Prism of Equilibrium

Chapter 16: Faith In You

I was glued to the ground, open-mouthed. A part of me wanted to try it but another part of me is not willing to risk my life climbing a wall by hanging from vine to vine.
This is reckless as hell. Aren't they worried at all?
I looked at them, then focused on Raziel. One of his arm is ahead of the other, grasping tightly on a brownish green vine which has leaves all over it. The vines moved whenever they took a grip of them. Those thin roots sticking on the wall might not be strong enough to hold their weight. I found my eyes focused back on Raziel, the tip of his hair swaying when he took another grip of the vine.
But then he didn't continue. He stopped there, looking at Natasha, Simon, and Sean who have reached almost the top of the wall.
I honestly and painfully feel I'm such a coward right now. Should I try? Or should I not?
I realized now that Raziel is looking at me. For a second, I thought he was angry. I can't interpret it, but he sure isn't angry. There's something else in his beautiful blue eyes.
"Selena," he half-shouted. "just climb."

What did he just say? JUST climb?

Wow.

"I can't." I answered him, quietly.

"You're not going to climb?" he asked, shaking his head a bit, like he was making sure that my answer was no.

I looked at the others for a moment, then back at him. "Yeah." I said, my voice filled with bitterness. I can't believe I can't do it. I can't believe I'm not even trying.

By then they have reached the top of the wall. Their figures looked small when they're that high above. I'm sure they're wondering why I haven't started climbing at all. Great, Selena. Such a great start you have done.

I bit my lips, unsure of what to do. Should I just walk back to the house? Suddenly, I heard a soft thud that snapped me back to this painful reality. It's Raziel---on the ground.

What the--

How could he just jumped from that height? He could've broken his limbs, or head, or die.

"I'll catch up with you guys later!" Raziel shouted to them. And I saw them looked at each other, and jumped off the wall. I watched in horror. I'm sure there's nothing like a soft bed there to hold them. Are the people here not afraid to die?

"Let's go." Raziel said to me. I felt so guilty for being such a coward. I was so afraid that he would think of me as a burden. But his voice showed no trace of hatred or anything.

"Back to the house?"

"No." he stated firmly. "Let's go, and climb the wall."

I stated my answer firmly, too. "No."

"Are you afraid of height?"

"No, I'm just afraid that I might fall. What if the vine breaks off?"

He laughed a bit, almost like mocking. "What if it doesn't?"

"How are you so sure of that?"

"I'm not. I am only sure of myself. And that's the only thing you need to reach the top."

"What? Believe in you?"

He looked a bit confused and I saw him realizing what he just said. "That's not what I mean."

"I know. I'm just trying to not climb that wall."

"Oh, c'mon. You have to climb. The first group is heading out, too." Raziel explained.

"What do I have to do with them?"

"Well, just for you to know, all the groups are against each other. And they won't bother to hurt you right on the spot."