El Capitan

• Bonnie Peacocke, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2017

I ate my cold canned soup and thought of the long descent ahead. I was on top of the rock then but in 30 minutes I’ll be on the side of one of the world’s tallest rock climbing spots. I felt a lump rise in my throat as I thought of what I’d achieved. I’d even made the news for being the fastest climber to scale ‘El Capitan’. Now I had to make my descent just as grand. I started hammering my pegs into the granite and heard a crackly cough on the other side of the rock. I started hurrying. I needed to be first. I quickly grabbed the rope and looped it around the peg. My knot wasn’t super strong but it should have done. I didn’t even pack my things. I felt butterflies in my stomach and I heard my mum’s advice in my head. ‘Life’s too short so don’t waste it. Be smart and cautious.’ I thought about the unstable knot and peg but then cursed mum and felt the urge to go. This was what I was born to do. I felt my legs go all bandy and I stumbled up to the edge. I grabbed the rock with my gloved hands and lowered myself. I felt great on the ledge up so high. I took a little leap to get the abseiling started then screamed as I felt a bump, the knot was undoing, I didn’t know what to do. I keep feeling the bumps of the knot undoing and for a few moments I was hanging in mid-air I felt tears well in my eyes. That was It. Goodbye to this beautiful world. Then I felt a jolt. ”Aaaaahhhhh” I screamed as I fell through the air. I looked down at the lake below and saw the peg and rope underneath me. Not just the rope had fallen out the peg had too. I thanked my family for everything they had done for me. I knew I was going to die. Tears stream down my face and make my clothes wet. I prepare myself for the pain of the impact of me hitting the icy lake but I didn’t feel pain, I felt icy cold water. The peg had broken the surface of the water. I crawled out of the lake onto the pebbly shore. I’m alive, I can’t believe I’m alive.