Mountain Climber (COMPLETED)

6

Leaves crunched in the darkness surrounding her. Segarra didn't dare breath, much less move or run. A voice. Segarra knew she had heard it. Sitting up, she listened for it to come again.

"Hello?" it called.

There it was! "Yes, I'm here," Segarra replied. Without warning, a large, growling beast pounced on the helpless girl grabbing hold of her shirt with its teeth. Segarra was too shocked to scream, but at the same time, she almost had known that it was going to happen. She struggled desperately to get it off.

Then it was gone. Segarra sat straighter, sweat dripping down her neck. She looked around for it, but she couldn't find any sign that it had ever been there. Was it a dream? She couldn't tell. Caution soon over-powered fear, and Segarra moved to the nearest tree. She sat there with her back against it, whimpering like a small child. Tears of fear streaked her face and she moaned softly for the man.

"Daddy? Please come back. Where are you?"

She felt ashamed of her pitiful state, being "grown up" as she was. Segarra was well aware that she wasn't actually grown up. She had let that thought sink in when she began this, her first climb, but the idea was not so sweet now.

Terrified, cold, and lonely, Segarra only half slept the rest of the night.

Stiff from sleeping against the tree, she woke, still tired. Though the sun shone brightly, Segarra curled up on the tree, ready to sleep the day away.

Segarra.

She shut her eyes, and blocked hear ears to the sound.

Segarra! You must get up. If you sleep, you will never conquer this mountain.

Murmuring softly, she replied, "I hate this mountain. I think I'm going to sleep today, and go back to my meadow tomorrow."

You know full well that you can not go back.

"Then I'll just wait here till I die. . . Or I could speed the process up some."

The top, Segarra. What about the top? You will go this far...get this close, just to kill yourself and never see the top?

This thought seemed to do the trick. Slowly, very slowly, Segarra stood, and took a step. Her body ached and it hurt to walk, but she did it anyway. Step...step...push...trip ...crawl...stand...step. The cycle was endless. Every step was upward. Every stone was lose, waiting to trip her.

A rustle came from behind her. Segarra didn't even turn to see what it was. No, she ran. Her pace that had been so slow and grueling a moment before, changed in an instant. She was sure that the noise had been from the beast she had heard that night. It was coming back to kill her now.

Sweat dripped, her hands were hot. The movement behind her continued. She ran. On and on she ran, up and up, until she realized she hadn't heard the sound behind her for some time now. Stopping, she looked back. Nothing. She tried to remember exactly what she had heard, but no concrete description formed. Was this a dream? What was real? Still, she couldn't tell.