The S.O.L.O.ists

Chapter 19

Kenton's Point of View

 Here I am battling Peter at an agility test.  Hurtles and all.  

Annica's acting wounded and I find it really weird.  Like looking at a picture of the Sahara Desert with a gentoo penguin sliding down one of the dunes.  Yes, it's that weird.

                About three minutes ago Peter and I started this stupid test.  It's about ten minutes but really it's starting to feel like ten hours.  We're neck-and-neck but on somethings the other person is better at.  And the most troubling obstacle for Peter will by the pool.  We have this rope that hangs over it and we have to use it to swing to the other side.  He thinks that you only need lower body strength to be good at this stuff.  

What a moron.  

Right, now we're blazing past the blades.  Which are these giant blades swinging pendulum like.  And the freakiest part of it is that you can hear it slicing the air while you run past them.  "ACK!"  I hear Peter squawk when he nearly misses a blade.  I know better than to laugh at this because I'd lose my train of thought.  

                Next up is the balance beam.  I tend to have a problem with this due to the so called honking clodhoppers I have for feet.  So I just walk back a few steps making sure I don't get sliced by one of the blades and get a running start onto the beam.  So I jump and make it cleanly onto the beam and keep running.  I keep tilting side to side but it doesn't mater as long as I'm passing Peter.  Speaking of that weirdo where is he?  I hear him laughing at me from a couple feet away and I look to my right.  He's surpassed me and is already going down the metallic chute.  The only dumb thing that he did was go down feet first.  That gave you more speed but right at the bottom of the chute was a 60 degree curve and a mini trampoline.  The lift and trampoline is for leverage to grab the rope that's suspended about 15 feet in the air.  And as soon as he comes out he's going to slip and bounce on the trampoline and fall into the pool.  Which is negative 35 degrees celsius.  

So I finish up the last length of the beam and dive down the chute head first.  I've done this thing a million times before and never could I've seen anything because it's pitch black.  Now I have my 'night vision' and I find it totally awesome.  

 So I "fly" down the slide and use my hands to stop me from flinging out the end.  I hear the splashing of the water and I know that's not a good sign.  So I worm my way out of the chute and crawl onto the trampoline.  I look over to my right and see Peter cursing and hopelessly treading in the freakishly freezing cold water.    Idiot.  "How do you like the water?"  I holler over the splashing, "Warm enough for ya?"  

 He makes a rude gesture at me.

I roll my eyes, "Whatever."  I get on my feet and shakily balance my stance.  I slightly bounce a bit and focus on the rope and just when I'm about to jump Peter childishly yells, "PSYCH!" 

I stumble and fall weird on my legs.  "D*mn!"  I growl in pain.  There was nothing really wrong thank goodness, something you simply walk off so I just get up and try again. "Shut up Peter!"  I point at him before he opens his mouth to say anything.  Then I do it once again, more annoyed.

Breath.

Focus on target.

Use height to advantage.

So I bounce a bit and get ready to jump when another thing distracts me.  "Do you want me to spot you?  You know if you can't get far enough or something?"  Annica asks into my ear piece.  Rats, I forgot that I put one in her ear.  "I'm fine, thanks."  I mutter back.  So I try to do it again and to tack onto my nervousness Peter begins to swim back to the edge of the pool.  I have to hurry.  

So with as much power I have in my legs I leap and soar into the air and grab the rope as soon as it gets into arms length.  But only one of my hands make it and it's already slipping. Now I'm swinging like a monkey back and forth flailing wildly not knowing what to do.  The treacherously frigid water below me sits still as if it were a feline readying itself to pounce on it's prey.  Yipes!

Soon enough making things even worse my hand that's gripping the rope is straining to keep me up.  I curse and Peter - sopping wet - maniacally cackles, "Well, well Miss Muffet you gonna fall yet? 'Cause I'm pretty sure there are a lot of spiders up there."  My hands slips about an inch, "Dumpty if you don't shut it I'm gonna push you off your frickin' wall so that the king's men cannot put you back together again!"  

"Kenton, concentrate."  Annica reminds me tonelessly.

"Sorry."  I turn my attention back to my grip and whip my left hand up to grab the rope but end up sliding down even further.  Now I'm barely even holding on.  "$#*%,"  I curse at my own stupidity.  "Granny are you coming down now?"  Peter asks. 

Note to self:  Strangle Peter after all of this is over. 

I can feel my fingers starting to strain from the awkward position and the slow agonizing feeling of the fibers the make up the rope burn my fingertips.  And so . . .

I let go.