First 4 chapters from
SORROW'S ECHO
Four
“Marcos! Pato! What are you doing?” Sven’s voice crackled over the radio. He sounded pissed.
Pato ignored the project leader as he gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the metal handles just behind the Burro’s head. Beneath him, the robot lunged over a foot-wide outcrop and lurched around a wide crack in the cliff. The harness dug into Pato’s legs as the robot jerked this way and that, rushing toward the valley floor at breakneck speed. The winch sang as it unspooled line behind them, barely able to keep up.
“Stop! Slow down, you idiots!” Sven was getting angrier.
Ahead, Pato could see Marcos scrambling as fast as his legs and rappelling harness allowed. He grinned. The Burro was catching up.
Pato waved as he and the robot blew past his friend as if he were standing still. He heard Marcos whoop as they whizzed by him.
Pato laughed. This was everything they had hoped for since they were two poor kids with a dream back at the barrio. He leaned into the wind and smiled.
No. It’s better.
The Burro abruptly skidded to the left, dodging a sharp rock protruding from the side of the cliff. Pato’s heart plummeted as he was thrown against the harness. His fingers slipped from the handgrips.
“Shit!” He flailed for the grips that bounced and jostled just beyond his reach.
The robot jerked again to the left, narrowly missing a large crack. Pato yelled as he was thrown to the side. The harness cut into his legs as his head neared the machine’s churning legs. He scrambled for the handgrips. At last, his fingers closed around one and, with a heave, he pulled himself up. Panting, he leaned forward on the Burro and tightened his grip. His knuckles turned white.
Unaware of its rider’s close call, the robot continued to charge down the cliff. Pato held on, watching the ground come at them with alarming speed. His eyes watered, and his heart thundered.
“Going to suggest some modifications when we get home,” he muttered through clenched teeth. Evil thoughts about the friend who had gotten him into the situation flashed through his mind.
The Burro lurched to the right as it dodged another outcrop. Pato tightened his grip and blurted a quick Hail Mary. He hadn’t prayed since attending midnight Mass with his mother at Christmas, so he was only sort of confident in the words. He hoped God would understand.
Behind him, Marcos whooped again. Over the radio, Sven yelled. Both were lost in the wind and Pato’s panting breath.
Suddenly, the ground in front of the Burro disappeared.
A massive arch that cut into the side of the cliff seemed to materialize out of nowhere. There was no time to stop or go around. Pato yelled as the Burro skittered right to the edge and leapt.
They soared into the air. Pato’s stomach plummeted as the cliff fell away under them. The wind whipped his face, and tears formed at the corners of his eyes. His heart pounded against his ribcage. The winch whined.
It was the most terrifying feeling in the world.
It was the most incredible feeling in the world.
And then, with a screech of metal, everything stopped.
Sharp pain lanced through Pato as the Burro slammed to a halt in midair. He was thrown forward in the harness, smashing his chin on the back of the robot’s head. A spiderweb of pain exploded from his jaw and through the rest of his body. Stars swam before his eyes. His ears rang. His legs burned where the harness had cut into them.
Gasping for breath, he struggled to right himself, but the world tilted around him. Dimly, he felt the Burro arc back toward the wall, swinging like a pendulum at the end of the cable attached to the winch. A moment later, they crashed into the side of the cliff, the impact jolting both machine and rider.
Darkness began to crowd the edges of Pato’s vision. Beneath him, he could feel the robot’s clawed feet as they scrambled for purchase on the sandstone wall. Gears and servos whined and clicked frantically as they scraped against solid rock, but they failed to establish a grip.
Pato's stomach lurched as the Burro spun back into open air. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the robot.
“Hail Mary, full of grace,” he prayed, his words breathless and rapid, “the Lord is with thee.”
The Burro reach the end of its swinging arc. For a second, man and robot hovered motionless over the deadly drop.
“Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
The robot fell back toward the cliff. Pato tightened his grip. “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
The Burro slammed into the cliff with the screech of metal against stone. Pato felt the machine’s legs bend under him and heard something snap, but somehow, one of the clawed feet found a hold. The spinning world came to a sudden halt.
Pato remained still for a long time, his head pounding and his heart thundering. His legs had gone numb, and his chin stung, but to his surprise, he was still alive. Behind him, the sounds coming to him as if through a fog, he could hear Marcos scrambling down the cliff, yelling his name. Over the radio, Sven screamed incoherently.
