Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Pain rips along my side, jerking me to an abrupt halt. It takes me a second to realize the railing pieces that buckled and came loose hooked me. Gasping for air, I attempt to pull myself up the railing to no avail.
Water rushes toward me again without warning like a geyser, but this time rather than shooting me back up, I remain tangled on the metal.
I twist and thrash in an attempt to pull myself off the railing, but the sharp metal digs deeper into my flesh, further goring me.
I’m not going anywhere.
Here’s to hoping I don’t drown.
Tyler
We’re all going to die.
My heavy backpack pulls me down to the floor and the rooftop door pins me in place. Using the ax, I attempt to hook it into the railing so I can pull myself free. Just as I make headway, the water is sucked back down and I greedily gulp in air.
Once the water is gone and stays down this time, I slowly push the roof door away from me and rise shakily to my feet. Thank fuck I still have my backpack on or we could have lost what little supplies we have.
“Barb’s hurt,” Kyle barks out, cradling the older woman in his arms. “She smacked her head.”
Since I don’t know a thing about head injuries, I wait for someone else to step in and help. Luckily, Frannie staggers over to them. Gerry is helping Brian out of the water and Hope consoles Elise, who won’t stop crying.
Where’s Kellen?
“Help,” a hoarse voice chokes out. “I’m stuck.”
Snapping into action, I lean over the railing just before where part of it is missing to discover Kellen. His suit appears to be caught on the metal and he dangles there above the water.
“Gerry,” I bark out. “I need help over here.”
Gerry trudges my way, exhaustion making his features haggard. When he looks over the side and sees Kellen, he tenses.
“Can you reach your arms up, Kell? Me and Gerry are going to pull you off there.”
Kellen angles his head upward to see us and then looks back down. His entire body is trembling. Blood drips from some part of him, splashing into the dark waters below.
“I-I can’t fall into t-that,” he stammers, pointing wildly below. “I’ll d-die. Fuck, I don’t want to d-die.”
“You’re not going to die,” I assure him with a steadiness in my voice that I don’t feel. Nothing about this situation is certain, but that won’t help calm him down. “We’re going to pull you out. Reach your arms up.”
He continues to stare at the churning water beneath him. When the water surges a bit, swelling over his ankles, he starts to panic. I watch helplessly as he flails his arms and legs.
“Help! Help me!” he cries out. “Tyler, help!”
“Kellen,” I growl, “look at me.”
“I can’t. I’m going—”
“Look. At. Me.”
His head jerks up and his frantic stare meets mine. For a bigshot CEO clearly in his late thirties or early forties, in this moment, he doesn’t look a day over Jesse’s sixteen years.
“Reach your arm up,” Gerry says, voice soothing. “We’ve got you, man.”
Kellen grunts as he attempts to raise his arm. He flinches and then shakes his head. “It hurts. This metal gored me.”
Sickness roils in my gut. How much metal is inside him? What if it’s keeping him alive?
“Well, we can’t leave you there forever,” I grumble. “Can you hold on to the end of the ax at least?”
Leaning over the railing, I grip both hands around the ax right under the blade and offer him the wooden, blunt end. It’s just long enough for him to grab onto.
“Don’t let go,” I tell him. “Gerry is going to do what he can to unhook you while I pull you up. Trust us to get you out of this mess.”
He nods rapidly, pleading eyes latching onto mine. “I won’t let go.”
I wait for him to get a good hold on the ax handle while Gerry slides on his belly, reaching his arms down below the bottom of the railing. He scoots until half of his body is hanging over the ledge. Brian rushes over to hold on to Gerry’s feet to keep him from flipping completely over.
“On the count of three,” I say to everyone. “I’m going to pull you up and when you can, use your feet to get a footing onto the rails.” I brace myself against the railing. “One, two, three!”
As I pull Kellen up, using every ounce of strength left in my reserves, he howls in pain. I can hear Gerry saying something placating to him but can’t make any of it out. My biceps scream from the exertion and the railing digs into my gut. I’m careful not to accidentally cut myself on the sharp ax end as I manhandle him off his hook.