Chapter 174 - 174. Falling
Laura was able to inch up the pole and had reached the beam. She held on to it and slowly puller herself up and over it. She was hanging with her hips balanced in the beam while she fed the rope end through the eye ring. She easily tied the rope and made a tight fit so that it wouldn't come undone.
The first rope was hanging in place and looked like it would be perfect to swing on. Before Laura had even gotten down Art was already on his ay up. "Go all the way to the next pole. If we wait every time for the person to get up then we will be here all night."
Laurs didn't look happy but since Art was already in the way uop and Sammy was right behind him she heeded his words. The flow of connecting ropes went without issue. The only thing they faced was the growing soreness in their muscles.
Laura and Sammy were not fairing as well as Art. He had much more training than the other two so his body was more adapted to the work of tying the ropes. Before they knew it he was lapping them as they moved to grab another rope.
"How are you so fast? You just got to the top when I was sliding down." Sammy was being passed for the third time making her feel like Art had been cheating somehow.
"You climb really slow. I have already caught up before you get to the top. Then as soon as you hit the ground I am there sliding down. It is just a better pace. I am sure you will get better as you go." Art was a little flat when he said this but it was due to his intense focus on the task.
Sammy looked at him like he was a monster. To her, this was a huge torture that was forcing unnecessary burdens. "I think we should take a beak." Her dramatic and tired voice made Laura chime in with the same phrase.
"Then I will finish. You two go rest, but I doubt you will get to join everyone at the night training without the ticket." Art knew that playing to the feeling of missing out would motivate Sammy well. She didn't want Louis to go and do something that would make him stronger than her. She also knew that Louis wouldn't let her live it down in the least.
"Fine, but you need to carry two ropes up." She thought this would make Art second guess his attack against her but she was wrong.
"Really? I didn't want to hurt your training so I was only carrying one. I could have had two the entire time." Art's words made Sammy want to curl up and cry. She had not expected him to be holding back.
"Just take two and show off or whatever. We want to finish up and relax. I feel like my legs are jelly." Laura was not having it. Sje pushed Art to move faster and grabbed a rope to hand to Sammy.
"Fiinneee." Sammy took the spot behind Art and started climbing. The two ropes wrapped around the pole dangles slightly before he pulled up on the beam and started to tie them.
"You guys got this. Only five more to go and you will be done!" Dia had been watching the work and doing some small modifications of her own. The obstacle was coming together better than she expected. She had set up sol stepping nails for maintenance in the earlier poles and was watching the last climb of the trio helping her.
"This is the last one I am doing." Sammy was being extra dramatic while now climbing in front of Art since he caught up behind her again. Laura was behind him with the last rope in her hands. Art had taken three to push himself a little more in the last end.
There was a slight scuffling sound as Sammy realized that her leg wrapped around the pole had cramped up. In this single moment, her grip on the pole was gone and her butt had smashed Art in the face.
He had not expected this and was also losing his grip. Like dominoes Laura was also knocked down by Art, The three had nearly reached the top and were falling down much faster than normal. They were in no form to roll and mitigate the damage. Dia dropped the nails in hand and rushed toward them but would not be there in time.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Sammy let out a high scream. She was afraid she was going to crash in to the ground with her two friends and need to go to the hospital. Her life was in danger and her memories started to flash through her mind. She was sure she would not make it out of this.
The wind whipped around them as a tornado had just passed through them. The three suddenly found themselves slowly drifting down toward the ground. The wind did not let up until Sammy's feet touched the ground and she stood stably.
The three sat on the ground with their eyes clenched and hands over their heads. It took them a few moments to realize they were not dead but now on the ground. The subsiding wind made Art and Laura look at Sammy who was breathing heavily.
"What just happened to us…?" Art was lost. He had thought the worst just happened and that they might even all three be dead and in a different world.
"That was a miniature tornado just now! How could the wind that was still suddenly whipped in to a storm like that and then fade away to nothing? It's impossible." Dia had seen all of it and was still trying to prove to herself her eyes had seen the real truth.
"I-I think it was me." Sammy wasn't sure what had happened either but she could feel the wind slightly blowing around her still. She felt that a massive road block had just been cleared. Her mind was clearer and her body felt lighter.