To read part twelve of day nine, click here.

I was sliding down the rock, my body plunging down towards the river. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. My hands were trying to find something to grab onto so I wouldn’t fall into the water, but there was nothing.

I’m going to die. I’m going to fall into this water and hit my head on a rock and die. I have to get my pack off. I’ve got to get it off.

I could hear Sarah Margaret yelling my name, looking at me in horror as I slid down the rock. I looked up at where I had been standing not even ten seconds before.

The bush! That rhododendron bush was right there. I reached as far as I could, trying to grab the bush that could save me from falling into the river.

I couldn’t reach it from where I was. I dug my fingers into the rock, trying to slow myself down and boost myself up to where I could grab the bush. My fingers found a little dip in the rock and I used that to boost myself up a bit, just enough so I could reach the bush.

All I could reach was the tip of one branch, and it was about as thick as a baby’s finger. I panicked as the hand that was keeping me from the river lost its grip. I knew that the branch wasn’t going to be enough to hold me.

I was still sliding, but it wasn’t as quickly. I was trying to find another place where I could grip the rock, but I couldn’t find any. The rock was too smooth. The twig didn’t have much more slack, and I knew it was going to break soon.

That little twig held. It shouldn’t have held, and I couldn’t believe that it wasn’t breaking. It was still supporting my weight. I should have been falling into the water, and I was hanging off this rock with nothing but a twig holding me there.

Luke bent over to grab my hand, wincing as he did. I made a mental note to ask him about that later, once I wasn’t shaking. He helped me back to my feet, and I leaned against the bush as I shut my eyes. I was alive. I hadn’t fallen into the river. God had made that little twig hold all of my weight until Luke could get my hand.

“Are you ok?? Brett?”

Click here to read the next part of Day Nine.

*Everything here is from my own memory and may not be correct. Outward Bound is not responsible for anything I post here. Thanks too NCOBS for letting me use their photos.*