Afire Love

ten

Chapter ten: I'm Maxon But You Can Call Me Max

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"He said let's get out of this town,

Drive out of the city,

Away from the crowds,

I thought heaven can't help me now,

Nothing lasts forever."

~Wildest Dreams, Taylor Swift.

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THE MOUNTAIN THAT stands erect before me is approximately nine thousand feet long, they'd said. This natural elevation, with a snow capped tip, makes me feel mesmerized and I stand rooted to the ground, staring at its beauty. It's nothing like I've ever seen before.

"We have an instructor to instruct us and help us stay away from the hazards", dad says to the forty students who have been summoned here. "He's going to instruct you, and each of you is going to pay your absolute attention when he talks."

You know when you witness something breathtaking and all you want to do is just keep looking at that, never wanting to take your eyes off something so extraordinary, so nothing just comes out of your mouth and you stand motionless, awestruck?

That's how I feel right now.

Apparently, so does the crowd.

Not a single person utters so much as a word. We're all gaping like we're enchanted with a potion.

A person who I assume to be the instructor comes and stands in front of us, folding his arms across his chest.

Now when I say instructor, you might expect someone old and boring, someone serious and strict. But this guy may not be probably more than twenty five, with a goddamn sexy body and a sharp jawline that looks like it could cut off driftwood. He has pitch black eyes and a smile plastered on his face, with a long nose and slightly shaved beard. He looks at everyone but me, after which he looks at me but everyone. His gaze meets mine and I shudder. He grins at me before speaking.

"I'm your instructor. I'm Maxon but you can call me Max", he says, with his deep, intimidating voice. "All of you would start trekking maybe just after a half hour, before which you'll have to make sure your equipments are all taken care of. Firstly, you need crampons to go hike up there, there's a lot of snow. So, you can collect your crampons at the entrance. Secondly, each of you will be given a map of the entire place, and I suggest that you keep it safe. Thirdly, there are mountains with an average height of about 13,000 feet, yes, but it's better we climb this one, which is considerably, fairly good enough. Fourthly, you'll all be given a bag to carry with you, in which there will be a tent and also other requirements so do not, by any chance, misplace it. Most of all, stay in groups. Trekking may sound like a great idea, but you're walking into the wilderness, you're risking your lives in the process. Let's just hope everyone survives", he finishes, ending his speech with a smile.