Chapter 2
"You ok with that, want me to carry it for a while" Paul asks falling back behind the group a little bit so he can walk with Stephanie, these bags were heavy and Steph was struggling with hers but she wanted to prove she could do it on her own.
"I'm fine honestly Paul" Stephanie says "I've got prove to certain ass holes around here that I'm just as good as they are" Stephanie rolls her eyes as she sees Chris running up the hill carrying his bag like it was a bag of sugar tied to his back. Paul looks at Chris and laughs.
"Just ignore him, he doesn't know you" Paul says, he grabs her bag off of her back and straps it to his "I don't mind carrying for a while" Paul was right, Chris didn't know her. Not even Paul her ex boyfriend knew her very well, she wasn't very good at opening up to people and telling them how she really felt, they'd only split up because they'd decided they were better as friends which they were.
"Thanks Paul" Stephanie whispers to him so he can just about here, he smiles at her and puts his arm around her as they carry on hiking to the top. Adam slows down a bit and waits for Steph and Paul to catch, Chris runs on ahead showing off.
"He is starting to do my head in" Adam says through gritted teeth "I hope he gets lost so we don't have to put up with him for much longer" Adam grins at the idea of loosing Chris in the jungle somewhere. The groups carry on walking on the gentle slope and soon come to an ending on the cliff, the look down over the edge and see some ropes leading down into a lake.
"No way!" Stephanie yells seeing what they have to do "I am not climbing down there!" she says backing away from the edge, Chris lays down on his belly and looks over down into the lake.
"It's too far don't to jump into the lake, it looks pretty deep but we don't know how deep it is" Chris says climbing to his feet, he grabs hold of one of the ropes and jumps over the edge.
"Chris!" Stephanie yells running to the edge to see him slowly climbing down the cliff face and dropping into the lake, he swims to the surface and looks up at them all.
"Was that concern I heard in your voice Steph" Chris says laughing "Chuck me down the bags one at a time, I'll try to keep them dry" He shouts up to them.
"I'll lower them on the ropes to you!" Adam yells, he grabs one of the ropes and ties one of the bags to it before slowly lowering it into Chris's hands. Chris holds the bag up high above his head and swims to the edge chucking it onto the sand. "Steph we could lower you down, your lighter than both me and Paul" Adam says looking up at Steph.
"I'll go down first then you can lower her to me" Paul says walking over to the edge, Steph grabs Paul's arm, he turns back to her and takes her hand "I'll be ok" Steph nods her head as Paul hangs his legs over the side of the cliff, he holds onto the rope tightly and starts abseiling slowly down to the lake, he drops himself in. "Your turn Steph, Adam be careful with her!" Paul yells up, Adam grabs on of the bags and puts it on Steph's back and does up the belt that holds the bag onto her.
"This will do as a harness for now, hold onto the rope and use your legs to stable yourself so you don't hit the cliff ok, Paul's right there he'll help you" Adam says securing the rope to the bag. "The first bit will be the worst" Adam tugs on the rope checking it's safe.
"Paul I cant do it!" Stephanie shouts down to him looking over the edge, "I can't do this anymore!" Stephanie bursts into tears.
"Give me a rope, I'm going to go and get her" Paul says snatching the rope from Chris and tying it round his waist tightly.
"I'm lighter than you, I'll go get the princess" Chris says, what was he saying why should he help her Chris thought, he looks down at his arm, she had helped him with his arm and sounded pretty concerned when he went over the edge. Paul nods his head and unties the rope and hands it to Chris. Chris starts climbing up the cliff face towards the top "Steph put your legs over the edge" Chris shouts up to her as he gets close to the top. She does as she's told, he reaches the top and grabs hold of the edge pulling himself up and sits next to her. "Your going to do this whether you like it or not"
"I..I cant, I'm scared" Stephanie croaks, Chris could see how scared she was. She was shaking all over, Chris pulls her in closer to him and ties her to him still keeping the rope attached to her on the bag for extra support.
"Your going to be fine. trust me" Chris says, he takes Stephs hands and wraps them around his neck. She buries her head into his shoulder and cries. "I'm going to move us over the edge, just hold onto me" Chris says in her ear quietly. Steph nods her head, Adam holds onto her rope making sure she doesn't drop even a little bit. Chris pushes off from the cliff, he feels Stephanie grab hold of him even tighter, he wraps his arm around her and puts her legs around his waist as he starts climbing down the cliff. They reach the end of the rope; the last bit was to drop into the lake. Chris starts untying the rope attaching the together.
