~{ Remember Me }~
The Sands of Time…
The sun is hot on my face and the air thick in my lungs. I stretch myself as far as I can and grab hold of the nearest enclave. I climb steadily and at an even pace. I do not look down because that would be my undoing. One thought about exactly how high up I was and I would lose my nerve completely. I have to concentrate on the next reach, the next pull, or I would surely fall to my death.
The air is silent. Suddenly, somewhere in the forest above a flock of birds are chirping. They sing songs to one another in a language belonging only to them. Their voices grow louder as I climb higher, striving to reach where they hide.
A gust races passed and unnerves me. I react quickly and flatten myself against the rock wall, holding on for life. I look up towards where the wall of rock ended. I could only see sky divided by the cliff's edge.
The birds take flight and soar into the cloudless sky. They carry their song upon the wind with them. It has changed though. It no longer spoke of love and happiness. It was sporadic, anxious. Something had frightened them.
My hands shake and tingle with nerves. My heart hammers in my chest like the beating of their wings. I close my eyes and focus on my breathing; in and out; in and out. Then I open them and stare at the obstacle I clung to.
So close...
I am so close to the top...
I grit my teeth and begin my climb once again. One hand grips the edge while the other sits in an enclave. I pull myself up with eyes closed and jaw clenched. I struggle to lift myself. I am so tired; muscles straining; arms shaking. Another few feet till the top.
"And here I thought you were terrified of heights." The amused, rich voice throws off my concentration. My eyes snap up to the edge where a tall man with a fair and noble face stood. His locks of golden brown fell shortly about his face and made his grey-blue eyes gleam in the light of the early afternoon.
My lips part, but no words escape. His stern, straight brow knits together as he stares down at me. His fur-lined cloak sways in the breeze and wraps about his sturdy, muscular frame.
"Are you alright?" He questions and then gives a hearty laugh. The smile reaches his eyes. "You cannot give up when you are so close! Come now. Climb."
My hands sweat as my heart hammers against my ribs. I stretch out my arm and grab hold of an enclave in the wall of rock. My eyes never leave his face as I continue to climb upon his encouragement.
"Good! You got it." He smiles warmly down at me. "Just a little more."
In the back of my mind there is recognition. I know this smile. I know this man, but I cannot recall a name. No matter how hard I try, I cannot remember anything more than his face.
As I swallow uneasily, his eyes lock on my throat. He locks on my gaze. He sees my fear.
"Gwen?" My name crosses his lips like a strip of the finest silk, "You look as though you've seen a ghost."
I say nothing in response. His expression changes as quickly as the sky before a tornado.
"Gwen!" He lurches forward with a hand outstretched towards me. His chest hits the soil, arm extending down to grab me. Comprehension of what has happened strikes me like a bolt of lightning.
My right foot had slipped.
I was falling.
Time seems to linger as though a charm had been cast upon us. I was plunging painstakingly towards the ground far below. I reach for his hand, but it was too late. I was too far gone for him to catch. His lips move, but they do not make a sound. I can hear nothing except the rush of the wind and my heart beating like hummingbird wings.
He calls out my name again…
…and again…
…and again…
I can no longer see the features of his face. He is but a blur on the top of the cliff. I straighten and look down at the approaching sea, the crashing waves, and the rocks.
At this moment, I could not remember an ocean being at the base of the cliff. I could not remember hearing the waves colliding with the rocks as I climbed. I could not remember how I had even gotten here or why I had climbed in the first place.
The charm breaks. I plummet towards the fierce waters like a falcon on its prey. The ocean grows dark. The air turns cold. The sun disappears behind dense grey clouds.
The last thing I hear above the screaming winds and raging heartbeat was my name. I close my eyes, prepare for impact and sigh as I listen to his comforting voice screaming out for me as though his words alone would catch me.
"Gwen!"
…as though they would cradle me…
"GWEN!"
…as though they would save me…
"GWENEAL!"
