Cliff Mistake

I stepped out of the car and peered at the beautiful forest before me. I’m not really the hiking type of person, however since my parent’s drug me all the way out to Yellow Stone National Park I had to. The car trip to Yellow Stone seemed to last forever, but what I didn’t know was the hike would last longer; and forever be imprinted within my mind. 1

“Well, do you have your bottled water?” my father asked.2

“Yeah, I do.” I replied. “Let’s go.” I said quickly. I looked to my mother who was standing next to the sign that said “Trail 2” I could see she was ready to get up and start walking. So we walked deeper and deeper into the woods, only water in hand. The sound of frogs croaking and birds chirping filled our ears. A damp wooden smell filled our senses. It was a very peaceful walk. My parents were walking ahead of me and we didn’t really talk to each other that much. I looked down and kept walking but a tree branch hit me in the forehead; startled I stopped walking. Then I looked ahead at my parents and they too had stopped dead in their tracks.3

“What? Did you get hit with a tree branch too?” I asked laughing.4

“No...” my mother said softly.5

“What’s wrong?” I asked.6

“Well this walk’s getting kind of rough.” My mother said.7

I stepped closer to where my mother and father were standing to see that the path had become very narrow. 8

“Well it’s still walkable.” I said 9

“Well I think we’ll turn back.” My father said.10

“Oh! Come on guys, we can totally get through this.” I insisted. I wanted to keep walking because it was just so beautiful and peaceful here, I wasn’t ready to leave this peaceful place and return to reality.11

“Come on, let’s go, it’s not that bad.” I said. I moved passed them and I began walking along the narrow cliff. It was a straight drop, probably a few hundred feet. I didn’t realize how dangerous doing something like this could be. Then I got the bright idea to look down. That was my biggest mistake, looking down. My fear of heights came rushing back into my mind. I began to feel like the cliff was drawing me closer and closer to the edge. “Oh the games the mind can play” I thought. My parents stood still, in the same spot there were when I began to walk across the narrow passage way. 12

“Melissa stop! Get back here!” my mother cried. My father just stood frozen his mouth gaped open. My fear of heights was growing stronger and stronger with each step. “No, I can’t let my parents see I’m afraid” I thought to myself. I looked down again; it was such a long way. Looking down once was stupid, but the second time I got what I asked for. Fear overtook me, and I tripped over a small rock. I grabbed onto the side of the cliff with my hands, and I back against it as much as I could. There wasn’t much room to move.13

“Mom!!” I cried14

“Melissa! Don’t move I’ll come out there and get you” my mother said. “Just don’t move!”15

I sat there, frozen with fear, my father still gaping at me. My body withdrew more as I looked down, then I shut my eyes. I felt my mothers hand take a hold of mine. I was so shocked that she had to drag me. Then I felt my skin tear on my ankle, a rock had cut into it. 16

“Melissa, keep trying to crawl towards me, I can’t just drag you!” my mother explained.17

“I can’t” I said, tears welling in my eyes. My mother kept dragging me, and then I noticed my father was no longer standing and staring. He was behind my mother waiting in case something happened. Then after what seemed like decades I was off the narrow passage.18

“Mom…dad, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.” But they said nothing, and we turned around and walked back out of the woods. We got into our car and drove off without a word.19