* * *
When we reached the summit, Dana threw her arms around me for a quick hug. “This is only half the battle! Now comes the hard part, getting back down the rock face.”
“Why do you say climbing back down the mountain is the hard part? I found climbing up the steep slopes of this giant rock to be difficult enough.” I dropped my pack and pulled out my camera to take some pictures of the top of the 5000 foot peak.
“It’s not as easy to get down those slopes as you think my friend. You’ll see.” Dana and I celebrated my victory with a light picnic lunch and then we started the descent together.
When we stopped to climb down the first ledge, I watched as Dana clipped the rope onto her harness and repelled down the mountain to the next slope. Dana tossed the rope back to me so I could do the same. I hesitated at first, but when I let the rope carry me down the mountainside, I felt free all over again. I came to a bone jarring halt as my feet landed on the top of the next slope. “Are you all right?” Dana placed an arm around me to keep me from falling to my knees.
“Yeah, that was a bit scary at first, but letting myself dangle when I fell off the ledge a few minutes ago made the descent down that slope easy as pie, except for that bone jarring landing.” I giggled as I handed Dana the extra length of rope and made my way down a steep grade, taking extreme care not to go sailing down to the foot of the rock head first. I ran down the gentle slope and then I stopped dead in my tracks. “Dana, I’m about to do something crazy, but I’m feeling a bit goofy right about now.”
“What are you up to Mandy girl?” Dana gave me a wink before sailing down the steep grade.
“Watch this!” I sat down and slid yelling, “Weeeeee!” all the way down. “I ain’t never had this much fun since we were little.” I got up and dusted myself off, and ran down the gentle slope to the foot of the mountain.
“You did it Lil’ Sis! See, I told you that you could do this.” Julie threw her arms around me as I ran up to her, squealing in delight. “How did it feel to climb that big hunk of rock?” Julie held me at arm’s length and looked deep into my eyes.
“Although the climb up the rock scared me half to death, I have to admit, I feel better than I expected! I have learned a couple of lessons from this climb. First of all, don’t look down, and last, but not least, be sure to trust the rope.” Tears of joy clouded my vision for an instant.
“What are you crying about, Sis? You did what you set out to do. I know you’re happy, but instead of crying, we ought to celebrate!” Julie put a hand on my shoulder.
“I know, I’m just so happy, but you’re right, Jules. Dana and I had a small celebration at the top of the mountain, but we’ll get a bite to eat, then drop Dana off at her house. When we get home, I’m taking a much needed nap.”
“But wait a minute, Mandy, what about climbing to the top of that little rock over yonder?” Dana pointed to the rock beside the waterfall.
“Oh, that’s right! Come on girls, I’ll race you!”
Ann Harrison’s Bio & Links
Ann Harrison loves God, her family, including her church family, traditional music, and the music of bells and wind chimes. Although Ann has worked as a freelance writer off and on for a few clients during the past four years or so, she has discovered that she loves writing stories from her heart.
Ann is currently working on the first Christian suspense novel of her Chosen Path series, entitled A Journey of Faith. This novel, and the entire series was inspired by recurring dreams of mountain climbing, which took on many different forms. She is also in the process of writing a self help guide entitled Embracing the Healing Power of Music: Seven Steps for Finding Your Way out of the Darkness and into the Light with God’s Gift of song, to explain how she discover this God given source of healing, by delving deep into the music she loves.
To read more of her inspirational writings, book reviews, character interviews from her novel, and a lot more fun stuff, please visit her blog at
https://www.wwannwrites.wordpress.com
To comment on anything you’ve read within these pages or on her blog, send email to
[email protected], like author Ann Harrison on facebook, and follow her on twitter @annwrites75.
A Martian Folk Tale