Fiction
Date Published: 06-07-2022
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
If Gail knew Uncle Perkins’ stories were true, she wouldn’t have taken her
friends up that mountain.
The plan was simple. Hike, camp, and ride the zipline back down the
mountain. But Uncle Perkins’ stories are true, and the horrors are real. Now
the simple plan is the only plan they have to get off that mountain or
disappear, remaining there forever.
Zipline is an immediately gripping, fast-paced, unique story that will keep
you entertained until the last sentence.
EXCERPT
Gail stood by the door, watching her beloved Uncle Perkins lie there in bed with an oxygen mask on. She glanced around the VA hallway, seeing it busy with activity this Thursday morning before taking a second peek. She pulled away from the door, wrapping her hair into a ponytail and resting over her left shoulder. She glanced again around the door frame, watching him rest before pulling back and taking several deep breaths.
“You okay?” Danny asked, walking up behind her. Grabbing her shoulders, he leaned in beside her, taking a peep for himself before pulling back, giving her a reassuring hug.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, squaring her shoulders and composing herself. “C’mon Gail, let’s get it over with before I chicken out.” He gave a reassuring nudge to her hesitancy. As she entered, her uncle smiled under the oxygen mask.
“I was wondering how long you were going to stand out there,” he whispered. “The training never really goes away.” Gail moved closer to his bedside and kissed his liver-spotted forehead.
“Uncle, how are you today?” She asked, pulling up a seat beside him. He weakly grabbed the remote, hitting the button that angled the bed up. Seeing Danny come in, he shook his head.
“How are you, sir?” Danny asked, moving to stand alongside Gail.
“My body wants to give out, but I won’t let it,” He said with a determined look on his face. “Okay,” the elder smiled, recognizing Gail’s best friend. “Oh no, if you’re back, this can’t be good. It was a bad idea to talk to you about it when my mind wasn’t right,” he snarked at Danny before looking at them with a united front. “What are you two up to?” Gail looked back uneasily towards Danny, who nodded twice, motioning her to tell him.
“Well, Uncle, we’re going,” Gail said. “Time to put those bad dreams your stories have given me over the years to rest.
I know they’re not true and just made-up fables to scare me.”
“I agree, sir,” Danny said. “Though, I must admit those were some doozies of tall tales you told me under heavy sedatives.” He began to laugh but stopped as a male nurse came in the room.
“Excuse me,” the middle-aged nurse said holding a clipboard and wearing sky-blue scrubs, “we’ll be by with your daily medications in a moment.” He stood before the foot of the bed. “Are you feeling any discomfort right now?” Uncle Perkins shook his head. “Okay, just be a moment or two,” he said before exiting the room and disappearing into the busy corridor. Perkins returned his focus on them, first eyeing Danny, then his niece.
“Gail, please reconsider what you’re about to do,” he said, reaching for her hand. She quickly grabbed his shaky hand, placing it by his side.
“No, Uncle,” Gail said, cocking her head to one side. “You told me some whoppers over the years that still make me sleep with the lights on, but no more. Now it’s time to move on. I just graduated from college; I have an HR job lined up, and I start in two weeks.” The elder inhaled deeply before letting out a slight sigh, then he nodded.
“Okay, and go with my blessings, but stay at the bottom by the playground,” he said as he pointed at her with trembling fingers, “it should be safe there.” His hand drifted to his side. “Yeah, you’ll be safe there.” He paused. “Don’t go up that mountain.” he said, shaking his head. “Promise me.” He looked up at them more insistently. “I said promise me.”
Gail and Danny glanced at each other before looking back at the elder and giving a slight nod. “We promise,” they said in unison, with Danny crossing his fingers behind his back.
About the Author
Michael received a creative writing certificate from the University of West
Virginia in the late 90s. He’s been running a successful writer’s group
called For The Love Of Words for almost two decades. When he has time, he
teaches in the local library Story 101 – How to create a story. He has won
in every category over a five-year period in a state-funded wordsmith
competition in Poetry, Essay, Short Story, and One-Act Play.
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