Falling In Holes

God's Thumb

"Are we almost there?"

"Yeah. I think so," Stan squinted up the part of the mountain they were climbing.

"Good," Bella huffed. "Ugh... I don't feel so good..."

She began to cough as Stan climbed ahead.

"You alright?" He looked back to see Bella leaning against the rock side and vomiting onto the ground. "Woah woah woah!" Bella groaned as she fell and began rolling down the mountain. "Bella!" He quickly moved to grab Bella, keeping her in place. "Got you, got you, got you. You good? Hold on. Alright, hold on. Hold on, let me get in front of you."

He spoke softly as he moved Bella around so she didn't roll farther down the mountain. He sighed, sitting back and keeping a hand around hers.

"Stan..." Bella mumbled, her eyes half shut. "I gotta tell you something."

"What?" Stan questioned. Bella sighed and fell silent, her head rolling over. "Huh?" Stan reached over to shake Bella, but she stayed silent. "Bella? Bella! ...Alright, we can't sit here. We gotta keep going." He stood up and began to lift Bella. "We're gonna get the shovel, and we're gonna fill it full of ice cream."

He slung Bella onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and continuing the hike.

"You must carry me up the mountain, and sing while I drink so I can get strong, too."

It was just after sunset when Stan stopped. The mountain was lit up by the moonlight, and he was able to see an outcropping covered in tall grass. Bella was still hanging off his back; she had yet to wake up. Stan swatted away a bug by his head.

"Damn bugs. Alright," he panted, using the shovel to walk. "Wait a minute... if there's bugs, that must mean there's..."

He opened his eyes to see water flowing through the grass.

"...water," he whispered. He stared for a moment before beginning to laugh. He dropped the shovel. "Bella, wake up, babe! Bella, wake up!" He sat Bella on a large rock, out of the stream of water. "Alright, hold on, hon. There we go. Wake up, Bella, ok?"

He laughed and fell into the water, scooping it up into his hands and drinking it. He took some water and threw it at Bella, jolting her awake. The girl sat upright, looking around in surprise. Stan laughed and splashed in the water before laying down and sighing.

"This feels so good!" Stan laughed. He quickly got up, lifting Bella up in his arms. "We made it!"

"Stan!" Bella shrieked happily, giggling and holding onto his shoulders.

"We made it, babe!" Stan beamed, falling back into the water. Bella crawled out of his arms, going to drink some of the water. Stan looked around in the grass, pulling out a vegetable-looking plant. Bella watched as he bit into it and it crunched loudly.

"What're you doing?" She asked. Stan took another bite.

"Here, try this," he sat up and passed the vegetable to Bella.

"What is it?" She asked.

"It's a bowl of ice cream, just eat it," Stan grinned. Bella took a cautious bite.

"...well, it's gross, but I'm not complaining if it's the only food I have," Bella said.

"It's the sweetest onion I've ever tasted," Stan said, taking the onion back and eating more. He sighed and laid back in the mud, looking up at the sky. Bella yawned, curling up and resting her head on his stomach. Stan ran a hand over her arm.

"'If only, if only,' the woodpecker sighs," Stan sung softly. "'The bark on the tree was as soft as the skies.' As the wolf waits below, hungry and lonely, cries to the moon 'If only, if only.'"