Chapter 16

 

Kaitlin climbed the narrow circular stair to the top of the catwalk.  Someone had reported a problem with one of the pulleys and as backstage manager it was her job to fix it.  About half way up the stairs began to sway dangerously.  She clutched at the rail and forced herself to stay cal.  She glanced up and saw the wires holding stairs up look dangerously close to giving way.  The only thing she could think was how she had to get off.  With all her strength she pulled herself up and climbed for her life.

*****                         

Jonathan walked back stage looking for Kait. The feeling in the pit of his stomach just wouldn’t go away.

“What are you doing back here?”  Someone asked from behind him.

Jonathan turned to see Michael, one of Kait friends.  “I’m looking for Kait.  It’s really important, have you seen her?”

Michael hesitated, but then shrugged.  “She had to go fix something up on the catwalk.  But I didn’t see you or tell you that, okay man?”

“Yeah, goch ya.  Thanks man.”  Jonathan darted off in the direction of the nearest ladder to the catwalk.  The main stairs were in to public of a place and he could risk getting caught before he got to Kait.

*****

In an unseen black corner someone smiled and laughed.  The plan was going better then planned, Jonathan would watch Kati fall to her death; no one could survive that fall.

*****

Jonathan reached the top of the catwalk and felt a tremor on the mettle landing, as if someone was jumping up and down.  Jonathan made his way along the walkway until he saw a sight that turned his blood to ice.  The cables that suspended the narrow circular stairway leading to the catwalk were swinging wildly.  Then he caught sight of movement on the stairs; someone was climbing up!  A split second later he realized who it was, to his horror he realized that it was Kait who was running for her life.  At the same moment he saw the first of the cables give way, and all he could to was stand there in horror and watch.

All at once Jonathan began to pray, he had never prayed before but Kate had told him hundreds of times about how threw God anything was possible.  “Lord, God, Please help.”  He repeated his simple prayer over and over.  Each cable snapped one by one until the last one was left.

Kait saw there was only one cable left and knew she wasn’t going to make it so she did the only thing left, she jumped.

Jonathan saw Kait jump just as the last cable broke free.  Then a scream shattered the delicate silence of the backstage.  The scream was followed by the defining sound of mettle crashing to the ground.

Kait felt her hand hit metal; she grabbed a hold of it and held on.  She wasn’t aware that she had even made a sound, she wasn’t aware of anything except the ache beginning to form in her arms.  Finally something did break through to her conchious, someone’s voice.

Kait!?”  Jonathan called, he way lying on his stomach with his hand stretched out toward her.  She was within is reach, all he needed her to do was for her to take his hand.  After about the fifth time he called her name she looked up at him.  “Kaitlin, give me your hand.”

Kaitlin looked at him unsure, she was afraid to let go of the bar.  She shook her head ‘no’, she couldn’t’ say anything because her mouth was sealed with fear.

“Kait, just trust me, please.  I won’t let you fall, just take my hand.”  Jonathan pleaded.

Kaitlin looked at him uncertain, took a deep breath, and then ever so slowly one hand loosened its grip on the bar.  Kait’s eyes weren’t on the bar, they weren’t on the ground, they weren’t even on Jonathan’s hand, the whole time they were locked with Jonathan eyes.

A moment later Jonathan was pulling her up into onto the catwalk.  Jonathan just held her close to him; he refused to let go.  Kait wasn’t’ arguing, now that she was out of danger, her composure crumbled, she buried her head in his chest, and cried.

In the after-shock of his adrenaline, Jonathan sank down to the deck.  He sat there with Kait in his lap, gently rocking her back and forth, stroking her hair in an effort to calm her.  “Thank you God.”  He kept whispering over and over.

Vaguely Kait herd Jonathan’s whispered prayer.  She pulled back from the embrace and looked into his face questionably.  He just smiled down at her and pulled her back to him, now was to the time or place to talk about it.