The Perilous Descent

Part I

            The day had begun cold and dreary. The threat of snow loomed in the sky, filling it with a gray blue gloom. The temperature was close to -3 degrees F. and there was a slight breeze moving the air. The day was warm, especially for being almost 1,000 ft above sea level on a mountain in the middle of the Himalayans.  I took a deep breath, letting the frigid air enter my lungs. It cooled my body and increased the amount of adrenaline coursing through my veins.

I looked around at the others around me. All were eager with anticipation to begin the race to the bottom of this mighty mountain. There were 15 of us, all different colors, all different teams, and all us different motivations for this descent. The descent we were on was called the Perilous Descent. This consisted of 15 individuals racing to the bottom of a mountain in a major concrete tube on a wheeled sled. This concrete tube was huge in that it was probably 50ft across and at least 15ft high with swooping turns, steep slopes, and a serious taste for action. The riders were supposed to ride on a small sled equipped with wheels and a seat belt, big enough only for the one person. Each individual team was given a color and a lane that they were to stay in on the journey down, the first one down won a whopping prize of 50 grand and a trophy made completely out of gold. Some had reasons of greed, selfishness, bragging rights. I was doing this race only for my sister, Elise.

I was nervous; I knew in my gut that the race would soon begin and that this could possibly be the last few minutes of my existence. Some who hear of this race would think of a little kiddy hill and a plastic sled. Maybe even a few kindergartners crying when they got ran over by some stranger. They were wrong by a long shot. This race was for the hard core, the ones who were long time past the kiddy hill. If you fell off your sled, you were basically skinned meat. The concrete was merciless, and the intense curves on this mountain made it equally hard to stay on. This was a life or death race. Only the best of the best would take it on, and the mountain would soon single out those who weren’t strong enough.

The bell rang for the riders to squeeze onto their small sleds and prepare for the descent. I lined up in front of my lane, as did the others. Perspiration beaded on my forehead, despite the cold temperatures. My fingers tingled and my heart was racing at the speed of a million mustangs. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, I had to remind myself just to keep from passing out. I said a quick prayer and soon the gunshot rang.

Part II

            The sound of the bullet piercing the air was nothing compared to the roaring in my ears. I thought I had imagined it at first, but soon other riders around me were taking off into the darkness of the mighty tube. I hesitated only for a second and pushed off along with the others. I held my breath until I really did almost pass out, having to remind myself to breathe again. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, my thoughts rambled. I saw a light coming at me and thought that I had died already. I didn’t remember falling off; maybe I held my breath too long. Then the light whooshed at me and we entered a part of the pipe where the top was open to the air.

            I took a deep breath as we began on our first turn. The air rushed out of me, the force of the turn was astonishing and I had to grip my handles harder than ever before to keep from wiping out. I heard people screaming frantically as they nearly fell off. One, two, three, they passed me with whipping noises. My sled began going up the side of the tube as the turn continued evermore. I opened my eyes and saw that the lanes had all disappeared! We were all free range and gong every which way. Some doing complete circles around the tube, upside down and back to the bottom.

We entered another part of the tube that was closed in, lit dimly with lights so we could see one another and not crash into a horrendous mess of flesh and sleds. People were going nuts on their sleds by going in front, behind, and even up against one another, just to get ahead. One man zoomed right up next to me and smiled a grizzly smile before speeding ahead. I was definitely the last or close to last in this race and only the top 5 would win a prize of 10 grand or more. It was time to put the sled to the concrete. I hunched down even farther and let my hot rod rocket forward. The adrenaline was pushing itself, forcing itself into my veins and every fiber of my body. Competition fueled my speed; I would not lose this race. I will not let Elise lay in the hospital the rest of her life, however long it may be.

I began shaking with the longing ache to be ahead again. I heard a whooshing noise and my stomach clenched. I had been passed again, but looking back I saw the man with the grizzly smile far behind. My face lit up with a grin as I saw that I had passed more and more people. Soon there were only seven or eight ahead of me still. We entered another opening in the pipe as a turn beckoned us forward. I was expecting the same as the last one, but this one was much worse. It was a series of turns and loops that looked deadly to the eye and even more so to the riders actually on it.

