Serial Novel: Falling in Public, Ch. 50
This serial novel is posted in draft form every Friday.
Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10|Ch. 11|Ch. 12|Ch.13|Ch. 14|Ch. 15| Ch. 16| Ch. 17|Ch. 18| Ch. 19 | Ch. 20 | Ch. 21 | Ch. 22 | Ch. 23 | Ch. 24 | Ch. 25 | Ch. 26 | Ch. 27 | Ch. 28 | Ch. 29 | Ch. 30 | Ch. 31 | Ch. 32 | Ch. 33 | Ch. 34 | Ch. 35 | Ch. 36 | Ch. 37 | Ch. 38 | Ch. 39 | Ch. 40 | Ch. 41 | Ch. 42 | Ch. 43 | Ch. 44 | Ch. 45 | Ch. 46 | Ch. 47 | Ch. 48 | Ch. 49 |
Falling in Public
Chapter 50
She'd jumped too far out.
Time slowed, like in the movies as she felt gravity pulling her down, the slide's angle too steep for her momentum. Flailing, she stabbed desperately with the knife, knowing the only way to slow her fall was to penetrate the thick layer of rubber and create friction. Time was running out quick, and each stabbing motion brought her closer to the plastic material, but not close enough.
Swinging her arm out to the side, she pushed the serrated edge into the seam where the side bolsters met the bottom, and dragged it hard and pushed her other shoulder into the rubber bottom, finally anchored just as her feet hit the bottom barrier. She bounced back up, the uneven angle of the inflated side throwing her off balance as she was catapaulted out to land in the dirt ten yards away.
"Ow," she said, keeping her voice low and curling up into a fetal position. Every part of her body hurt, and as some of the initial hurt dulled, she forced herself to wiggle her toes and fingers. Satisfied that they were okay, she tested her larger joints. Luckily it didn't feel like she'd broken anything.
"You never were very graceful, were you Holly?"
Sean's voice floated at her from somewhere above. He hadn't left the plane yet. That meant there was still time, if she could find her way back to the slide in the dark.
Bright light swept over the ground just inches from her position. The damn flashlight. If she could just avoid it and get to the bolsters from behind, she might be able to do some damage. The plastic knife had gone flying when she'd bounced off the bottom edge, but something sharp was poking into her hip. Moving carefully, she rolled over and felt the ground with her fingers. The pointed edge of a small rock pressed into her palm, and she picked it up - a far more effective weapon than plastic utensils.
"Come out, come out, whereever you are!" Sean's taunt sent shivers down her back as the beam of light moved closer. He was sweeping the ground with it, going side to side in a steady motion, to his detriment. She waited until it reached the farthest point away from her, then pushed to her feet and ran toward the plane, using the point where the flashlight was for reference. Unable to see, her knees hit the end of the slide and she fell, unable to hold back a grunt of pain as she scrambled around to the other side. Bent over with her hands on her knees, she breathed for a moment, safe from the light, at least. Then she turned and jammed the pointed rock into one of the inflated edges as hard as she could and pulled down, relieved to hear a small ripping sound followed by the hiss of air escaping. She ran to the other edge and did the same thing, the slide already beginning to fall toward her.
Slipping the rock into her pocket just in case, she tried to remember which way Eddie had gone earlier. She had to hide - the deflated slide would only slow Sean down, not stop him. But if she went the wrong way, she could easily get lost in the corn field. The highway was a nearly straight shot from the center of the plane, but that would be too obvious. She took a few deep breaths, shoved the pain to the back of her mind and started walking as fast as she could in a straight line through the tall stalks under the plane's nose.
Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10|Ch. 11|Ch. 12|Ch.13|Ch. 14|Ch. 15| Ch. 16| Ch. 17|Ch. 18| Ch. 19 | Ch. 20 | Ch. 21 | Ch. 22 | Ch. 23 | Ch. 24 | Ch. 25 | Ch. 26 | Ch. 27 | Ch. 28 | Ch. 29 | Ch. 30 | Ch. 31 | Ch. 32 | Ch. 33 | Ch. 34 | Ch. 35 | Ch. 36 | Ch. 37 | Ch. 38 | Ch. 39 | Ch. 40 | Ch. 41 | Ch. 42 | Ch. 43 | Ch. 44 | Ch. 45 | Ch. 46 | Ch. 47 | Ch. 48 | Ch. 49 |
Falling in Public
Chapter 50
She'd jumped too far out.
Time slowed, like in the movies as she felt gravity pulling her down, the slide's angle too steep for her momentum. Flailing, she stabbed desperately with the knife, knowing the only way to slow her fall was to penetrate the thick layer of rubber and create friction. Time was running out quick, and each stabbing motion brought her closer to the plastic material, but not close enough.
Swinging her arm out to the side, she pushed the serrated edge into the seam where the side bolsters met the bottom, and dragged it hard and pushed her other shoulder into the rubber bottom, finally anchored just as her feet hit the bottom barrier. She bounced back up, the uneven angle of the inflated side throwing her off balance as she was catapaulted out to land in the dirt ten yards away.
"Ow," she said, keeping her voice low and curling up into a fetal position. Every part of her body hurt, and as some of the initial hurt dulled, she forced herself to wiggle her toes and fingers. Satisfied that they were okay, she tested her larger joints. Luckily it didn't feel like she'd broken anything.
"You never were very graceful, were you Holly?"
Sean's voice floated at her from somewhere above. He hadn't left the plane yet. That meant there was still time, if she could find her way back to the slide in the dark.
Bright light swept over the ground just inches from her position. The damn flashlight. If she could just avoid it and get to the bolsters from behind, she might be able to do some damage. The plastic knife had gone flying when she'd bounced off the bottom edge, but something sharp was poking into her hip. Moving carefully, she rolled over and felt the ground with her fingers. The pointed edge of a small rock pressed into her palm, and she picked it up - a far more effective weapon than plastic utensils.
"Come out, come out, whereever you are!" Sean's taunt sent shivers down her back as the beam of light moved closer. He was sweeping the ground with it, going side to side in a steady motion, to his detriment. She waited until it reached the farthest point away from her, then pushed to her feet and ran toward the plane, using the point where the flashlight was for reference. Unable to see, her knees hit the end of the slide and she fell, unable to hold back a grunt of pain as she scrambled around to the other side. Bent over with her hands on her knees, she breathed for a moment, safe from the light, at least. Then she turned and jammed the pointed rock into one of the inflated edges as hard as she could and pulled down, relieved to hear a small ripping sound followed by the hiss of air escaping. She ran to the other edge and did the same thing, the slide already beginning to fall toward her.
Slipping the rock into her pocket just in case, she tried to remember which way Eddie had gone earlier. She had to hide - the deflated slide would only slow Sean down, not stop him. But if she went the wrong way, she could easily get lost in the corn field. The highway was a nearly straight shot from the center of the plane, but that would be too obvious. She took a few deep breaths, shoved the pain to the back of her mind and started walking as fast as she could in a straight line through the tall stalks under the plane's nose.
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