The Red Phoenix

by Alex Carter

  “It can get a bit windy around that corner. I forgot to mention that” Lux shouts from behind me. “You’ll be OK, just reach a bit further round and find that hold. You just need to be a bit bolder.”

  I slowly take my hand from its hold once again. This time I thrust my arm as far round as I can reach with a lot more gusto. My hand lands on a large lump of rock which fits perfectly into my palm. I grip it tightly.

  “I’ve got it!” I shout to Lux with genuine excitement.

  “That’s fantastic Angel, well done!” Lux shouts back. “This is the part where you need to really go for it. You need to pull yourself around with your left arm and simultaneously launch your weight with your feet. As your body swings around the corner you need to grab the same hand hold with your right hand and land your feet onto the continuation of the ledge that you are currently standing on.”

  “That’s easy for you to say” I mutter to myself. My arms and fingers are aching and I feel so cold that I’m not sure whether I want to laugh or cry.

  “Remember that I am holding onto the other end of the rope on so there’s no need to worry” Lux shouts in encouragement.

  “You’re holding the rope and I’m doing all of the work” I mutter in response.

  I look back towards the platform where Lux and Arty are standing. If I miss my landing on the other side of this corner I will fall and swing on the rope like a pendulum. The combined force of my weight, the momentum of the swing and the gravitational pull could easily be powerful enough to take Lux down with me. I try to put the thought out of my head and focus on my climbing. My left arm is now starting to ache, so I know that it’s now or never. I compose myself, grip the rock horn tightly in my left hand and launch myself around the corner of the cliff.

  Time seems to stand still as I move through the air, over 1,000 feet above the ground. As I swing around the corner the intense strength of the wind blowing on the other side hits me. For a split second it feels like the wind is going to blow me clean off the mountain. It doesn’t. I see the rock horn I am holding with my left hand and reach for it with my right hand. At the same time, I direct my feet towards the ledge that I was standing on around the corner. My right-hand lands on the rock horn but its smaller than I imagined and my right-hand lands on top of my left. My left foot lands on the ledge but my right foot misses. Gravity is desperately trying to pull me down from the mountain. Just as I think I am about to fall I find an extra fragment of strength in my left arm and pull myself back towards the rock face. I move in towards the cliff face, pull my right foot up onto the crack and press my entire body against the freezing cold rock.

  My heart is racing and I’m breathing heavily but I’ve stopped moving and I’m safe. I feel totally elated.

  “I’m guessing that you made it?” Lux shouts from around the corner. I can feel him tugging gently on the rope to indicate that he’s still holding the other end.

  “Only just” I reply.

  “OK, now for the difficult part.”

  “Now for the difficult part? I only just managed to complete the last section!” I shout back.

  “Look down beneath you. The rock face curves out like a skirt. Can you see that?”

  I look down and see the surface sloping away from me.

  “Yes, I can see it” I shout back.

  “OK. You need to make your way down to that point.”

  I look around me but can’t see any obvious hand or foot holds.

  “How do I get there? The surface is totally smooth beneath me.”

  “There is a vertical fissure in the rock face to your left. You need to make your way across to that and use it to work your way down to the overhang.”

  I scour the rock face to my left and spot the crack that Lux is referring to. From where I am standing it looks very narrow.

  “I can see a crack, but it looks too small to use” I shout to Lux.

  “That’s the one” he replies. “I promise that it is big enough.”

  “I promise that it is big enough” I mutter sarcastically to myself as I get ready to make my way over to the crack in the rock face.

  “OK, here I go. Keep tight hold of that rope!” I shout as I start moving.

  I switch my right hand onto the rock horn and shuffle my feet as far along the crack as I can. My body is now positioned directly between the crack and the horn. I stretch out my left arm as far as it will extend. The crack is agonisingly close but is just out of reach. I need to jump. I scour the rock face for hand or foot holds to use if I miss the crack. There aren’t any. There is simply no margin for error. If I don’t execute a good landing on the crack I will fall.

  “OK Angel, this is it” I whisper to myself as I prepare to jump.

  I push myself away from the rock horn and lunge across towards the crack. I fly across the rock face and my left-hand plunges straight into the centre of the crack.

  Bingo!

  I feel the jagged rock scraping across the back of my fingers through my glove as my hand goes all the way in, right down to my knuckles. I don’t care. I’m safely across and in position.

  “Did you make it?” Lux shouts.

  I am now on the blind side of the corner so Lux and Arty can no longer see me.

  “Yes” I shout back as I break into an involuntary laugh. “This is almost fun!”

  “That’s the spirit!” Lux shouts back.

  The fissure is wider than it looked from a distance and runs as far down the rock face as I can see. The depth of the crack allows me to get a strong grip with both hands. I jab the toe of both boots into the crack and start working my way down towards the overhang. The adrenalin in my system must be at maximum output as I don’t feel any pain even though my fingers are now carrying most of my weight. I make light work of the descent and quickly arrive at the rock overhang. I feel a sense of immense achievement as I sit and look around me. I wonder how many people have ever made it onto to this part of the mountain. Not very many.

