A story about rappelling! How marvelous!

U-u-u-u-update! Hoorah for a story I can finally call E for Everyone! Dig in, and enjoy.


Backbone

Now standing at the edge of what appeared to be an endless drop, Christine began to have second thoughts about what had initially seemed to be a terrific idea.
“C’mon, Chris,” Stephanie said from two feet back, “Show some backbone. You said you were gonna do it!”
“Shut it,” Christine retorted, peering anxiously over the edge of the cliff, “I’m just… wondering the best way to start, that’s all.” Christine took a deep breath and turned to face her friend, hoping she didn’t look too scared. Stephanie would never let her live it down if she chickened out.
“You ready?” asked Stephanie, grinning slyly. Swallowing emptily, Christine nodded, holding out her hands. Stephanie dropped a jumble of rappelling equipment into her outstretched arms, staring at them as if unable to believe that such a thin rope would be able to hold Christine’s weight.
Christine returned to the edge of the cliff, glanced over the edge once more, and then set to work hammering her anchor deep into the rock between her feet. After a few swift hits, the anchor lodged itself into the stone and Christine moved onto her harness, hoping she wasn’t forgetting anything. If she was, it would be her death.
Christine was a professional climber, or so she told her friends. In truth, she had only rappelled a dozen or so times in her life. More than the average person, but not nearly enough to justify the crazy act she was about to attempt.
It had all started earlier that week, when Christine had read about a middle-aged man that had climbed up the side of a building with only the aid of a rappelling harness. Christine had mentioned the news article to her friends, and they had taken to the idea like bees to pollen. Two days later, Stephanie had approached her with the idea of rappelling down the cliff behind old man Smith’s barn.
Before she knew it, Christine had agreed, and here she was. Christine tightened the harness and clipped it to the rope that was the only thing standing between her and certain death on the rocks below. Looking down now, Christine could see two of her friends – Kelly and Amy – standing just to the side of where the end of her rope was dangling a foot above the ground.
“All set?” Stephanie asked eagerly, jumping up and down in her excitement. Christine shook her head, holding up a single finger. She knelt down and retrieved a heavily padded helmet from the confines of her gym bag, strapping it onto her head. Not that it would help her in any way if the rope snapped. No, the helmet was there simply for comfort. Christine figured that if she survived this experience, her friends would be too in awe to mock her for wearing the helmet.
“Now I’m ready,” said Christine, smiling weakly. She checked her straps for the last time, and then backed up slowly to the edge of the cliff. Stephanie laughed delightedly as Christine leaned backwards into the open air, held tight by the lone rope running through her harness.
Christine inhaled deeply, tasting the dusty air with her tongue. Then, she released her death grip on the rope and kicked off from the cliff face. As the massive stone wall sailed away from her, Christine forgot her fears and let out a loud whoop. Then, her feet made contact with the cliff once more and Christine was suspended, weightless, over a hundred feet in the air.
“That was so awesome!” Stephanie yelled from above, and as Christine looked up she spotted a pair of eyes peering over the edge. Christine gave her a thumbs-up and kicked off again, letting the rope slide through her fingers as she did so. Gradually, Christine made her descent, and as the initial excitement wore off Christine began to feel mildly bored with the repetitive motions that were required for a safe trip down the cliff side.
Wanting a bit of an adrenaline rush, Christine kicked off harder than she should have and twisted to one side in mid air. Unable to right herself before making contact with the rock face, Christine slammed into the cliff hard. She heard a loud crack as her left arm snapped, and screamed in pain.
“You okay Chris?” Stephanie called from above. Christine bit back a sarcastic response and gritted her teeth, trying to keep the movement of her broken arm at a minimum.
“Fine!” Christine yelled back, cringing as a fresh wave of pain washed through her body. Taking a couple of steadying breaths, Christine prepared to kick off once more. She was a little over halfway down the cliff face, and she couldn’t stay where she was. She had gotten herself into this mess, and now she had to get herself out.
Backbone, Christine thought desperately, Have some backbone. Show no fear, you can do this! Christine clenched her teeth tightly and pushed away from the wall. Nothing could have prepared her for the intense pain that came then, and Christine bit her tongue so hard that it drew blood.
Grimacing at the metallic taste in her mouth, Christine kicked off again, and again, and again. Slowly but surely, she made her way down the cliff, pausing every now and then to rest. Before she knew it she was standing on solid ground once more, and her friends were swarming her with questions and praise.
Pushing them away with her good arm, Christine unclipped her harness and stepped out of if, wincing as her broken arm shifted.
“That was amazing, Chris!” Stephanie exclaimed, grabbing her friend by the shoulders and shaking violently. Christine cried out, dropping to one knee.
“I need to see a doctor,” Christine managed, shaking heavily, “Right now.”

Two hours later, Christine walked out of the hospital, a fresh cast wrapped around her broken arm. All her friends had signed the cast, along with half of the nurses on duty. It was a slow day at the hospital, and the result was a cast covered in different coloured signatures.
I knew I could do it, Christine thought smugly. Now that she had swallowed down a couple of painkillers, she was returning to her usual, boastful self. I sure showed you, hey Stephanie? Christine grinned knowingly, turning just in time to see her friends emerging from the hospital ten feet back. Now it’s your turn.