The edge of the cliff was nearby. Ryan could hear the roar of the ocean, could sense the vast chasm of air lurking in the darkness. He was doing everything he could to maintain control, but he was no match for Little Dipper’s power and size. His strength was fading fast.

Then lightning struck close by, setting fire to a thicket of bushes. Little Dipper bucked wildly in the air and took off so fast that Ryan got ripped clean off his horse. He landed hard on his shoulder and then everything became a blur of mud and dirt as Little Dipper charged off at speed, dragging him behind. There was nothing Ryan could do. He never stood a chance. He screamed Little Dipper’s name, tried to untangle himself, tried to wriggle loose, but the rope was wound so tight it was impossible to break free. Then Little Dipper must have seen that she was within a hair’s breadth of the cliff because she suddenly swerved and ran the other way, sending Ryan skidding sideways—straight for the edge.

Without any warning, the ground disappeared. Ryan felt himself falling. He didn’t have time to scream. He plummeted for a few frightening seconds before the rope went taut, at which point his arm stiffened and he slammed into the cliff face. The collision reverberated throughout his body, spreading pain to every bone and muscle. He dangled like a rag doll for a few seconds, too dazed to move, but was jolted back to his senses when the rope coiled around his wrist began to unwind. His arm was slipping. As dread flooded through him, he lunged for the cliff face, and with his free hand he desperately tried to find something to grab hold of, but this only put more pressure on the rope, causing it to unravel faster. He frantically struggled, clawed at the dirt, tried kicking his feet to gain a foothold, even screamed at Little Dipper to move away in the hope she could drag him back up, but the weight of his hanging body was too great. The knot loosened some more, Ryan slipped even farther, and he knew he couldn’t stop what was about to happen next . . . when the knot finally came undone.