The Hands of an Angel; Based on a True Story | Teen Ink

The Hands of an Angel; Based on a True Story

January 12, 2012
By nate4lt21 BRONZE, Goshen, Ohio
nate4lt21 BRONZE, Goshen, Ohio
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

“How tall is it?”
My mother gazed up the mountain, “I don’t know but I heard someone say about nine.”
“Hundred?”
“No, thousand.” She looked back up the mountain. You can’t even see the peak. I can tell she’s on the verge of tears. Her fingers are shoved into the bangs of her dyed blonde, short hair.
“You know, if you don’t want my to I won’t.”
“No, no, you go do it. You have been dreaming of this.”
“Thank you mom, thank you. I’m going to begin my climb in a few hours meet me at the base tent at 8:30, alright?”
“Okay, but where are you going.”
“Oh, I’m going snowboarding with Seth, we found a really good slope.”
“But Seth is only 12!”
“Yeah, and I’ve been snowboarding since I was eight.”
“Alright but be careful, I don’t want you to get hurt before your climb. And remember, 8:30.”
“I will bye, love you.”
“Love you too, bye.” We hugged and kissed goodbye and then I was gone.

Around a half hour later, I showed up at the slope.
“What’s up Nate?” Seth yelled
“Not much how’s the W.E.P.S.S.?”
“Great, come on out, and what’s with the stupid alphabet soup?”
“I don’t know. It amuses me.”
“What doesn’t amuse you, Nate?”
“Ha-ha, stop yelling, you’ll cause an avalanche.”
“Ha-ha very funny.”
“No seriously, there’s one now!”
“Oh crap!”
“Good job you klutz.”
“Hey, I didn’t fall, the snow did.”
“Whatever, lets go back to base it is 8:15.”

About a fifteen minuets later I get to the red tent and they’re all waiting mom, dad. Colby, Chris, and even OSU (my dog her name stands for Ohio State University); my whole family. I said hi to everybody and my dad gave me a new water bottle for the trip. After family time was over it was climbing time. Everyone said goodbye to me and my mother shouted, “Don’t forget to pray.”
“Ha-ha are you kidding?”
“No I’m not, do it.”
“Nobody cares about that. It doesn’t work.”

I hoped I didn’t hurt her feelings. I shrugged it off and just went about my dangerous business. About an hour later I was approximately 200ft. up. I hear a crack but thought nothing of it. I heard two more in a matter of a minute. Then I realize that I’m climbing on ice. Before I can asses the situation, I slip heading right towards a cliff.
My knife won’t catch on to anything, I can’t hang on, I cry out and then I fall. I feel like a feather harmlessly floating in the air. I see the ground I brace for my final impact, my life flashes before my eyes, my first mountain, my first birthday. Then I…
“Ahhhhh…!” I wake up gasping for air. I’m sweating in an undershirt and boxers in the middle of winter. I look around. I find myself in my bedroom, back in Cincinnati.

I sprang out of bed very cautiously. After that nightmare anything would scare me. I can barely see straight, I scavenge up a pair of sweatpants knowing it’s winter and it’s going to be cold. I walk downstairs and aroma fills the air. I don’t know weather it’s good or bad. I hear sizzling. Then it hits me BACON! Suddenly I’m charging down the stairs. I steamrolled over the ottoman. I grab a plate, sit in a chair and shout, “Two over-easy and five strips please!”
“Somebody hungry?” my mom asked.
“Yes please, I mean ma’am.” She gave me exactly what I asked for.
“Thanks mom.” My face was so full I could barely talk.
“No problem and hey, I want your big blue eyes off the television and on the snow today, alright?”
I took another bite of bacon,” Fine.”
I finished eating simultaneously to my mom leaving the room. I cleaned my dishes then went to go find my mom again.

“Hey mom!” I shouted trying to get her attention.
“What’s up Nate?” acting young when she’s 39. It’s funny for a little bit but annoying after a while.
“Can me and Seth go outside?” I pleaded.
“Sure, what are you going to do?”
“Can we go on the barn roof, please?”
“Umm, I guess, but be extremely careful!”
“Thanks mom, you’re the best.”
“Oh, make sure you bundle up.”
“Alright.”

Whenever I go outside in the snow I wear the same thing every time. I slip on a gray pair of long johns, a pair of blue sweatpants, and some bright red snow pants. On the upper side I wear a long sleeved tee, a yellow track jacket that looks like mustard. Then a big brown coat on top. On my head I wear a ski mask and a toboggan that has a flat bill. Finally I wear some winter boots. After I throw all that on and Seth gets his stuff on we head outside.

A split second before I open the door my mom yells, “Nate, wait!”
“What is it mom?”
“It’s dangerous up there, did you remember to pray?” Suddenly I remember the dream of what happens if I slip up on this question. So I bow my head and close my eyes and begin, “Dear father in heaven, I come to you today to ask for protection over me and Seth, as we adventure through this massive structure you have provided for us. Let there be a guardian angel watching over us keeping us safe thank you Lord, and in your glorious name, amen.”
“Now you can feel confident.”
“Thanks for reminding me mom.”
“No problem see you guys in a bit.”
“Bye, jinx, dang it,” Seth and I said simultaneously.
As we trek through the snow we approach the big, blue, metal barn. We slide open the huge doors and walk in. Going through the barn we faced many challenges. Going over wood, under tall tables, around big boxes, and not to mention all of the clothes we have on. Then we finally make it through, we climb onto the snow and ice covered roof. Seth says he’s going to look in a red-lidded green box he saw while I’m on top. I carefully and slowly climb onto the roof. When I make it to the tap I sit down waiting on Seth. After a while I hear Seth yell something,” Nate, come here look at this!”
“Stop yelling, you’ll cause an avalanche.”
“What do you mean?”
“Never mind, I’m coming.”

I try to get up to go explore what he found but right when I get to my feet, I plop right back down on my butt, and I begin to slide towards the edge of a big hole. I try to grab something but it’s too slippery, I expect to see my life flash before my eyes, but I don’t. Instead I see the dream, but I’m praying in it, I also see myself at the top of the mountain succeeding. Suddenly I snap back to reality. I see the edge, it’s getting closer, these five seconds feel like hours. Then I suddenly stop at the edge. I feel the pressure of hands on my chest, but there in nothing but air in front of me.

I slide myself over to the other side of the roof and climb down to Seth. I decided to play it cool and act like it didn’t happen, I go over to him and ask” What did you find?”
“Look at this snakeskin, I think it’s from a copper mouth.”
“I think it is too, lets get out of hear before it finds us.”

When we get inside mother already has hot chocolate ready for us. We sip it very slowly because it’s always piping hot when she makes it in the Keurig.
“Hey I will be right back alright mom.”

I leave the room and go back outside to the barn and stand at the bottom of the hole I almost plummeted into. I see wood, chards of metal, sharp broken glass, and a big metal barrel. I don’t think if I did fall that it would turn out so good. Stitches, cuts, bruises, broken bones, concussion, and even possibly death. Suddenly I fall to my knees crying out “Thank you God!”

I’m out there for about fifteen minutes. When I got back inside dinner was ready and waiting. We were having beef patties, mashed potatoes, and corn. We sat at the table and during our feast my mom sprung up a question.
“So, Nate, what did praying do for you? Anything special?”

I chuckle and smiled,” Not much.”
“Come on there’s got to be something.”
“Let’s just say it kept me from falling into a lot trouble!”


The author's comments:
This short story is all mostly real in detail.

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