“Yes, they’re fine.” My arms were beginning to shake from the exertion. “Mikki, it’s your turn, let’s go, now.”
The truck suddenly lurched forward as some of the rocks below broke away. Both Mikki and Vida screamed as I jumped and put all my weight back on the truck to get it stable again. It wouldn’t hold for long.
“Oh, god! Please. Mikayla!” Prez screamed, still rushing from where they were.
“Ink, hold the fuck on!” Wire yelled above me.
I growled loud in determination as Mikki began to make her way out the window quickly. She crawled out the cab and over the flatbed.
“Vida! Come on.” She screamed when her feet were firmly on the ground.
“Back up, go to the wall.”
She rushed over to the wall, bending down to embrace Angel and her baby, calling out to Prez and Vida.
“Vida, it’s just you and me now, love.”
“Ink,” she cried pitifully. “I’m still stuck. I can’t get free.”
“It’s okay. I want you to lean forward now, slowly. See what you’re stuck on. I got you.”
“I can’t. I’m too scared.”
“You don’t have to be; I’m here. I’m right here. I need you to get yourself free. Please. You can do it.” I groaned as the sweat began to pour down my face.
“Okay, I’ll try.”
I heard her grunting and cursing, pulling and jerking in the truck. More of the fragile ridge breaking off and causing the car to slide forward. It was going, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. “Vida, oh, Jesus! Vida, you gotta get out now! Please!”
“Oh shit, it's going.” Someone screamed from the side.
My feet dragged and lifted as the car began to pull me forward. “Vida!” The truck jerked back one time.
“Ha! I got it!” She screamed.
“Run, quick, quick.” The one jerk was enough for me to get the truck back on the ground for a second but only a second.
She crawled over the back seat and threw herself through the window, her hands and feet crawling uphill as the truck slid quickly down the edge.
“Vida!” Mikki screeched.
I held on until I felt my body hit the ground, and my shoulders, arms, and upper chest all hanging over the side, she was still racing up the back of the truck. The large body of the vehicle now almost entirely vertical when her foot touched the end of the bed.
“Vida, jump!” I cried, my hands outstretched as her body jumped up.
Her hands connected with mine as the truck fell down the long cliff face and hit the forest floor. My body jerked forward just from the momentum. I dug my boots into the dirt to keep from going over.
“Vida! Oh no, Vida!” I could hear footsteps.
“Mikki, stay back, I have her stay back.”
I roared. Vida was hanging from my hand, my fingertips holding onto her full body weight.
Vida screamed, her voice becoming hoarse, as she reached up with her other hand and gripped my wrists. “I’m going to fall, oh god, I’m going to fall. Ink, please. Please help me.” She cried her body, twisting and kicking, trying to get back up.
“You’re not going to fall. I got you, Vida. I got you!” I used all the strength I had, but I didn’t have a good enough grip on her.
“Ink, please!” She screamed in desperation.
“Vida!” I yelled to get her attention, “Love, I got you, I’m not going to fucking let you go. Look at me. I’m here.”
She settled slightly.
“You have to stop kicking.”
She did.
“Now, see if your foot can reach the rocks in front of you.”
She put one foot out a few times, finally able to get one foot lodged in one as she pulled herself up.
It was a slow process, but she was moving. "That's it, Vida, Just keep on coming. " She pulled herself up using my arm as a rope, once she was far enough over the ridge for me to get my hands under her arms, I grabbed on and pulled her up and over falling backward onto the solid ground. She landed with a thump on my chest. Her breath coming in and out quickly.
I sucked in huge breaths, my hands shaking as the adrenalin made its way out of my body.
"You sure know how to show a girl a good time," Vida said as she clutched onto my chest.
I looked down at her red, tear-drenched, bloodied face, and laughed. That was the Vida I fell in love with all those years ago. She rolled off me and sat up slowly, leaning forward to rub the ankle that was caught. She stood up gingerly after that.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.” I crawled, my body too exhausted to stand up right away.
She stopped behind me, “What a nice ass.” She laughed happily.
I shook my head in jest as I raised my body from my hands and knees. I looked up to see Jazmine staring down at me. A big smile on her face as I walked toward her.
“Well, now what are we…”
*CRACK*
Vida gasped loudly, and right before our eyes, she disappeared. A massive chunk of the ledge we were on broke under her feet, and she went tumbling down, my name echoing in the air as she fell to her death.
“Vida!” I screamed, I stared at the space she was just standing in complete shock. No, this wasn’t supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to fall. She was okay.
Wails and crying erupted all around me as I fell to my knees in disbelief. She was right there. She was okay.
There was a rush around me, but I couldn’t comprehend what was going on. The only sound I could hear was Vida calling my name. I saw Mikki slam to the ground, her mouth opened like she was screaming, Prez on top of her holding her down as she tried to crawl to the edge. I couldn’t hear it, though.
Something grabbed onto my arms and pulled me. I didn’t fight. My upper body fell back, and I could see Clean’s
