Christin Solomon
Chapter 26-Never Let You Fall
A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I got a lot of aw's but I don't know why. Anybody care to explain that to me before you start reading or after, I'd really like to know. Hope you enjoy.
Zach's POV
We fell though darkness before we came to some light, free falling towards sharp, pointy rocks at the bottom. But there were ropes hanging from the ceiling and I grabbed on to one for dear life. Everybody else did too, goode. Christin's jaw was tense, as if she were in serious pain. She probably was, but she was two ropes away from me with Grant and Jonas in between us.
"Does it hurt?" Shane called from four ropes away over to his sister. She opened her midnight dark eyes to glare at him fiercely.
"No Shane, it feels great," She snarled, her grip tightening. Christin was getting tired, I could see it in every once of her. Her grip might become too weak . . . I shivered at the thought of her falling. She couldn't fall, that was my big sister, she never fell, not that I had seen anyway.
"How about a better question, can you climb?" Shawn called, good question. Christin's eyes flashed, keeping her muscles tensed, she pulled herself up a few feet, but everyone could see the small distance was making her tired. There was about twenty feet between us and the ceiling, she couldn't make that no matter how hard she tried or how determined she was. There were seat like things to rest on at the top of the rope but I doubted she could make it.
"You're going to get too exhausted too quickly," Said Jonas scientifically. She looked over at him.
"Way to state the obvious," She muttered, forcing herself up a couple more feet, but she was breathing heavily and that couldn't be good for her broken ribs.
"Start climbing," She growled at us all. With out seeming to think about it, I started climbing, I was used to taking orders from my big sister by now. But what surprised me most was that Christin was climbing so fast! That's when I saw that look in her eye and knew her determination was fueled by anger. She wanted to make the people that made her weak pay, she couldn't do that if she didn't get to the top. Well if that's what got her to the top, by all means, she could go about it her own way. We were all pretty close and Christin was resting when Jonas's hands slipped and he was sliding. Christin immediately started sliding back down, trying to catch up with him. Right when his hands ran out of rope, Christin grabbed his wrist, and yanked him back onto his rope. Jonas gasped, his breathing wild as he gazed up at the big sister who saved his life.
"Thanks," He choked out and Christin grinned, reaching over and giving his back a gentle pat. She continued patting to an unknown rhythm until his breathing became regular again, matching the pats. I never would have thought of that (Don't tell Cammie).
"Better?" She asked him, he nodded with a weak smile.
"Start climbing again," She commanded him. He started to heave himself up but Christin was staying below him, her eyes fierce with sisterly protection, she was not going to let him fall. She never let any of us fall. One month, we had to do rock climbing at Blackthorne and I remembered the strain. But Christin told me to hold on tight and think my steps through, and if I fell, she would be there to catch me. She was always going to be there, but there might be a time when she wouldn't be there to encourage me and make me keep going, and that made me wonder why she wouldn't be there, never mind, don't answer that. Jonas reached us and Grant and I helped him onto the seat thing. Christin reached her brothers and Shawn and Shane hauled her up so she was sitting in between them. Christin's breathing was labored and all three of us started to lean forward in concern. Shawn was keeping her back straight but she was still kind of gasping for air. That's when Shane started to whisper something to her, and she closed her eyes. After a while, her breathing calmed back into a normal pace, thank God.
"That would feel really good right now," She murmured to Shane. He half smiled and wrapped an arm loosely around her.
"Yeah, well, none of us would let you fall like that," He warned, but all the same he pressed his cheek to her hair in a brotherly gesture of affection.
"The final challenge will prove your worthiness to join the Italian Spies!" The voice boomed over a speaker that was located somewhere in the cavernous room.
"Who the heck would want to become an Italian Spy?!" Christin shouted to no one in particular.
"At least we know your lungs aren't hurt," Chris said, pretending to rub his ear after her loud voice finished echoing.
"As I remember, Christin was born shouting orders," Mrs. Solomon teased, turning to her husband for clarification, and Mr. Solomon chuckled.
"I wouldn't remember because Chris was screaming at the top of his tiny lungs," He shrugged, we all laughed as Chris threw a playful glare at his dad.
"What did you tell Christin to get her to breathe calmly?" Grant asked Shane.
"I told her to imagine she was free falling and the to think about how calm she would feel at being free, as if nothing to could touch her or hold her down," Shane shrugged. Christin grinned.
"He's quite the poet when he wants to be. But like he said, no one would ever let me fall," Christin defended her brother as she wrapped her good arm around his shoulders.
"Enough talking, I gave you your time for good byes and you wasted it! Now the challenge begins!"
A/N: The challenge! I can't wait to write the next chapter. Review please!!!!!!