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-March 25, Long Live The Reestablishment-
Aaron didn't know why he was on a mountain side. All his father had told him was that they were going to be gone for a few days and to pack for mostly outdoors. Warner snickered a little bit too himself. Yeah right, he thought, Like I can pack for anything but the outdoors. I only own military uniforms that have been tailored to fit.
His thoughts were interrupted by his father, who had been nailing something to the cliffside, when he jumped over the edge of the cliff. A small scream escaped him as Warner went to check the edge.
"Oh stop your screaming," His father said, already sounding exasperated. "I'm fine, we're going to be camping down here."
"Is there a cave down there?" Warner asked, very confused because he didn't see one on the hike up here.
"We're going to be doing what's called extreme camping," his father explained while still climbing further down, "Our tent is going to be attached to the side of the cliff and we're going to be staying there for a few days."
"Okay," Warner said trying to hide the tremor in his voice. He already didn't love the idea of being on a cliff, but attached to the side of it?! That sounded like a death wish.
"Are you going to come down? We don't have many hours of daylight left."
"Coming!" he shouted down before attaching the harness his dad actually remembered to put on him before they left, to the rope. He started to climb down and realized just how far he would have to climb to get to the tent his father was setting up below. He swallowed his fear and continued to climb.
Maybe if I get down there fast enough he'll be impressed, he thought hopefully. He kept having to chant don't look down while he was climbing but he made it down quickly.
"I made it down pretty fast don't ya think?" Warner asked hopefully.
"Could've been faster. Also what did I say about using proper English?" His father shook his head. "You've been talking to Haider too much," he mumbled to himself.
Warner, distracted by his disappointment, almost fell as he climbed into the tent.
"Aaron! What did I tell you about getting distracted? You almost fell to your death, idiot!" his father snarled as he pulled him into the tent.
Warner crawled as fast as he could to the opposite side of the tent from the opening. He sat there, shaking from the experience, as his dad went about unpacking all of the supplies.
"Go get the water, I left it on top of the cliff."
"Okay," he says, dreading the climb back up to the cliff. Once he got the water and climbed back into the tent, his father nodded with something close enough approval.
"Good, put it over by the food." he pointed over to the corner. Warner, beaming with the approval of his dad, went to place it down. In the time it had taken them to get everything sorted, the sun had set and Warner was getting tired. Clearly, it showed because his dad told him to go to sleep before he got so tired he fell out of the tent.
He fell asleep proud that he got his dad's approval in something, and hoping tomorrow he could make his dad even more proud.
-Later-
Warner woke up to a still dark sky and an empty tent. He looked around and didn't see his dad. He tried to stay calm and decided to check if his dad. had climbed the rope to the cliff side.
The rope wasn't there.
Why isn't the rope there?! he thought frantically. "Dad?" he yelled out the opening. No answer. "Dad!" he yelled more frantically. Still no answer.
Warner was starting to panic now. "Dad! Please where are you?" he yelled on the verge of tears. He crawled back into the tent to wait as he saw something on his pack. He crawled over to it. It was a note.
Find a way back up the cliff. There's a phone up there, if you manage to get up there, call me and I'll come back. If you don't get out, you're stuck there and I'm not coming to get you. Don't disappoint me Aaron.
Warner couldn't help it, he broke down and started crying. He didn't even know how to put on a harness, let alone set up a rope. He was going to be left here forever.
Stop you're crying, a voice that sounded suspiciously like his father said harshly. He was right. He had to stop crying and think about getting out of here. He refused to be left here alone. He tried to remember how his father put the harness on him.
It took multiple tries but he finally got it. I don't have any rope or materials, he realized. He went to search in his father's bag and found a wedge looking thing and rope.
He went to look out the opening and tried to remember what his father had told him a few weeks prior about climbing. Insert wedge-shaped piece of metal, often called 'protection', into cracks in the rock. Then clip a rope through this 'protection' and tie yourself to the rope.
He steeled himself for the climb. I may not be old, but I'm smarter than all of the people who ever doubted my abilities combined. I can best this.
It took him a second to find a crack and instert the protection, but he did it. He found a ledge to wedge his foot into and took a deep breath then stepped onto the ledge.
The first thing that happened, was a sense of pride for figuring it out, then he slipped.
Warner screamed as he lost his footing. He was convinced that this was how he would die, before he even reached double digits. But he didn't fall. He was suspended in the air. His protection was holding.
He shakily climbed back on to the cliff side. He was shaking so bad he didn't think he could climb without slipping again. Get ahold of yourself, this time the voice sounded less like his father and more like himself.
He had to get out of this. He started to climb once more. It was slow going, with him constantly moving the protection up further and him almost falling again and having to take a second to collect himself.
He finally got to the top of the cliff and collapsed at the top. He did it. He got to the top. He was so filled with adrenaline that he couldn't stop shaking, or at least that's what he told himself. It was more like every nerve in his body was telling him to get away from the cliff and anything high up.
He remembered why he climbed the cliff and reached for the phone and called his father.
"Took you long enough Aaron. I thought you wouldn't get out for a second," his father greeted him with.
"Can you come get me please?" his voice shakier than he wanted it to be.
"Fine, since you're so scared. I'll be there in a few minutes. Next time, when you climb, don't scream so much. It's not good to scream like that."
He clenched his teeth. "Never again."
That made his father pause. "What?"
"I am not ever going to be abandoned and forced to climb again. I will stay up all night and watch you if I have too." He was surprised at the conviction in his voice.
His father's only response was to hang up.