I would like to start this off by saying that for year 7 me, this is pretty good. I make this judgement by my lack of cringe while reading it now (cannot say the same about my fairytale one from year 8). This was slightly inspired by what I did for NAPLAN that year. Unfortunately, I can’t get that one back (#devoik) because ik that one was fire but I might try and recreate it.
The sun shines high above me, birds tweet and the wind plays with my hair. As I stare up to the clouds, searching for my hidden goal, I know it is time. I have been putting this off for too long. I look around, the other hikers are double checking their bags, the hike organizers check the weather conditions and Leo, the person who started it all, are all over base camp. I remember what lead me to this moment, three months earlier I got a text from Leo1. Hey Gemma, you know how we have been putting of the hike up Mt Everest for years? Well, I singed us up for one. Please don’t get mad. From Leo 🙂. It was time to start.
After six hours of walking I was hot, sweaty and wanted actual food. If I couldn’t even last a few hours, I thought to myself, how on earth am I going to make it to the top? Then Leo came up to me and said our corny motto, “Get to the top no matter what.”2 I breathed in and breathed out; everything would be fine. When we finally stopped to set up camp, tents flew up, a fire was crackling merrily and a delicious aroma tickled my nostrils, all in a matter of minutes. I guess if you have 11 other experienced hikers in your group everything gets done pretty quickly. Dinner was a filling stew made using plants and meat right off the side of the mountain. Little did I know, that would be the last good meal I would have for some time.
Whilst we were walking through the forest, Leo stopped multiple times to take photos of anything and everything for his book: The Side Of Everest No One Saw. Long story short, Leo stopped enough times that we lost the group. We raced after them as best as we could but we had to backtrack many times and as the sun slowly surrendered to the moon, we were lost. That night dinner was not nearly as good but we managed. There were about 5 rocks underneath my sleeping bag, all the size of boulders, or so it seemed.
We trekked on for seven hours when we found the groups camp from last night, at least we knew we were on the right path. We stopped and had lunch and then hiked on. This happened night after night, day after day. At first it seemed like we were getting closer but then it happened. I woke up one night to Leo coughing, red and with a fever. We now had little chance to catching up to the group. I cared for him, cooked for him and even carried him at times. But we were still slow.
When we were almost at the top I was woken by Leo, “When I die,” he said, knowing it would happen, “take me home. Promise me.” I promised him and he went back to sleep but I couldn’t. Eventually I sobbed myself to sleep and when I woke up I was alone but the top was insight. I climbed to the top within two days and the group was there. I told them my story and we performed a small funeral for Leo. Choking back tears, I said goodbye and sent him away on a helicopter so his family could have a proper funeral.
Even now, three years after the hike, I feel like it was a mistake. I feel like I should have been taken instead of him. I feel like it was a horrible nightmare but it’s all true. Sometimes you lose loved ones and people close to you but you need to get past it and move on but never forget them.
Looking back this whole plot is so stupid. Like they wouldn’t just let people get lost or get left behind and how did she call the helicopter (or drag the dead body up there). Like if she had a phone, she would be able to call the officials. Or there wouldn’t be a good signal. And if that was the case she would have to call emergency services and why would they send a helicopter to take a dead body away???? I take back what I said earlier.
I’m sorry for the rambling (not really).
Live, Laugh, Love,
Vi <3
I distinctly remember this name coming from Heroes of Olympus Leo
What was I thinking???
I could never have written something like this in year 7. That helicopter pilot must be soooo good at their job