World Of Silhouettes

Thirty

"We have to climb that?" I ask, fear lodged inside of me. 

"We will have to climb it, swing it over to the other side, set it down, and climb from there." Grey says. Katie backs away, stunned. 

"Thats crazy," I say, "I can't do that-"

"You'll just have to," Grey says. "Ill go first, then Scarlet, Ben, Katie, Abbey and Bruce. You'll have to hold the ladder for each other so it doesn't tip. 

"What about me?" Bruce asks. 

"You'll have to be careful. We will try to hold it from the top, but try not to shake it and be fast." Grey look at the ladder like its absolutely boring. Sure, this is nothing. Its not like we are about to climb over fifty feet or so on a ladder or anything. 

"Hold the ladder down," He instructs. I grab onto it and nod, assuring him that I'm using all my might to hold onto it. He grabs onto the rungs and climbs up quickly. I watch him go up, farther and farther, my heart pounding as I realize that that will be me soon. The wind is pretty docile right now, thank goodness for that. He reaches the top and whistles to me, a sign that its time to get on. Ben squeezes my shoulder and steadies the ladder. Katie watches, her arms folded over her chest. 

"Snakes and heights," I say to myself, "curse those two things." 

Don't think, just climb.

I put one hand in front of the other and work my way to the top. 

dontlookdowndontlookdowndontlookdown!!!

I have about thirty feet to go, when a sudden blast of wind hits me and nearly knocks me off the ladder. I hold in a scream as my legs slip. I stabilize myself on a lower rung, closing my eyes. 

"I cant. . . " I whimper, "Hate heights. . . I hate heights. . ."  

But if I don't do this now, who will save me? Nobody.

"Scarlet," I hear Ben yell from below me, "before a gust of wind comes again!" I know that what he says is right. I re-steady myself and begin climbing, my eyes focusing on my hands. Before I know it, arms are wrapping around me and pulling me to the wall. I perch on top of the wall in an absolute daze. 

"Grey," I say, "its too high up," Im gonna fall!" A gust of wind comes and I grab onto his jacket, squeezing the life out of it. In a normal situation, he might have laughed at my terrified state, but now he is serious. 

"Its okay," He says, though he doesn't seem very confident himself. "if worse comes to worse, ill use magic to save you. Its okay." He squeezes my arm as we wait for Ben to come up the ladder. The wind seems to get worse the more we wait, I sway a little, wanting to puke anything I have ever had in my life. I hate this. I hate this height. Ben reaches the top. 

"Scarlet," He says hastily, "Move down so I can sit." 

"You want me to move?" I yell over the wind. I curl my fingers around Grey's poor jacket even tighter. He's a great wind barrier, actually. "I swear, if I move right now, ill faint." He sighs and manages to swing himself over. Katie climbs up at an average pace and reaches us looking pale. Then Abbey, and then. . . Bruce. Its starts well for him, but then, as he's two feet from the top, a gust of wind stronger than the others blows through. The ladder slides from beneath him. Abbey screams. 

Before I know what I'm doing, I lean over the wall and grab his slippery hand. Bruce has his foot in the rung. Abbey is still screaming. 

"Help!" I yell. Grey and Ben starts pulling us both up. My arms shake, with fear and exhaustion. I cannot do this one second more. The tension on my arm releases and I realize I've been closing my eyes. I slowly open them and here I am, sitting on the wall.