Fade's heart plummeted, blood rushing to his ears. The beating of his heart kept getting louder till that was the only sound he could hear. He raced to the spot where she once stood and would have fallen over if not that he managed to break in time.
"Ara!" He shouted, looking down.
Relief coursed through him when he saw her holding on to the jagged pieces of the rock, although he knew she wouldn't be able to hold on much longer with the way it tore into her palms and drew out blood.
"Take my hand!" He said, stretching forth his hand towards her.
She shook her head, tears filling her eyes. "I–I can't."
"Yes, you can!" He urged, stretching his hand a little further while he used his second hand to grip the ground.
"What do we do?" Anike asked him, worry etched on her face.
"We pray."
"Jesus, please help us. Save her, Lord. Please." Anike prayed over and over beside him, and soon Dipo and Dami joined her.
"Ara, c'mon. Give me your hand." He told her.
She shook her head again. "If I let one hand go, I'll fall."
"You won't. I'll grab that hand and pull you up with it." Fade assured her.
"Why?" She cried. "Why are you doing this? Is it out of a sense of duty again, because this is your job and you don't want to lose your ward?"
"No, Ara. It's because I care about you, and I don't want you to die."
More tears spilled out of her eyes, trailing down her cheeks. "Really?"
"Yes. Really." His voice shook with conviction.
She stretched her hand upwards, but as she did so, the loose earth her second hand was holding onto began to crumble and she had to hold unto the jagged pieces tighter.
"Help me!" She cried.
Blood dripped down her hands, the crimson liquid snaking round her arms. She shut her eyes, the sight making her head reel.
Fade's heart clenched, and he wanted to wipe every tear from her face.
"Hold me!" He instructed his teammates, so that he won't have to use only his strength to pull her up.
Anike held on to him, then Dipo held Anike and Dami held Dipo. The tour guide who had rushed over on hearing the commotion held unto Dami, and it was like this till all the adults present were holding on to one other.
"Ara, you can do it!" Fade chimed and soon everyone was yelling encouragements to her.
"You can do it!"
"Don't worry, you won't fall!"
"God help you!"
With determination shining in his eyes, Fade stretched himself even further down. "Open you eyes and give me your hand, Ara. I won't let you fall."
She gave a tiny nod, and reached up to him. Their fingers grazed, before she let out a shriek when more loose earth fell.
She was losing her grip, and she knew any moment from now she would plummet to the ground below.
"Don't look down!" Fade shouted when he saw she was about to do that.
"Don't look down!"
All of a sudden, a memory flooded his mind. It was of a dark haired girl with brown eyes who stood right above him and looked down at him with concern.
YOU ARE READING
Awaiting Her Beau
Spiritual"Do you have anything to say?" He shook his head, but never shifted his gaze from her face. "Well then, what do you want?" She snapped, tired of his incessant staring. He shook his head again, still remaining speechless. She sighed. "Is there someth...