  “Are you at the overhang yet?” Lux shouts to me. I can only just make out his words over the sound of the wind.

  “Yes. What do I do now?” I shout back.

  “The first thing you need to do is to take out your other rope.”

  “Why do I need two ropes?” I ask.

  “You won’t be able to wear both at the same time so you will need to detach the one I am holding.”

  I subconsciously grab the rope around my waist. The psychological comfort it provides is massive and the thought of detaching it fills me with dread.

  “Did you say take your rope off?” I shout back, hoping that I misheard.

  “Yes. If you look down towards the edge of the overhang and you will see a metal ring. I fixed it in place when I completed the climb. You need to pass your other rope through the ring and then tie it securely back around your waist. I know it going to be scary taking off the rope that I am holding but you can’t have two ropes on at the same time and you won’t be able to climb down the overhang without being attached to the metal ring.”

  This is the scary part as I now need to untie the rope that Lux is holding. As I undo the knots in Lux’s rope and remove it from my waist the wind increases in intensity. I feel vulnerable as I leave the safety of Lux’s rope and make my way towards the metal ring.

  “You’re very quiet Angel. Are you OK?” Arty shouts.

  “I’m fine” I shout back with as much enthusiasm as I can muster.

  I make my way slowly on my hands and knees towards the edge of the overhang. As I get closer to the precipice I drop down onto my belly and crawl along the last section like a snake. I grab the metal ring as soon as it is within touching distance. The metal is freezing cold to touch, even though I am wearing gloves. I give the ring a strong yank to test its strength. It doesn’t budge. I pass the end of the second rope through the ring, pull it through, tie a climbing knot and double check that it is secure. I then roll onto my back and quickly tie the rope around my waist. I double check all the k
nots are secure before rolling back onto my stomach. I crawl forward and peer over the precipice. I see the vast emptiness between where I am lying and the ground below again. I instantly wish I hadn’t looked.

  “OK, what now?” I shout to Lux.

  “You need to move out over the overhang, feet first. As you lower yourself down you will see two more metal rings fixed onto the overhang. Use those two to support your entire weight with your arms. You will then see a shelf located on the cliff face beneath the overhang. You need to swing your legs down onto that shelf. From there you should be able to see a safe that is fixed to the wall. The combination is 9191, One final thing Angel. Do not take the crystal out of the bag under any circumstances” Lux shouts back.

  “OK” I reply, desperately trying to remember everything he has just said.

  I turn myself back towards the cliff face and grab hold of the first metal ring with both hands. I see the next two rings and reach down for them. I get a firm grip on one of them but as I do so my right foot slips and my legs fall into a dangle position. The rings have been set quite far apart and I find myself in the crucifix position that I have only ever seen during gymnastic displays at the Olympics. I am holding on for dear life with both arms. I look down and see the shelf Lux described below where I am hanging.

  I swing my legs to build up some momentum and on the third swing I launch myself towards the shelf. I manage to complete a perfect crouched landing and immediately drop into a sitting position. The shelf is large, but I immediately spot the safe. It has been fixed to the cliff wall and looks completely out of place here on the mountain. I shake my head at the craziness of the situation. I move to the safe and am shaking with excitement as I spin the digit wheels. I enter the numbers 1919 and pull down the release catch. It doesn’t open. I check all four of the numbers and try again. It still doesn’t open.

  “It won’t open?” I shout out.

  No response.

  I shout out again but there is still no reply. I assume that they can no longer hear me as I am now sitting underneath an overhang around the corner of the cliff. I spin the digits all the way around and reset the numbers back to 1919. I flick the release catch again. It still doesn’t open.

  “Why isn’t it working” I say to myself, feeling frustrated.

  I try the code again.

  Still no movement from the safe door.

  In frustration I try to pull the safe away from the rock wall, but it’s fixed solidly and doesn’t move.

  “OK, let’s start again. Was it definitely 1919? Maybe it was a different combination. Let’s try 9191” I say to myself aloud.

  I change the number sequence. This time I feel the lock engage and the safe door falls open. Inside is a black velvet bag. I reach in and take it out. The bag is heavy. Lux’s warning about not removing the crystal flashes through my mind however I am so overwhelmed with excitement and curiosity that I decide to take a quick peek. I open the draw string and look inside.

  Inside the velvet bag is a small, perfectly formed diamond. It looks exactly like the giant jewels you see in movies and is without doubt the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I gently remove the crystal from the bag, in the same way I would handle a fresh egg. It is small but incredibly heavy. Initially it appears perfectly transparent however as I move the crystal around in my hand all the colours of the optical spectrum start to dance across its surface. I stare in awe as a kaleidoscope of colour emanates from within the crystal. It is truly mesmerising to watch. I am transfixed by its beauty.

  The crystal suddenly starts to vibrate and emits a loud humming noise. It starts to vibrate and feels as though it is about to explode. The humming noise increases in intensity and the vibrations get stronger. The crystal suddenly turns red and a blinding beam of light out fires out from the end of the pointed tip. The force propels me backwards and the cliff face in front of me explodes. Fragments of rock and debris fly in all directions. The air is filled with the sound of falling particles. I am momentarily blinded but brace myself for the next explosion. Nothing dramatic happens and as the dust and noise start to settle down, I see that there is now a chunk missing from the rock face where the blast struck.

