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Age:
Post High School, High School
Reading Level: 2.1
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Prologue
Eleven hours ago, I could breathe.
Eleven hours ago, my body didn't hurt.
Eleven hours ago, I didn't want to throw up.
That's because eleven hours ago, I hadn't started climbing this mountain.
I am curled in a ball on the ground. My head aches and my stomach is in pain. It's hard to breathe.
So this is altitude sickness.
"Kira! You okay?" Rachel shakes my shoulder. She looks worried. She is bending over me.
I feel like a jerk. I have been a real creep to her the entire climb, yet she is helping me.
"Please use this, you need it," she says. She pushes a can of oxygen in my face.
I try to grin.
The stupid oxygen can. It's just one of the many things I have made fun of in the last eleven hours.
Rachel grabs my arm and helps me sit up. My stomach hurts. I pause, afraid to throw up. Especially in front of so many people.
After a moment, I put the nozzle in my mouth and push the button.
Ahhhh! Fresh air fills my lungs. I am so happy. I push the button again and feel the oxygen work its magic.
My fuzzy head begins to clear.
My upset tummy begins to settle.
I lie back and close my eyes. Memories of the last eleven hours drift through my head. My mind goes back to the beginning of this adventure.
Back to the very beginning.
Chapter One
Two weeks earlier, I was sitting in my bedroom. I was looking at my sociology test.
A knock sounded at my door.
"Come in!" I called.
My mom and stepdad walked in.
"Look! An A in sociology today!" I waved the test in front of them. "Thanks for studying with me, Gary, I really nailed it."
That's when I noticed. Something was wrong. Mom's hands were twisting and Gary ran his hands through his hair.
I patted my pink comforter. "Come, sit down."
They sat.
Awkward silence.
"What's up?" I whispered. "What's wrong?"
Gary broke the silence.
"Kira, my office called." He paused and looked at my mom. "They need me to go on a business trip."
They both looked at me, wondering what my reaction would be. My eyes grew wide. My heart raced.
Business trip. My two least favorite words in the entire English language.
I swallowed hard. "To where?"
"Japan," he said.
"What?" I jumped off the bed and paced. "When? Why can't they send someone else? Do you really have to go? You know how I feel about this!"
He took my hand and said, "I do know how you feel."
I believe he is sincere. But he really doesn't know.
The worst day of my life started with the words "I am going on a business trip."
I remember it clearly.
I remember hugging my dad.
Be safe, Daddy.
I will, Pumpkin.
I remember the blue shirt he was wearing.
I remember the smell of his aftershave.
I remember his hand waving out the car window.
I remember he never came back.
I remember the police talking to my mom at the door.
"Car accident... no survivors... so sorry, ma'am."
My mom put a tissue in my hand. I didn't realize I had started crying. Sitting down on the bed again, I twisted the tissue in my hands.
Memories of that painful day came back to me. I was thirteen when it happened. That was six years ago.
I looked at my stepdad. I am grateful for him.
Two years after my dad's accident, my mom met Gary at work. He was new to her office. Gary has a kind heart. He understood what my mom and I were going through. His wife had passed away, too.
"I am not sure what to say," I told him.
"I know," he said. "I have an idea. I want you to hear me out. I know my going on a business trip makes you nervous. I know you have classes at college. Talk to your teachers. Try to get on independent study. You and your mom can come with me to Japan. We will stay together as a family."
A smile brightened my face. "Yes! That would be awesome! I would love to go with you! How long will we be there?"
"Three weeks," he said.
Wow, that's a long time, I thought.
"Well, what will Mom and I do there?" I asked.
"Shop, go sightseeing. You can climb Mt. Fuji if you want," he joked.
Climb a real mountain? I thought.
"I can't wait," I said. I hugged him.
"Good, because I have another surprise," he said. "Rachel is coming, too."
My best friend! This will be the best trip ever!
Chapter Two
After an eleven-hour flight, we landed in Tokyo, Japan.
It's so different there! First, they drive on the wrong side of the road.
"It's not wrong to them," Mom teased.
I rolled my eyes.
The taxi driver drove fast down the street. People bumped into each other on the sidewalks. Cars honked at other cars. The buildings were very tall. Signs and decorations hung from the buildings. The city was so colorful.
We pulled up in front of the hotel. We got out of the car. Right away, two Japanese ladies ran to Rachel. They handed me their camera. I guessed I was supposed to take their picture.
After I took two pictures of Rachel and the ladies, they bobbed up and down and left.
Rachel is blonde, tall, and pretty. She also has amazing blue eyes. The flight attendant told us that the Japanese people love blondes because the hair color is unusual to them.
Rachel was stopped two more times in the hotel.
I felt jealous. No one wanted a picture with me! My brown hair must be no big deal there.
I lowered my head and walked to the elevator.
The hotel room was amazing. Actually, it was a suite. It had two bedrooms, a small kitchen, and a living room. We wandered around. Amazing!
I walked into the bathroom.
"Come see this!" I shouted.
Mom, Gary, and Rachel ran to see. They looked shocked.
It had marble countertops and sinks that sat on top of them. The lights were fancy and had crystals hanging from them. But the two most amazing things were the toilet and tub.
"How much room does one person need in a tub?" Mom asked.
The tub was the size of my bedroom at home. It was huge! With jets and armrests.
"A small army could fit in there," Rachel joked.
"I call first bath!" I yelled.
Gary was not paying attention to the tub. He was studying the toilet.
"This toilet has a control panel!" he said.
We looked silly, all gathered around the toilet. But we couldn't help it. It was so unusual. There were buttons for everything.
Seat warmer. Because every bottom deserves a warm seat.
Noise maker. Because everyone needs that sometimes!
Deodorizer. Because that comes in handy, too!
Classical Music. Everyone deserves to be relaxed while going.
Water squirter. In case... Oh, never mind.
"I think you can launch the space shuttle with this toilet," Gary laughed.
We all laughed. So far, this toilet was my favorite thing in Japan. But I had only been there for an hour.
After more giggling, we left the bathroom.
Rachel and I unpacked our bags. We each got a huge bed. We flopped on them and giggled again.
"Girls! I have a brochure for you. It talks about climbing Mt. Fuji," Mom called to us.
We sat in the living room of the suite. We read the brochure. I looked at all the photos of the mountain. My heart pounded. I couldn't believe we might do this!
"It says here the mountain is 3776 meters high," I read aloud.
"What's that in feet?" Rachel asked.
I kept reading. "It's 12,390 feet. Sounds high."
"Thin air," my mom called from the kitchen.
"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.
"The higher in elevation you climb, the thinner the air. Most people get sick. It's called altitude sickness," Mom answered.
"What kind of sick?" I asked.
"Headaches, upset stomach, dizziness," she told us.
"That won't be a problem for us," I said.
"Yeah, we're young and healthy, we'll be fine. I brought an extra inhaler just in case," Rachel said.
"I forgot," Mom said to Rachel. "You have asthma. You sure you're okay to climb?"
Rachel nodded. "Yep, I checked with the doctor. He said to go slow and take the extra inhaler."
Go slow? I thought. I don't want to go slow. If we're going to climb this mountain, we need to push hard.
I was anxious to plan the climb. I read more in the brochure. The official climbing season was in July and August. No snow would be on the mountain during those eight weeks.
"Let's go tomorrow!" I said.
"I am in, Kira!" Rachel agreed.
We planned the snacks we would take. We packed the camera and some money. We laid out our hiking boots and clothes for the next day.
Mom said we should get some extra sleep. She would make us a healthy breakfast in the morning.
We went to bed early. But I didn't sleep well. I was too excited for tomorrow.