Chapter 8 - At the Edge of the PrecipiceThe Mercedes slid to a violent halt at the snow-blocked entrance of the Raven’s Cliff access road. The snow banks were too high for even an SUV to plow through.
"Stay in the car, Ellie," Grant ordered, locking the doors from the inside. "I’m going to find him."
"No! Take me with you!" Ellie cried, pressing her face against the passenger window. "Please! Don't leave me behind too!"
That single sentence shattered something deep inside Grant’s chest. He couldn't do it. He couldn't leave her alone in the dark car while her father was up on that cliff.
He unlocked the door, scooped Ellie up into his arms, and wrapped the heavy wool coat around her head and shoulders to shield her from the blinding blizzard.
"Hold on to my neck as tight as you can," Grant shouted over the wind. "We do this together."
They scrambled up the steep, snow-choked logging trail. The wind screamed through the pine trees like a dying animal. Every step was a battle against gravity and ice. Grant’s lungs burned, his muscles screaming under the strain, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.
After ten agonizing minutes of climbing, they broke through the tree line onto the flat expanse of Raven’s Cliff.
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And there it was.
The rusted 2010 Ford pickup was parked at a sickening angle right at the edge of the precipice. Its headlights were still on, casting long, eerie beams out into the swirling white void of the snowy abyss. The driver's side door was wide open, slamming rhythmically against the body in the wind.