"What are you doing, don't let go of me" Stephanie cries.
"I'm not going to let go of you, we can't be attached or we'll drown. I'm not going to let go of you I promise, keep hold of me," Chris says as he undoes the last of the knots. He grabs the rope with both hands now holding up both his and Stephanie's weight. "Ok we're going to drop after three ok 1..2...3" Chris lets go of the rope and they fall into the lake, Paul dives under the water and grabs Stephanie pulling her up to the surface, he un- straps the bag straight away that's pulling her under and swims to the edge with her. Adam drops the last two bags into the water not really caring that they got wet now just wanting for them all to get onto the land below. Adam climbs down the cliff and him and Chris swim to the edge pulling the bags along with them.
"Is she ok?" Chris says as he lies down in the sand not far from Steph, Paul has his arms wrapped around her and she's still crying.
"She'll be ok" Paul says, Chris sits up and moves towards them. He sits down in front of Steph and puts his hand on her shoulder; Steph looks up and sees him. He was purposely showing some affection towards her, she couldn't believe it. Steph grabs Chris throwing her arms around his neck; he wraps his arms around her and hugs her looking a little shocked. Paul looks over to Adam and gives him a little smile.
"We better be finding somewhere to sleep, it's getting dark" Chris says pulling back from Steph and picking up his soaking wet bag. Paul pulls Stephanie up and picks up her bag and his own and pulls them onto his back.
"If we stay close to the cliff it will give us protection from the weather and there might be a shelter or something" Adam says emptying out his boots before putting them on again. The others all agree sticking to the cliff would be safer than to start wondering off into the unknown jungle. Steph runs to catch up with Chris who is leading the group.
"Thank you" Stephanie says quietly staring at the ground as she walks along; Chris glances at her and then back to where he's going.
"Any time" He says seeing that she smiles to herself, they walk in silence along the sand tracing the cliff along finding somewhere to stay.
"What about there" Stephanie says pointing out an overhang in the cliff forming a small shelter, Chris looks down at her and nods his head.
"Well done, that's perfect" Chris says to her before sprinting off towards it, he complemented her she thought. Maybe this wasn't going to be such a bad vacation as long as she stuck with him.
"You ok with that, want me to carry it for a while" Paul asks falling back behind the group a little bit so he can walk with Stephanie, these bags were heavy and Steph was struggling with hers but she wanted to prove she could do it on her own.
"I'm fine honestly Paul" Stephanie says "I've got prove to certain ass holes around here that I'm just as good as they are" Stephanie rolls her eyes as she sees Chris running up the hill carrying his bag like it was a bag of sugar tied to his back. Paul looks at Chris and laughs.
"Just ignore him, he doesn't know you" Paul says, he grabs her bag off of her back and straps it to his "I don't mind carrying for a while" Paul was right, Chris didn't know her. Not even Paul her ex boyfriend knew her very well, she wasn't very good at opening up to people and telling them how she really felt, they'd only split up because they'd decided they were better as friends which they were.
"Thanks Paul" Stephanie whispers to him so he can just about here, he smiles at her and puts his arm around her as they carry on hiking to the top. Adam slows down a bit and waits for Steph and Paul to catch, Chris runs on ahead showing off.
"He is starting to do my head in" Adam says through gritted teeth "I hope he gets lost so we don't have to put up with him for much longer" Adam grins at the idea of loosing Chris in the jungle somewhere. The groups carry on walking on the gentle slope and soon come to an ending on the cliff, the look down over the edge and see some ropes leading down into a lake.
"No way!" Stephanie yells seeing what they have to do "I am not climbing down there!" she says backing away from the edge, Chris lays down on his belly and looks over down into the lake.
"It's too far don't to jump into the lake, it looks pretty deep but we don't know how deep it is" Chris says climbing to his feet, he grabs hold of one of the ropes and jumps over the edge.
"Chris!" Stephanie yells running to the edge to see him slowly climbing down the cliff face and dropping into the lake, he swims to the surface and looks up at them all.
"Was that concern I heard in your voice Steph" Chris says laughing "Chuck me down the bags one at a time, I'll try to keep them dry" He shouts up to them.
"I'll lower them on the ropes to you!" Adam yells, he grabs one of the ropes and ties one of the bags to it before slowly lowering it into Chris's hands. Chris holds the bag up high above his head and swims to the edge chucking it onto the sand. "Steph we could lower you down, your lighter than both me and Paul" Adam says looking up at Steph.
