Close Up the Sky by James L. Ferrell

Author:James L. Ferrell [Ferrell, James L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 9781480016620
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2012-11-27T10:28:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Leahy found himself enveloped in a maelstrom of hot, sandy air. He threw one hand across his eyes and grabbed out wildly with the other as he felt the ground dissolve beneath his feet. The wind lifted him and blew him backward, head-over-heels down a steep slope. Pebbles and loose shale tore at his face, while sand filled his mouth as he fought to flip over onto his stomach. He dug his fingers into the loose earth in an attempt to check his momentum, but he continued to slide. Without warning the slope ended and he plunged headfirst over a sheer edge. Eight feet down he struck solid ground. His shoulder hit first, then his head; lightning exploded in his brain. The impact left him semi-conscious but still functioning. Fighting off giddiness, he struggled to his knees. He stretched his arms outward in both directions and felt the rocky walls of a narrow crevasse.

The wind was not as powerful in the crevasse as on the surface, but the swirling grit was still blinding. Waves of sand cascading down the slope began to pile up around him. Through the fog in his head something told him that if he remained where he was he would be buried alive. He tried to stand but dizziness forced him back to his knees. In desperation he began to crawl along the narrow floor, inching his way, trying to stay on top of the shifting sand.

Pain brought on a bout of nausea, and he vomited sticky bile. Grit clung to the drool around his lips and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. His head pounded and he thought he might lose consciousness, but he continued to crawl. Twenty feet further his hand slipped into a horizontal fissure in the left wall. He explored the opening and found that it was large enough to crawl inside. He felt his way through the entrance and pulled himself a few feet inside. The space began to widen as he worked his way in. The wind continued to scream through the narrow confines of the crevasse, but inside his rocky sanctuary it was relatively calm. There was enough room for him to roll over and remove his pack. He pulled the top flap loose from its Velcro fasteners and fumbled inside for his flashlight. Thumbing it on, he saw that he was in a small cave-like hole that angled slightly away from the wind. The ceiling at one end was high enough to allow him to sit up, so he maneuvered to that end and leaned against the wall.

After he was settled, he removed a water bottle from the pack and poured some of the cool liquid over his face. It felt good to rinse the sand from his mouth and eyes. He screwed the top back on and turned the flashlight toward the cave's mouth. Sand sliding down from above had piled up to the bottom level of the cave and was starting to pour into the opening.

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