CHAPTER 1
Amir leaned against the cold, hard surface. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead, slid down his cheek, and dripped off the end of his chin. Amir’s eyes darted down. He watched the bead of sweat fall to the ground far below.
Suddenly, Amir was beginning to feel like he might lose his grip at any moment. It didn’t help that the surface he was climbing was completely vertical.
There was no place to rest. There wasn’t even a way to pause to wiggle his hands or feet to keep them from hurting.
Amir felt his breathing pick up. He was trying hard to keep control of his muscles. After all, he was just a few feet away from climbing higher than he had ever reached before.
If he reached the point he was seeking, it would be incredible. But if he failed, Amir would fall. To make matters worse, if he did fall, the ground below was solid and hard. It would not be a soft landing.
It was not his first free climb. Amir did have experience climbing without any ropes, but he had never climbed this high before.
Amir paused for as long as he could.
Slowly, he looked up, trying to find something to hold on to. He had to figure out something that he could hold on to next. Just a few inches above his right hand, he saw it. There was a nice gripping point that he could hold on to.
He looked down below for a place to adjust his feet. There was a better hold for his right foot. Amir knew that he’d have to release his right-handed grip and his right foot at the same time to move without falling.
That wasn’t the way an experienced climber would do it. A real free climber moved slowly and carefully. He or she moved one step at a time, never taking any unnecessary risks. But Amir didn’t think that he had a choice. The only other thing he could do would be to climb back down.
Amir paused to gather his strength. He looked up, then down again. He got ready for the challenge.
After a few seconds, he went for it. Amir stepped off with his right foot and moved it up to the new hold. At the same time, he reached his right hand high above his head, trying to grab for another hold.
His foot landed, but his hand did not. His fingers were sore from holding on so tightly. They were too stiff to grab the hold. As his hand slipped off, Amir leaned harder into the side of the wall. A rush of fear ran through his body.
He knew exactly what was happening. He was losing his balance. His hand slid down the side of the wall. His fingers dug into the wall until his fingernails began to tear.
Still, Amir gripped tighter. The harder he tried to find something to hold, the more his fingers hurt. His fingertips were bleeding. Finally, Amir made one last reach for the hold.
This time, he got it. He grabbed on hard. He let out a big sigh. He was safe.
Just then, he felt something touch his left ankle. Amir looked down and saw a hand gripping his leg.
Amir closed his eyes. Great, he thought angrily.