I'm not broken

Chapter 7

"Ready, set, GO!" I began to climb, not think of anything like I had done before the first time, and I was soon above anyone else. I was a spider, making my way up the smooth rock like one would see in a spider -man movie.

But I didn't think about anything.

I just thought about starting over again outside of Brook.

And that gave me power.

I reached the ledge much faster than I had wanted to, but I was staring down at the water, far, far, far. below me. I was having a second of doubt, but Brad White was hoisting himself onto the ledge. That did it. I took a leap.

Everything was going in slow motion. I saw my arms waving around me; the water becoming larger and larger; the wind making my hair whip around my face.

Then I hit the water.

It hurt like hell. my whole body was throbbing, my legs scratched raw, and I was pretty sure my heart -rate was sky high. I broke air. I finally noticed how cold it was, but the whole beach was cheering, a few people helping me onto the beach and getting me a towel along with a beer bottle. I declined it, but snatched the towel from their hands and wrapped myself up like a burrito.

"Natalie Marks, you are the winner of this challenge!" Donald Logan screamed, but I was frozen, the fact of how close I had came to loosing my life like John Castor on that ledge still playing over and over in my mind. I don't know how I made my way home, but next thing I knew I was sitting at my couch in dry clothes, still staring at the wall and thinking of how close I had came to death.

"Nat, you didn't eat anything today." Ray said gently, wrapping an arm around me and trying to put food in my mouth. I didn't blink. Ray sighed.

"Nat, I told you, the challenges are dangerous. You can quit whenever you want." I merely shook my head. Ray balled up his fist and clenched his teeth, then disappeared in his room. A second later I heard glass being shattered, along with something heavy being kicked over and over again.

I laid down on the couch and wrapped myself up in my blanket and allowed myself one single tear to escape from the dam I was holding in.