Lara Croft: Origins

Chapter VII: Traversal

Chapter VII:

     Admiring the view had given me a chance for a breather. Not that I wasn't accustomed to physical exertion. I'd been in pretty much every sport except hockey and football. No explanation necessary for those. It's just what had happened to me and... And that man, and this island was so strange. I needed a breather from all of that.

     After a mental recap I continued down the plane until just before the mountain. The frame I'd been climbing across was hanging limp. No foothold. I looked around for other routes across the plane. No way except back.

     I did observe something strange, maybe too strange for my liking. Minutes ago I had admired the serene sky and gorgeous sunrise. Now it was humid, and clouds were rolling faster than they should be. It was like watching a movie at 1.5x speed. I noticed it but not so much actually paid it attention; I mean what I was gonna be paranoid about the weather now? No.

     However, it began to drizzle. I looked up. Something caught my eye. The upper part of the plane's frame was still intact above me but no luck in it carrying me the rest of the way. It could still get me to the top of the plane. I was wary of slipping due to the oncoming rain and of the frame breaking due to my weight. Worrying wasn't get me off this island anytime soon. I analyzed the structure planning my route. Okay, got it.

     I reached up measuring how far I'd have to jump. Four feet? Risky. After a moment's hesitation I jumped, barely catching the cold, wet steel. Sigh of relief. Nice, Lara. I pulled myself up the rest of the way, finding myself on the roof of the aircraft. That's what seven times I could have died now? It calmed me a little to think it wasn't luck keeping me alive; that would imply my luck would run out eventually, but that it was skill and instincts keeping me alive.

     As broad as the plane was I still thought I could slip and fall to my death after everything I just went through. I walked slowly down to the plane's cockpit. Call in for help and get the hell of this island.

     I approached the front and found half the cockpit window blown out leaving me an easy way in. What if there were bodies? I had had my share of death to last a lifetime. Fortunately there was no one inside. And there was a radio!

     I scrambled for a way to use it. I wasn't totally sure how to use one of these. There was however a button with a blinking red light underneath. I pressed it. Static. Was I not getting signal? Maybe it was on an outdated radio channel. I spun the two dials. Nothing but static. The rain out side want helping it either. Probably going to short circuit it.

     I looked around in the plane a little. Okay this is going to sound totally cliché but there was a first aid kit in a compartment behind the pilot's seat. Good thing first aid supplies don't have an expiration date. Finding nothing else of any use to me I reached up out of the cockpit to exit when something made a sound below me.

     The plane was groaning under my weight with complaint. Staying on this plane wasn't a good idea. I hurried up on to the roof as I saw pieces falling down the mountainside. I turned toward the edge of the ravine where a trail lead around the mountain out of sight. More pieces falling. I ran and jumped off the plane as the rest of it caved in on itself like a black hole sucking everything into the ravine below.

     I landed on my feet but slipped because of the water and height from which I had just jumped. Eighth time this night you could have died. But beside that fact I felt proud. I mean if this was a book or a movie and not actually real, that would have been the part where people are impressed and cheer. But now there were no people probably for miles and and they were definitely not cheering. I was alone again. Maybe it wouldn't have been so terrible to have at least the company of a psycho.

     Okay, that was a little weird. I would rather be alone than with someone trying to kill me. Obviously. The only sounds I hear now are my breathing and the elements around me.

     Never mind that, I had to move on. The path didn't seem recently used. The grass wasn't stepped down on. That could have been a good sign or a bad one depending on your perspective. Either I was far away from people that wanted to hurt me or people that I wanted to find from the Endurance.

As I round the corner of the mountain I was completely underwhelmed. I'd been hoping against hope I'd see a sign of the crew or something to guide me but the trail just lead to the trees where the mountain leveled out onto a flatter terrain.

Trees scattered the green meadow so thickly visibility was less than 100 meters. That made feel uneasy. The trail snaked through the trees. Bad word choice there were probably snakes here. And bears and wolves and other animals that might love me for lunch today. I stayed mostly to the path but my curiosity was slightly overpowering my fear. Curiosity killed the cat. But I was determined to look for and find the Endurance crew.

At least not it wasn't so dead silent. Now there was the sound of rain hitting the tree's leaves. Guess not much of an improvement either.

Up ahead was another mountain. Well maybe not a mountain. A vertical rock formation which plateaus onto another plain. Notice my continual rise of altitude. Another fact that could be good or bad. Higher ground, better view and signaling. Higher ground, higher fall to my death.

Frankly I didn't see myself climbing up that high. Instead I began surveying my surroundings further. I wasn't sure what I was looking for but I knew when I saw it I'd know it.

I was right about that. Over to the left of where I'd turned the corner into this new ground was some sort of mineshaft. It headed in the direction of the mountain I knew I wasn't going to climb but was still my only viable means of progression.

Should I go in? The area was surrounded by mountains. What I had traversed so far along the mountain basically made the shape of a hook. I decided I had no where else to go so I took a glance around the valley...

And jumped in.