  I suddenly realise that the crystal is no longer in my hand. Lux told me not to take it out of the bag and now I have lost it. The words ‘the Earth is in danger’ ring through my mind and I start to panic.

  “What am I going to do if it’s fallen down the mountain?” I say to myself as I search frantically for the crystal. “Why did I have to take it out of the bag?”

  I spot the crystal on the floor alongside me. It is covered in dust and has returned to a transparent state. It is no longer vibrating or emitting any noise. I am nervous about picking it up, but nothing happens when I do. I quickly transfer it back into the black bag and stuff the bag into my trouser pocket. It’s time to get moving again.

  Before I start, I check whether the blast has caused any damage that will affect my route back. The overhang is still in place and the metal rings are still intact and look unaffected. The lower two rings are out of reach and I have the option of jumping for them or climbing up the rope that I attached earlier. I’ve always hated rope climbing so I decide to jump. I launch myself towards the right-hand ring and successfully land both my hands safely onto it. I use my agility to twist my body around and land my left hand the other ring. The top ring is now within reach and I quickly pull myself back onto the top of the overhang. I untie the rope from the metal ring and tie the rope that Lux is holding back around my waist. I feel energised as I scamper back up the fissure and quickly work my way back to the blind corner of the cliff face.

  ‘Why does the return journey always seem quicker?’ I think to myself.

  “Arty? Lux? Are you still there?” I shout.

  “Yes Angel, of course we’re still here” Arty replies. I can hear the relief in her voice.

  “What is the best way to climb back around this corner?” I ask.

  “It will be very difficult to climb back around that corner Angel as there isn’t a convenient hand hold on this side” Lux replies. “I think the best option will be to jump off and use the rope I am holding to swing around the corner.”

  “Are you crazy?” I reply. The thought of jumping off the side of the mountain and hoping that the rope will save me is not appealing.

  “Trust me, it’s the easiest and quickest option” Lux replies.

  “It doesn’t feel like it from where I’m standing” I reply as I glance down at the cavernous drop beneath me. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m positive. You might be able to find a way to climb back but it will be slow and tiring and we need to keep moving Angel. The quickest option is to jump. Don’t worry, the rope is secure. I won’t let you fall. Be brave, count down from three to one and go.” Lux replies.

  What Lux is saying makes sense but deliberately throwing myself off the side of the cliff still doesn’t feel right.

  “OK” I reply reluctantly. I take a deep breath and ready myself. “3…2…1…now!” I shout as I launch myself around the corner of the cliff.

  I fly past the corner. For a split second everything is serene as I hang in mid-air, like a basketball player about to dunk the ball. I can see Arty and Lux, who look like statues as they stand motionless looking back at me. Lux is holding the rope and is braced to take my weight whilst Arty has an expression somewhere between surprise and delight on her face. Gravity suddenly kicks in, my stomach flips upside down and I’m freefalling. A wave of panic sweeps over me as I drop like a stone. The calculation of force from my physics exam pops into my mind and I wonder whether my weight combined with the gravitational pull will be too much force for Lux to withstand.

  I’ll soon find out.

  I accelerate towards the ground for a couple of seconds before the rope starts to tighten. I expect the sensation to be like the bungee jump I did last year but the rope has no elasticity and I’m pulled violently upwards and then drop like a d
ead weight. I dangle helplessly on the end of the rope for a few seconds. I turn to face the cliff and manage to get my feet on the rock. I wonder whether Lux will be able to pull me back up. I start walking up the cliff face and I can feel Lux pulling on the other end of the rope. A few minutes later I’m back on the platform. Arty gives me a huge bear hug as Lux unties the rope.

  “I’m guessing from the explosion that you ignored my advice not to take the crystal out of the bag?” Lux asks.

  “Yes” I reply with an affirmative and embarrassed nod of my head. I give him a sheepish smile as I take the black bag out of my pocket and offer it to him.

  “No, you keep it for now” Lux says as he gestures for me put the small velvet bag back into my pocket. “But please do not take the crystal out of that bag again!”

  “You don’t have to tell me twice!” I reply.

  “OK, we need to keep moving as it is likely that the Hunter saw the blast from the crystal” Lux says as he pulls on his backpack.

  The word ‘Hunter’ fills my veins with a feeling of dread.

  “If the Hunter is coming here where are we going?” I ask, feeling slightly panicked.

  “To the top of the mountain Angel” Lux replies.

  “Now that we have the crystal wouldn’t it be better to go back to the car so that we can escape?”

  “The Hunter will never give up the chase so there is no point running Angel. I have is to confront him. There is a lot that I need to tell you but the best place for us now is the top of this mountain so let’s keep climbing” Lux says as he turns and starts making his way further up the rock face.

  Arty looks as scared and bewildered as I am but gives me a shrug and she sets off after Lux.

  “I suppose it’s off to the top of the mountain for the confrontation then?” I mutter to myself with a shake of my head as pick up my backpack and follow the two of them.