares the gate to a wall in the comic and we went in a door that leads us inside. Me and Ryan go around to try and open the door with the wires in the control panel to see if anything happens but alas, no avail, Alex then calls to us saying he jumped across to the conveyer belt and climbed to the silo. Alex finds out how to open the door and we go under with Gabe waiting for us on the other side.
We make our way up the stairs of the silo and look out on the mountains. "Can I see that for a minute?" I ask with the answer being a comic book being put in my hand. I compare it to the mountains and I can see where he went. "There that's where he's heading." Ryan looks over my shoulder and points out that he's heading to the ravine. God this kid is braver than me.
We are walking through the trees with Ryan in the lead and Gabe calling Ethans name. I notice something in the distance and Alex does too. "You can see his fear, can't you?" I say without looking at her and just walking toward the purple glow. I hear steps behind me but I don't pay attention to them as all I can see is Ethan in a little tiny area of stone with a log between us. He's terrified, well I mean who wouldn't be. Ryan starts to walk across but the log makes a loud snapping noise. "It's no good, we're too heavy." Ryan says to Gabe while Alex is backing away, she might not have good control over her abilities. "What about me? I am the smallest here so I would be the lightest." God what am I doing? Well no going back now. Ryan goes into his bag, pulls out a rope and hands it to Gabe, "Remember how I taught you how to anchor a belay? Awesome. Show me." He then walks over to me with the other end of the rope. "You okay?" Hell no, but like I said there's no turning back. "Does it really matter the only important thing is getting Ethan back to safety" From the corner of my eye I can see Ryan give Gabe a thumbs up, one step closer to me going across. "Evelyn, can you make eye contact with me?" I tear my eyes away from Ethan and look at him. "I'm going to tie this rope around your waist. The other end is tied around Gabe." He goes down on his knee to start tying the rope around me as I just look at Ethan, remembering why I'm doing this. "He'll use that stump as a fulcrum to feed rope your direction. Follow?" I know exactly what he's talking about but there is not a single word coming to mind right now so all I do is nod. "Awesome, you're doing super good. Remember. Slow is steady, steady's fast." He finishes tying the rope and tightens it with one final pull.
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I walk up to the log and get ready to cross, with one final deep breath I stood on the log and start to walk. I keep my eyes ahead of me not daring to look down. The closer I get the more of Ethans fear I feel and its getting worse with every step. In about a minute I have reached the other side and I am more scared than ever, with my own fear plus Ethans my heart is going a million miles per hour. "Ethan, my names Evelyn. I'm friends with Gabe. Look you have to take my hand so we can cross back to the other side and we can get you back to your mom." Ethan starts to shake his head repeating "No it'll see me, if I move it'll see me!" What is he on about? I hate doing this but I must. I slowly raise my hand to Ethan so I can see what he sees. I look at his bag first, he's sad that none of the stuff he brought will save him. Then I look at the comics and he is comparing them to this situation, Ninth Warden I've read those, one way I can help. Then the stone with what look like scratch marks or claw marks, and he's going on about a monster. I look down at the river and see what he means, rocks in the form of a beast, that's what he's so scared of. "Ethan I can see the monster too and I'm just as scared as you are but here's the thing, it can't see us." I raise my wrist that has bracelets on and say "bangle of vanishing, just like Ninth Warden, as long as you're touching me it can't see you." He hesitantly grabs my hand and we slowly go back but when we get about halfway the log creaks as some bits start to fall off. We try to be quick for the rest of the way without falling and when we get to the end where Ryan is waiting with his hand out to help us off.
Once Ethan is safe I sit on the floor and come out of Ethans fear and become proud of myself for what I just did, but it doesn't last long as some sirens start to blare behind us. That can't be good. Rocks start to crumble down the mountain side and one hits Gabe knocking him off the mountain side but that's not what's freaking me out, its the fact that I am connected to Gabe and I am starting to be pulled off the mountain, I grip the ropes but it does nothing but give me major rope burn on my right hand. Ryan comes over trying to pull at the rope with no avail and the last resort is to cut it. With Alex crying behind us but keeping hold of Ethan to Ryan pulling me to safety, we barely made it out alive. We take a slow walk back to the car in silence, Ryan still has a tight grip on my hand with no intention of letting go but I don't mind as I really need it. Alex is walking behind with Ethan and holding his hand as they clearly need it. We get to the car and Ryan has no choice but to let go and we drive back to town the silence becoming deafening.
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