He was more than trembling now; his whole body was racked with a
violent shuddering beyond control, his eyes squeezed so tightly shut it was painful,
though he was past awareness of that. His teeth were exposed in a frozen grimace, the
strength draining like water from his knees and calves. It was extremely likely, he knew,
that he would faint, slump down along the wall, his face scraping, and then drop backward,
a limp weight, out into nothing. And to save his life he concentrated on holding on to
consciousness, drawing deliberate deep breaths of cold air into his lungs, fighting to
keep his senses aware.
Connection: This is the kind feeling which people who feared heights will have when they look down from a tall building. I had similar feelings when I was rocking climbing.
ReplyDeleteForeshadow: This quotation forshadows that Tom Benecke will having trouble getting back to his room from the ledge. He's very nervous and scared.
Connection: When I used to run the 400m/800m for track/pe/whatever, during the last stretch, it seems as if nothing exists except the last 100/200m; you want to finish as quickly as possible but you aren't sure whether or not you can keep your sprint. You shut out the world and your mind concentrates on the strain you're forcing on your thighs and your desperate need for oxygen. You have no more strength, there's 100m left, and you know you can't push yourself any more. But you do.
ReplyDeleteRunning isn't fun. :3
TL;DR: When you run, it's kinda like hanging off a building. You ignore everything but the lack of energy and the pain. You need to reach your goal, but you're unsure whether or not you're able to reach it; there is a high possibility of failure.
Delete