WAKE (Wattpad edition)

13. Pool of tears.

Soundtrack: 'Farther Along' - Josh Garrels

{Cary}

The way was steep. The incline on the path winding up the side of the mountain had increased so gradually that Cary didn't notice until he was using his hands as well as his feet to pull himself up the rocky face. There was no path. Split-lip was just ahead of him, picking his hand and foot holds with care; Cary put his feet and hands exactly where Split-lip had climbed. It was a long way down behind them, the tops of evergreens soft with distance.

Cary's muscles were shaking and his fingers were scraped and raw when the storm rolled in. Split-lip took a look at the thunderous clouds gathering above them and called down to Cary, the wind whipping his hair over his bearded face. "Not much farther! You can make it!"

Above, he could see the lip of the rock face, an old tree leaning over the edge with its roots hanging onto the cracks in the stone. Rain pelted out of the sky, and gusts of wind drove the drops like needles against his skin. With a grunt, Cary pushed his anchoring leg straight and reached for the next hold. The wind felt like it would tear him off the cliff face, and he tried to dig his bruised fingers deeper into the cracks. His chest was burning, and he was soaked—not just from the rain, but from the sweat of the climb. He hugged the rock face for a second, pressing his cheek against the hard stone and squeezing his eyes shut, barely hanging on. He didn't think he was a strong as Split-lip thought he was.

"You all right?" Split-lip's voice came down faintly. He found his way back to Cary, light and neat as a mountain goat, not tired at all. "Oh boy, here she comes," Split-lip said, and Cary heard the scrape of his feet finding new holds. "Hang on." Abruptly, Cary felt Split-lip swing into place behind him, pressing his body against the cliff. Split-lip was bigger than he was and he'd somehow found holds on either side of Cary, keeping him in place with his own strength. Cary could release his death grip on his fingers and relax his legs a bit with Split-lip taking some of his weight.

That's when the wind picked up with a scream. It started to hail, bullets of ice striking Cary on all the parts of his body that were still exposed. He tried to duck his head into the shelter of Split-lip's spread arms, but he couldn't escape the violence of the storm. It stole his breath and tore the skin of his arms and sides and whichever cheek he didn't have pressed to the rock. He heard Split-lip breathing by his ear and felt the steadiness of his chest against his shoulders. He shifted the weight on his feet, trying to hold on and believe that this would end and there would be anything left of him to finish the climb.

By the time the storm blew past, he was soaked and frozen. His arms and legs were like blocks of ice; Split-lip had to move them for him. When they got to the top, Cary stretched one arm over the grass and pressed his cheek against the ground--Split-lip heaved him up the rest of the way. Cary dragged himself away from the edge and collapsed, curling on his side and putting his hands against his face. Tears leaked hot from his eyes, melting his icy fingers.

"There's a place nearby," Split-lip said. "I'll get it ready and come back for you."

"No." Cary's voice was thin and ragged. He got his knees under him and tried to get up. "Coming too." His body was heavy, and he propped his aching head against the ground between his hands, trying to push to his feet.

There was a soft thump beside his head—Split-lip's knee against the damp ground. Large hands went under Cary's shoulders and knees as Split-lip gathered Cary against his chest. He felt Split-lip's muscles bunch as he stood with Cary's weight in his arms. He was so exhausted he couldn't even brace himself in case Split-lip was going to hurt him. Split-lip started to move in an easy walking rhythm, and Cary buried his face in his chest and fisted his battered hands in the front of his shirt, trying to soak up the warmth from his body.