THE PATTERN OF A HONEYSUCKLE

ALEX's POV

“ Come on Alex! Don’t be such a spoilsport. I am asking you to come with me and do mountain climbing. I am not asking you to murder someone.” Aaron pleaded.

“ I have never done mountain climbing Aaron. Moreover I have assignments to do.” To be honest I was a bit scared of heights but I wasn’t going to admit that.

“ Did you not tell me that you loved to look into the eye of the danger. Now don’t chicken out. Mom has gone for her weekend conference. She won’t be back until tomorrow morning. If I go home now my sisters would drive me crazy with their makeup and fashion talks.”

“ What about my assignments?’

“ Oh! Come on. You have 15 days to submit them, Alex. One day’s fun is not going to impair you.’

We had been arguing like this for the past 30 minutes. Aaron was damn persistent. I knew he wouldn’t give up. So, rather than spending time arguing with him I agreed to go with him reluctantly.

He instantly got into his guide’s role explaining all the specifics on the way. I was delighted when he gave me a lift on his bike but soon enough my excitement turned to horror.

He drove like a maniac. He drove so fast that everything was a blur to me. The only advantage was that we reached the site in 10 minutes. I got off the bike, my head still spinning as an after effect of the bike ride.

I was surprised to see the diverse groups of people who had gathered there for mountain climbing. There were young boys and girls, middle-aged men and women. There were even a few old men. Mountain climbing seemed a popular sport here.

I started walking towards the counter selling tickets but Aaron stopped me.” There is no fun in climbing this mountain. We will go and climb Mt. Eros.”

He walked to one of the men wearing uniforms and paid him some money. The man went inside a dingy cabin and came back carrying a large package. Aaron took the package and jogged towards me. Handing me the package he got onto his bike and beckoned me to follow his lead.

We drove for a few more minutes and reached another mountain that was much taller than the previous one. Moreover it was completely deserted. I felt panic gripping me. I felt like running away immediately.

“ Why have we come here Aaron? This mountain looks precarious. I think we should go back and climb that other mountain. No one will even find us if we fell.” I said worriedly.

“ I have climbed this mountain at least 50 times. I am very sure of this Alex.” Aaron said confidently.

He was literally bouncing up and down. it was evident that he loved climbing Mt. Eros.

He made me wear the protective gear and harness. Then he showed me how to use it.

" I have climbed to the peak of this mountain many times. The view from there is breathtaking. Since you are not comfortable we will do a three meter stretch first."

He aimed a device at the mountain. An arrow with a long rope got stuck in a rock about 3 meters high. Then he shot another one just beside the previous arrow. He checked the ropes and we started climbing.

I followed Alex step by step and soon got the hang of it. I started enjoying the climb but then I made the mistake of looking down. My hands shivered and I found myself trembling with fright.

“ Don’t look down Alex. Close your eyes and take deep breaths,” Aaron advised but I started hyperventilating. I heard a snap as the rope broke and I found myself falling. Aaron grabbed my hand and tried to pull me up.

" Hang in there! Alex! I won't let you fall." My hands slipped out and I started falling down. Only the gloves remained in his hands. I groped around but I came up with only air. I had never expected to die like this. Seeing no hope I closed my eyes.

I landed with a thud on something soft. I expected to feel searing pain at any moment but nothing. I took a deep breath and a familiar fragrance greeted me. The same aroma that had enraptured me in the forest. I opened my eyes slowly.

I sucked in my breath. I was completely mesmerized by the amber eyes. The intricate patterns reminded me of honeysuckle. I felt myself being jolted and then I found myself standing on the ground. By the time I came back to my senses the damsel had already walked away. I caught a glimpse of her back profile which made me believe that she was a girl.

Aaron climbed down and rushed towards me. “ Alex! Alex! Are you okay? I am so sorry.”

I came to my senses only after he shook me up. " Are you all right?" Aaron asked worriedly.

" Yeah! I guess I am alive." I looked around but I couldn't see her anywhere. It was as if she had literally vanished into the thin air.

" Did you see that girl, Aaron?"

“ Which girl?"

“ The one that saved me.”

“ I guess you are very shaken up. I will take you to the doctor immediately."

I tried hard to convince Aaron that a girl had saved me but he wasn't ready to believe me even after the doctor told me that I was okay and I had sustained no injuries.

“ I must say you have a very good imagination. You fell right into the arms of a pretty girl. Every man's dream come true. Can you describe how she looked.”

“ I don't know. I was too mesmerized by her eyes to pay attention to her face.”

“ Don't you see how confused you sound? Just sleep over it Alex. I will meet you in the morning.”

I didn't care what Aaron said. I was sure that a girl had saved me. Those beautiful eyes kept me awake for a very long time and when I finally was able to sleep I dreamt about them.