Chapters (122)
- Tower Climber
- Jakob Tanner
- Contents
- Newsletter
- Dedication
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 55
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- 61
- 62
- 63
- 64
- 65
- 66
- 67
- 68
- 69
- 70
- 71
- 72
- 73
- 74
- 75
- 76
- 77
- 78
- 79
- 80
- 81
- 82
- 83
- 84
- 85
- 86
- 87
- 88
- 89
- 90
- 91
- 92
- 93
- 94
- 95
- 96
- 97
- 98
- 99
- 100
- 101
- 102
- 103
- 104
- 105
- 106
- 107
- 108
- 109
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“Do you know why most victims of stab wounds don’t die? It’s because stabbing someone can be a frantic impulsive attack. Very few people remain calm and stab a person right in the spot that will kill them. I don’t have that problem though.”
Cyrus took another step towards Max.
“My grandfather was one of the earliest climbers. A great warrior that man. He fought in wars in the upper floors. He killed thousands upon thousands of warriors. For doing such a feat he was rewarded with the very hereditary trait I'm going to use now to kill you here.”
Max’s eyes bulged with fear as Cyrus took another step towards him.
Max squirmed, still frozen in place.
The audience was hushed, watching fearfully as the entire balance of power in the match completely shifted.
Think, Max, think!
There must be some way to escape this paralysis. If he didn’t think of something soon, he was done for.
Cyrus took another step towards him. He held the scalpel up like a surgeon approaching a serious operation.
The pale blonde-haired boy smiled as he took another step, closing the gap between them even more.
Max squirmed.
If he didn’t get out of this paralysis soon, he was either going to die or fail the climber exam. Either way, his dream of fulfilling his promise to his sister would be over. His goal of becoming a tower climber would be down the drain. Everything he’d worked so hard for would be rendered meaningless.
His heart raced as he began to panic more and more.
* * *
Casey and Toto stared wide-eyed at the flat-screen television in the student climber waiting area.
Cyrus had paralyzed Max and was now vindictively approaching him like a monster playing with its prey.
“Isn’t anyone going to do something?” cried Casey. “Cyrus is going to try and kill Max?”
The other students ignored her, watching the match.
None of them cared. This was the attitude of climbers. They’d grown so used to the bloody violence and monsters of the tower that they’d grown apathetic to everything that happened around them.
So one climber killed another—this was the reality of those who lived in the tower-zone.
Casey turned to the buffer climber who was chaperoning them.
“Isn’t anyone going to do something?”
The buffer crossed his arms.
“Have more hope in your friend,” said the climber. “If we interrupted now, we’d be dishonoring him, taking away his chance to escape or defend himself.”
Casey turned back to the TV screen and petted Toto.
C’mon Max, she thought. You can do this.
* * *
Max squirmed on the ground, frozen in place.
Cyrus was now only a few steps away before he could cut him up in anyway he so desired.
“I love seeing the heart throb faster and faster as a victim panics at his own impending death,” said Cyrus.