"I'll go down first then you can lower her to me" Paul says walking over to the edge, Steph grabs Paul's arm, he turns back to her and takes her hand "I'll be ok" Steph nods her head as Paul hangs his legs over the side of the cliff, he holds onto the rope tightly and starts abseiling slowly down to the lake, he drops himself in. "Your turn Steph, Adam be careful with her!" Paul yells up, Adam grabs on of the bags and puts it on Steph's back and does up the belt that holds the bag onto her.
"This will do as a harness for now, hold onto the rope and use your legs to stable yourself so you don't hit the cliff ok, Paul's right there he'll help you" Adam says securing the rope to the bag. "The first bit will be the worst" Adam tugs on the rope checking it's safe.
"Paul I cant do it!" Stephanie shouts down to him looking over the edge, "I can't do this anymore!" Stephanie bursts into tears.
"Give me a rope, I'm going to go and get her" Paul says snatching the rope from Chris and tying it round his waist tightly.
"I'm lighter than you, I'll go get the princess" Chris says, what was he saying why should he help her Chris thought, he looks down at his arm, she had helped him with his arm and sounded pretty concerned when he went over the edge. Paul nods his head and unties the rope and hands it to Chris. Chris starts climbing up the cliff face towards the top "Steph put your legs over the edge" Chris shouts up to her as he gets close to the top. She does as she's told, he reaches the top and grabs hold of the edge pulling himself up and sits next to her. "Your going to do this whether you like it or not"
"I..I cant, I'm scared" Stephanie croaks, Chris could see how scared she was. She was shaking all over, Chris pulls her in closer to him and ties her to him still keeping the rope attached to her on the bag for extra support.
"Your going to be fine. trust me" Chris says, he takes Stephs hands and wraps them around his neck. She buries her head into his shoulder and cries. "I'm going to move us over the edge, just hold onto me" Chris says in her ear quietly. Steph nods her head, Adam holds onto her rope making sure she doesn't drop even a little bit. Chris pushes off from the cliff, he feels Stephanie grab hold of him even tighter, he wraps his arm around her and puts her legs around his waist as he starts climbing down the cliff. They reach the end of the rope; the last bit was to drop into the lake. Chris starts untying the rope attaching the together.
"What are you doing, don't let go of me" Stephanie cries.
"I'm not going to let go of you, we can't be attached or we'll drown. I'm not going to let go of you I promise, keep hold of me," Chris says as he undoes the last of the knots. He grabs the rope with both hands now holding up both his and Stephanie's weight. "Ok we're going to drop after three ok 1..2...3" Chris lets go of the rope and they fall into the lake, Paul dives under the water and grabs Stephanie pulling her up to the surface, he un- straps the bag straight away that's pulling her under and swims to the edge with her. Adam drops the last two bags into the water not really caring that they got wet now just wanting for them all to get onto the land below. Adam climbs down the cliff and him and Chris swim to the edge pulling the bags along with them.
"Is she ok?" Chris says as he lies down in the sand not far from Steph, Paul has his arms wrapped around her and she's still crying.
"She'll be ok" Paul says, Chris sits up and moves towards them. He sits down in front of Steph and puts his hand on her shoulder; Steph looks up and sees him. He was purposely showing some affection towards her, she couldn't believe it. Steph grabs Chris throwing her arms around his neck; he wraps his arms around her and hugs her looking a little shocked. Paul looks over to Adam and gives him a little smile.
"We better be finding somewhere to sleep, it's getting dark" Chris says pulling back from Steph and picking up his soaking wet bag. Paul pulls Stephanie up and picks up her bag and his own and pulls them onto his back.
"If we stay close to the cliff it will give us protection from the weather and there might be a shelter or something" Adam says emptying out his boots before putting them on again. The others all agree sticking to the cliff would be safer than to start wondering off into the unknown jungle. Steph runs to catch up with Chris who is leading the group.
"Thank you" Stephanie says quietly staring at the ground as she walks along; Chris glances at her and then back to where he's going.
"Any time" He says seeing that she smiles to herself, they walk in silence along the sand tracing the cliff along finding somewhere to stay.
"What about there" Stephanie says pointing out an overhang in the cliff forming a small shelter, Chris looks down at her and nods his head.
"Well done, that's perfect" Chris says to her before sprinting off towards it, he complemented her she thought. Maybe this wasn't going to be such a bad vacation as long as she stuck with him.