GENESIS (GODS CHAIN) (58 page)

‘Shit,’
she muttered
,
confirming that there was no way out and no escape
.
H
er heart sank as low as it could possibly go.
It was
at
this last dreadful moment
that
she lost her grip
on the ladder,
t
his time slipping off and away from the ladder
for good.
She
p
lung
ed
straight down
,
falling fast though the rushing blackness of the deep mine shaft.

Francesca gave out a last and loud scream
as she fell.
I
t was true!
She was uncontrollably falling down
the shaft
.

‘Eeaaghhhh!’
she cried,
picking up speed
as
she plummeted.
H
er body
reflexively
twist
ed
in mid-air
to
a
near
ly
horizontal position.
Terrified
,
she stared downwards
,
watching
her approaching fate coming at lightning speed!
What’s that?
was h
er last thought...
.

THUMP! BANG! In reality
,
only
a split second
had passed
since she’d slipped
...
her body struck something hard
and somewhat resilient, which knocked the breath out of her.
A loud
,
springy noise and vibrating sound could be heard as the technician’s body bounced like a ball, springing off some kind of light and thin metal plank or gangway that appeared to be suspended straight across the
chimney’s
diameter.
This short platform was only about eight to ten metres from where she
had
slipped!

‘Mmmph’
she groaned as the
air blast
ed
out
of
her lungs
.
It was the last of her
last
breath puffing out wind her
.
She was
hurt and in agony
from her fall.
Only a second and a bit had passed in this instant, her eyes
were
wide and transfixed
,
focusing as much out of desperation than survival.
The girl’s body
bounced
again above the gangplank and dropped back down like a rag doll onto the same flat metal structure
.

Instinctively grabbing out
,
Francesca
continued to bounce up and out of control!
Would this nightmare
ever
stop
?
Her mouth open
ed
wide
to
tak
e
a deep breath.
Contacting the platform
once more
, she found her
self
partly hanging off again
,
and seiz
ed
out for her life!

Fate found Francesca once more dangling high above
the
inside the stone shaft!
Her grip
was putting immense strain on her spine, her legs mov
ed
freely and frantically in mid-air!
Pulling
herself
up
took
an immense strength and effort
—
lesser men would have faltered.
S
he
affectionately
hugged
th
e top of the metal surface
,
terrified
of
let
ting
go!
The girl’s body weight still threaten
ed
to pull her down
—
her arms and sockets were agony, her shoulders screamed
.
Gravity was killing her
!

The metal gangplank’s surface was cold to the touch and had an odd
,
dented feeling about it,
which
help
ed
her grip
.
Francesca
,
with
one
last effort
,
managed to lift her leg with a reserve of energy
...
digging deep into her soul, with a last surge of adrenalin she pulled herself bodily up.

‘Aaaghgrrrr!’
s
he shouted like a weight lifter
.
Both her arms and chest were on top on the metal surface
—she
br
ought
up the rest of her body
by raising
one leg onto the surface of the platform and levering it.
The girl rolled over
and
, my
G
od, Francesca was up!
It was a miracle!

Her battered body lay exhausted
,
her arms outstretched and wide and hanging over the precipice
.
S
he could not move
,
lying almost crucified in the darkness
as she was
.
She lay
there for a long time, a very long time
;
time passed because it meant nothing inside that black hell!
Still
,
there was light.
Her headlamp still shone
...
enough
...
.

E
ventually the girl began
to
feel the force of her life flowing back to her limbs
.
Francesca
’s
spirit stirred and gradual energy moved first
through
her toes
,
then her fingers and then her arms and she began looking around from side to side
,
taking an interest in her surroundings.
There was a metal pipe or a safety barrier or railing directly above her
.
Luck
il
y for Francesca
she
had
missed it by inches
.
Striking the barrier with
her
full body weight at that speed would
likely
have
broken her spine.
She was damn lucky to be alive!

Lifting her arm and holding on to the barrier,
she
pulled
herself
up
until she
was standing unsteadily on top of the platform.
Balancing herself on the wa
i
st
-
height railing
,
Francesca let out another loud breath of relief
as she
with disbelief to where the platform
led.

             
My
G
od,
it really is!
A
...
a door? A door is
...
over there
...
.
I climbed right past it, stupid!
In her desire to escape and
,
g
i
ve
n the darkness
,
it
had been
very easy
for Francesca
to miss the exit, especially in her state of metal degradation
and
physical exhaust
ion
.

Holding tightly
onto
the metal railing
,
she walked unsteadily
,
soon reaching the small square doorway, taking
extra care in the dimness not to step off the platform by mistake and finish the job for sure!

Francesca recognised the painted door, made of metal
—it was
a standard
-
sized duct entry door.

S
he had no idea
where it would take her
,
but felt strongly that anywhere would suffice.
Francesca turned the stiff lever and pulled it.
It won’t move
—i
t’s ceased!
she thought in panic.
‘Open!’ she screamed at the top of her voice
.
The door
was proving too difficult to budge and
,
in panic
,
the girl began frantically pulling and pushing at it
u
ntil
it reluctantly gave way.
The girl stooped a little and did not hesitate; she entered through and into another dark place.
Utter relief washed over her face
—a
t last she was out!
The catacombs brooded far below
her
...
.