AllFreeNovel
Share Us
August lingers at the entrance of the pool, a greenish cast falling over his face. He’s obviously dreading dropping in. He only does so when a large group of Juniors swarm along the edge of the course, shouting encouragement.
I climb out of the pool, sopping wet, wishing I’d thought to take off my sneakers before I got in. Now they squish with every step.
I’m smiling a little, thinking that if Nix does manage to lift that fucking rock, she’ll sail through the next obstacle. She could swim the whole thing without taking a breath.
We must be getting close to the end now. Almost the whole course is lined with students who took the shortcut to the end, some walking back along the route to see who’s in the lead. They shout a mix of encouragement and jeers, depending which team they’re rooting for.
I check behind me to see how Tristan and August are faring—I can see them jogging along, both soaking wet. Tristan is plodding with the same steady determination as ever. August is the one who seems to be flagging. He made it through the pool, but at the cost of the last of his willpower. As I guessed, his stamina is shot and he seems to be running slower and slower.
I cross the next obstacle—a tightrope—which I have to repeat twice when I slip off two feet from the end.
Tristan falls on practically his very first step across the slack rope, then tumbles off again on his second attempt.
Seeing this, August picks up speed. He manages to cross first try, and now I’m sprinting again, sensing that we’re nearing the end. August races after me, catching a second wind.
The thickets of spectators are three deep on either side of the course. They’re screaming at me to “RUN! RUN! RUN!”.
Up ahead, I spot two twenty-foot towers erected at the base of a short cliff. At the top of that hill . . . a hundred-yard dash to the finish line.
I race to the wooden tower, August grunting and gasping right behind me.
When we arrive, neither one of us knows what the fuck to do.
The towers are hollow, like we’re supposed to climb up inside to reach the top of the cliff. But the sides are smooth, with nothing to grip. Reaching out with both hands, I can barely touch each wall.
August spreads his legs as wide as he can, almost in the splits. He tries to wedge himself in place so he can shimmy up like it’s a chimney. His legs are so widespread that he can’t scoot his feet without falling.
I hear his curses, echoing in the empty tower.
I’m racking my brains, trying to discover the trick.
I know there’s a way to get up. I just have to be smart enough to think of it.
Nix comes sprinting out of the woods, her elastic split again, her hair bouncing wildly behind her.
She catches sight of August and me, still trapped in the towers, and her face alights with fresh hope. She’s running harder than ever,her gaze darting back and forth between the towers, strategizing before she’s even reached us.
She stops in front of me, breathing hard.
“Back-to-back!” she gasps.
“What do you?—”
All at once, I understand.
I turn so I’m facing the side wall, letting Nix slip in behind me. With our backs pressed together, we can wedge our feet against the wall. She pushes against me, and I push against her. In coordination, we begin to climb.
“Left leg. Right leg. Left leg,” Nix grunts, as we inch our way upward, knowing that if either of us slips, we’ll plunge all the way down.
“Ready . . .” I say, when we’re almost at the top.
In sync, we each grab the upper ledge of the tower, our legs dropping away beneath us. We haul ourselves up and over.
As soon as our feet hit the ground, we’re sprinting for the finish line.
It’s between me and her; August and Tristan are far behind us.
Though I can’t spare a second to look at any of the Seniors crowded around us, I can hear them all screaming, “ARES! RUN! FUCKING RUN, YOU’RE ALMOST THERE!”
