The Mountain

Chapter 5

The next morning, it was no question if we should stay together as partners or split up. We packed up the site and mapped out a route to the cliff. It would take two days to get there so we wanted to start early. With a plan and each other, we set off to face the day.

We eat as we walk and talk together, mostly of small memories we do have. I tell him about the small bits of the life that I remember. Running and wrestling with two other boys who I assume are my brothers or friends. I haven't seen my parents in any dreams or memories yet but I'm hoping they pop up soon enough. Dreams are where most of our memories come back to us, he explains how he's seen deserted towns and small houses in his dreams. He hasn't seen any family, or if he has he doesn't recognize them as a family.

For a while we walk in silence, just enjoying each others company and the nature around us. Everything is fresh from the rain last night and small bits of mud are the only evidence of the storm. We walk through a mile of forest, enjoying the serenity. The faint breeze flows through the leaves and branches and sends chills down my arms. The trees sway with the wind and the leaves rustle together. This might be the only nice part of this whole ordeal so I try to enjoy it to the fullest. The cold air bites at my cheeks and nose, making me shiver. The shade doesn't help either, the suns warmth can't find us here. I try to imagine what life could've been like before I got here, but I can't. I can't think of anything from the past, nothing explains why I'm here.

The edge of the tree line greets us like an old friend. The trees slowly become scarce until we are left out in the open. The sun hits us again and I start to melt. Although it is welcoming, the openness leaves me feeling exposed.

"What do you think the other contestants are like?" James asks, breaking the silence.

"Probably like us," I shrug. "Confused and trying to figure out how to survive."

He nods. "What if they are like... I don't know, bad people? Like, they'll want to kill us to win."

"Then we will deal with them if we meet them," I answer. "And we will try not to fall behind or lose focus in case they are waiting."

After that I notice the pace of our walk speeding up for the rest of the day.

. . .

The whole walk to the cliff is mostly uneventful, thankfully. We've gotten to know each other pretty well due to our mostly random, off topic conversations.

As we get nearer to the cliff, my stomach starts to toss and turn inside me. I become jittery and anxious, but I don't even know why. I have no clue what the cliff has in store for us, so why am I already scared of finding it? James isn't fairing much better, I suspect his dread of heights has taken hold. I use our anxiety to push us faster and make the goal to get in and out quickly.

I spot the cliff in the far distance and make out a black flag waving just on the edge. Five boxes are set down in a row. As we get closer, I can see that only one seems to have been opened. When we reach the cliff, I set my stuff down and sit down next to it, taking a break to eat and drink. James doesn't hesitate to join me, clearly not thrilled to find out what our task is. When we've finished, James begrudgingly stands up and follows me to the box labeled 3 and 5.

Inside, we find a thin black cloth, a note, and a small map. I read the note first:

Follow the map to your task. Once there, a player must put the blindfold on while the other tells them where to move from off the course. Don't miss a step!
Blindfolded: James
Director: Adylin

"This is the blindfold," James says picking up the cloth. "Where is the course?"

I examine the new map. "About half a mile away, follow me."

We grab our new items and backpacks and set off for the course. It doesn't take long for us to get there, but when we do I wish we could've walked slower.

The "course" is a small cement bridge  over a deep ravine with no railings. It has small twists and turns that make the thought of walking on it without being able to see impossible. There is one person already on the bridge, a girl, with her male partner on the other side shouting directions. I look back at James who is white as a ghost.

"I have to cross that?" He asks. "Blindfolded?"

I nod slowly. "I will tell you where to go. I'll help you cross."

We watch the first pairing work together. The boy is shouting left, right, and straight while the girl follows slowly. She's tense and timid in her steps but I can't blame her, one wrong move and she can fall. She eventually gets across and sits down on the edge to breathe for a moment. The boy pats her on the shoulder and glances up at us in surprise before helping her up and jogging off.

"Our turn," I tell James. "Are you ready?"

He shakes his head but ties his blindfold on anyway. I help him over to the start of the course. "Remember, don't lift your foot off the ground. If you drag them you can feel if the path underneath stops."

He nods and I walk to the other side. The narrow path makes it difficult for me to cross normally.

Once I do, I turn to see James waiting patiently for my voice. I take a deep breath. "Straight!"