Once I was going this direction the next moment another way, and suddenly I was corkscrewing upside down. I hung on with all my might. Pure fear kept me frozen in position. I thought for sure my sled would leave the surface of this merciless material. I pressed my eyes closed as I finished the loop intact. I prepared myself for the next set of turns, this way, that way and repeated again. But before I was able to begin the first turn, I heard the screams. These weren’t the screams from before, but these were pained screams. Sounds only a person who had just fallen off their sled could make. I cringed at the nose of an object meeting the hard, cold, concrete below. The noise of the Medical helicopter whipped through the air as it neared. There was no way to look back and see who had become the victim of the loop, but I could only keep my eyes locked forward and prepare for the next spiral.

My body felt as if it were being torn to pieces by inertia and gravity. The speed I was going had to register somewhere between 150 to 200 mph. Another person was left in the ice as I passed them and continued to zoom forward. I was only one away from being in 5th place. The prize money would be plenty enough to help Elise recover and come home. Elise had been in a car accident and was in serious condition. She needed surgery to replace her liver and kidney, but we were without the dollars to do so. This prize would take care of her surgery, and allow her to come home to be with me and my parents. I was their only means to help her get that far. I was the one responsible for her life at this given moment. And I was the one in this crazy and dangerous tube with strangers all fighting for their own cause.

            The pipe straightened out and I could feel my body beginning to lag. The adrenaline was lessening and I could feel its affects. But I couldn’t give up, not now. The watch on my wrist began to beep. We were nearing the end of the race, soon we would be done and I would still be in 6th place if I didn’t push to the ends of my being. With pure motivation I clenched my jaw and swooped forward even more. I was so close to the last person in my way that I could make out every design on their coat. That close. So close. I closed my eyes, prayed some more for strength and pushed farther on. Foot by foot, inch by inch, I got closer. I could see the flags for the finish line now in the distance. Their bright red colors cheering me on to get ahead of this one person. Before I could think I was next to him. His eyes registered surprise when he saw me and he moved farther ahead. I shook my head and bit down harder on my tongue. The taste of blood burst into my mouth. The bitter liquid coated my tongue, making me gag on the taste. With all I had I ignored it and pressed further on. The red flags were coming closer and closer with every racing heart beat. I got up next to the man again and sled ahead of him by a foot. He inched closer, and then I did. The finish line came up and was only moments away. I pushed in front of him, and then he did to me. The line came closer, and with every fiber of my body, down to the last little capillary and nerve ending I burst past him and through the glorious red ribbons flying in the wind.

Part III

I had won. I had won 5th place by only a mere few seconds. The victory was mine and a new joy I had never experienced filled me. My sled came to a stop and without a thought I jumped up out of it and put my hands in the air. My fists pumping I thanked God for giving me this one prize. My sister would be healed! She would get better and come home! All I could think about was the sight of my mother, father, and sister cheering for me in the hospital room as they watched me on TV! I hollered and I jumped, I sang and I danced. Nothing could contain my joy! The race was mine!

 As the rest of the racers came out from the tube, the announcer called for all winners to stand on the blocks! And I was counted among them! Oh the joy that filled my being was incredible! I stepped onto the block with pride and thankfulness and a song in my heart. My soul cried out to the Lord in thanksgiving as they placed the gold medal around my neck and handed me the trophy. It was the smallest of them all, but it was huge in my eyes. The announcer said our names, and I smiled even bigger. I began laughing and my eyes welled with tears. It was over, everything would be better. A reporter came up to me and began asking me questions that I honestly couldn’t repeat because I can’t remember what they were. All but one was over ruled by my ecstasy “What are you going to do now that you have won?” My answer… “I’m going home to my sister and family, and I’m going to think about this day the rest of my life.”