Pato closed his eyes. The world fell into darkness.
Pato ignored the project leader as he gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the metal handles just behind the Burro’s head. Beneath him, the robot lunged over a foot-wide outcrop and lurched around a wide crack in the cliff. The harness dug into Pato’s legs as the robot jerked this way and that, rushing toward the valley floor at breakneck speed. The winch sang as it unspooled line behind them, barely able to keep up.
“Stop! Slow down, you idiots!” Sven was getting angrier.
Ahead, Pato could see Marcos scrambling as fast as his legs and rappelling harness allowed. He grinned. The Burro was catching up.
Pato waved as he and the robot blew past his friend as if he were standing still. He heard Marcos whoop as they whizzed by him.
Pato laughed. This was everything they had hoped for since they were two poor kids with a dream back at the barrio. He leaned into the wind and smiled.
No. It’s better.
The Burro abruptly skidded to the left, dodging a sharp rock protruding from the side of the cliff. Pato’s heart plummeted as he was thrown against the harness. His fingers slipped from the handgrips.
“Shit!” He flailed for the grips that bounced and jostled just beyond his reach.
The robot jerked again to the left, narrowly missing a large crack. Pato yelled as he was thrown to the side. The harness cut into his legs as his head neared the machine’s churning legs. He scrambled for the handgrips. At last, his fingers closed around one and, with a heave, he pulled himself up. Panting, he leaned forward on the Burro and tightened his grip. His knuckles turned white.
Unaware of its rider’s close call, the robot continued to charge down the cliff. Pato held on, watching the ground come at them with alarming speed. His eyes watered, and his heart thundered.
“Going to suggest some modifications when we get home,” he muttered through clenched teeth. Evil thoughts about the friend who had gotten him into the situation flashed through his mind.
The Burro lurched to the right as it dodged another outcrop. Pato tightened his grip and blurted a quick Hail Mary. He hadn’t prayed since attending midnight Mass with his mother at Christmas, so he was only sort of confident in the words. He hoped God would understand.
Behind him, Marcos whooped again. Over the radio, Sven yelled. Both were lost in the wind and Pato’s panting breath.
Suddenly, the ground in front of the Burro disappeared.
A massive arch that cut into the side of the cliff seemed to materialize out of nowhere. There was no time to stop or go around. Pato yelled as the Burro skittered right to the edge and leapt.
They soared into the air. Pato’s stomach plummeted as the cliff fell away under them. The wind whipped his face, and tears formed at the corners of his eyes. His heart pounded against his ribcage. The winch whined.
It was the most terrifying feeling in the world.
It was the most incredible feeling in the world.
And then, with a screech of metal, everything stopped.
Sharp pain lanced through Pato as the Burro slammed to a halt in midair. He was thrown forward in the harness, smashing his chin on the back of the robot’s head. A spiderweb of pain exploded from his jaw and through the rest of his body. Stars swam before his eyes. His ears rang. His legs burned where the harness had cut into them.
Gasping for breath, he struggled to right himself, but the world tilted around him. Dimly, he felt the Burro arc back toward the wall, swinging like a pendulum at the end of the cable attached to the winch. A moment later, they crashed into the side of the cliff, the impact jolting both machine and rider.
Darkness began to crowd the edges of Pato’s vision. Beneath him, he could feel the robot’s clawed feet as they scrambled for purchase on the sandstone wall. Gears and servos whined and clicked frantically as they scraped against solid rock, but they failed to establish a grip.
Pato's stomach lurched as the Burro spun back into open air. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the robot.
“Hail Mary, full of grace,” he prayed, his words breathless and rapid, “the Lord is with thee.”
The Burro reach the end of its swinging arc. For a second, man and robot hovered motionless over the deadly drop.
“Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
The robot fell back toward the cliff. Pato tightened his grip. “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
The Burro slammed into the cliff with the screech of metal against stone. Pato felt the machine’s legs bend under him and heard something snap, but somehow, one of the clawed feet found a hold. The spinning world came to a sudden halt.
Pato remained still for a long time, his head pounding and his heart thundering. His legs had gone numb, and his chin stung, but to his surprise, he was still alive. Behind him, the sounds coming to him as if through a fog, he could hear Marcos scrambling down the cliff, yelling his name. Over the radio, Sven screamed incoherently.
Pato closed his eyes. The world fell into darkness.
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Learn what happens next!
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