The Ludicruos League

Frantic

Jino's heart pounded in his chest as he dangled precariously from the wicker basket of the air balloon, his hands slipping slowly as Voreqe clung onto his ankle. The ground seemed a million miles away as the air balloon floated thirty feet above the earth.

Inside the basket, Zhanshi frantically tried to pull him inside. The girls tried to help. Sweat dripped down their faces as they struggled against the weight of Voreqe hanging onto Jino.

"Anjir! Come on, we have to get him in!" Zhanshi shouted, his voice filled with panic.

Jino could feel his strength waning as his fingers slipped further from the rim of the basket. Desperation fueled his muscles as he tried to hoist himself up, his arms trembling with effort.

Voreqe's grip tightened, his face a mask of determination as he refused to let go. The weight difference between the two men was stark, and it became evident that Jino wouldn't be able to pull himself up without help.

The balloon swayed dangerously, the wind whispering through the air, adding to the tension of the moment.

The basket was too high, and Jino's body was slipping inch by inch towards the ground below.

Frantic, the friends inside the basket scrambled to find something, anything, that could help pull Jino to safety. But Voreqe was too heavy, and the combined efforts of the group were not enough to counteract the force of gravity that threatened to drag Jino and his captor to their doom.

As the seconds ticked by, Jino's strength waned. His fingers ached, his muscles burned, and his hope dwindled.

The elderly woman calmly said, "Girls, you have the power to create a rope with what materials you can conjure."

With a burst of energy, they combined their effort. Together, they conjured a long rope made of flowering vines. They quickly fashioned a makeshift harness.

"Wrap it around your chest, Voreqe! We'll pull you up together!" Lindu yelled, her voice filled with urgency and determination.

"Anjir! But he's the enemy!" wailed Zhanshi.

Inang glared at him. "Oh, shut up!"

Voreqe released one of Jino's ankles to secured the rope around his chest. As one, the group inside the basket heaved on the vine rope, their faces straining with effort.

Slowly but surely, Voreqe was hauled up. At the same time, Jino was lifted off the edge of the basket, inch by precious inch. The wind rushed past his ears.

With a final surge of strength, they were hoisted over the edge of the basket and tumbled inside. The girls cheered, and Zhanshi hugged him and patted him on the back. Exhausted but elated, Jino collapsed onto the floor of the basket, safe and sound once more.

"Th-thank y-you, g-guys," Jino gasped.

Voreqe scrambled up, releasing his chest from the vine rope and remained standing, his gaze guarded.

"Are you okay, Voreqe?" Lindu asked quietly.

He stared past her. "You should not have escaped. Now you don't know what troubles you will face ahead of you."

"Oh, Voreqe. Give it a rest, won't you? We just saved your sorry ass. Some people don't know how to thank others for their kindness," Leboni huffed, crossing her arms across her chest, mimicking Voreqe's pose.

Unfortunately, instead of flying upwards, they hot air balloon started going down.

"What's happening? Are we going down?" Lindu shouted.

Tae said, "Perhaps it cannot cater to the weight of so many people."

Leboni turned to their rescuer. "We have to do something. Ma'am, what should we do?"

The older woman remained unperturbed. "Calm down, everyone." To Inang, she said, "Girl, you have the power to keep us afloat."

"W-what did you say, ma'am?"

"Use your gravity defying power to keep us afloat. Now concentrate before we crash."

Inang gulped nervously. "What should I do?"

"Visualise yourself floating."

Inang shut her eyes, trying to concentrate. Her rational mind had lots of doubts. Could the elderly woman be wrong? Perhaps she meant someone else. Someone who looked like her. A doppelganger. It was a case of mistaken identity. 

"Inang, please hurry up," the Flower Girls pleaded.

Inang was still doubtful of said ability.

"Stop doubting yourself, girl. You can do it. And yes, please haste."

Incredible. Just as the bottom of the wicket basket touched the tips of the corn stalks, it started to float up. Inang opened her eyes. The girls cheered, saying many words to express their awe and gratitude. Voreqe looked at her incredulously. Zhanshi was fussing over Jino, who couldn't get his eyes off of her, full of amazement and admiration.

The elderly lady smiled and nodded. With a twinkle in her eyes, she said, "Well done, girl. Now I introduce myself. My name is Odu Karantika. Welcome aboard the Enggang."