White Cave Escape by Jennifer McGrath Kent

rock-climbing gear, man,” said Tony, shaking his head. “You know, ropes and helmets and stuff. We’d be crazy to tackle a climb like that without proper equipment!”
    â€œWe’ll be dead if we don’t,” said Shawn grimly. It was true. The fire was mowing its way across the grass towards them. Soon, very soon, this stone-walled valley would be a cauldron of fire. And the only way out was up .
    Pressing themselves flat against the cliff face, the five young people inched their way along the treacherous path. Rocks rolled away beneath their sneakers and went rattling and bouncing down into the valley below. Shawn was leading. Craig had argued, saying that since he saw the path, he should be the one to go first. But Shawn had vetoed this, pointing out that his longer arms and legs made it easier for him to feel out the safest route, checking for the best handholds and footholds. A brief headlock convinced Craig that Shawn was right, and he followed behind his big brother with only a minimal amount of grumbling. Petra came after Craig, with Colin behind her. Tony brought up the rear.
    The smoke wound itself around their necks and limbs as if it was trying to pluck them off the cliff. Shawn blinked his stinging eyes and reached for a tree root protruding from a crevice. He gave it a cautious tug. It held. He gripped it firmly, and pulled himself across yet another gap in the ledge.
    â€œThere’s a break in the path there,” he called back to the others. “Use the tree root to help you get across.”
    Craig swung himself quickly across the gap, and edged along the ledge to where Shawn was waiting. Petra came next. She grabbed the tree root, but just as she shifted her weight to step over the gap, the tree root came loose, slithering out of the crevice like a snake. Petra flailed backwards over the yawning valley with a small, strangled shriek.
    â€œPetra!” cried Shawn. He lunged back towards her, knowing that she was impossibly out of reach. A hand snapped out and grabbed Petra’s arm, pulling her back against the cliff face.
    â€œYou okay?” asked Colin.
    â€œSure,” gasped Petra. She gave him a shaky smile. “Thanks, Colin. You saved me again. It’s a good thing you’re here.”
    Shawn gritted his teeth and looked away.
    â€œDon’t worry about it, bro,” Craig told him in a low voice. “You couldn’t know that the root would let go.”
    Shawn shook his head without looking at his brother. He didn’t trust himself to speak. It was his fault that Petra had almost fallen off the cliff. He should have tested that tree root more carefully. He was leading. He couldn’t afford to make mistakes. One misstep, one wrong decision, might cost his best friends their lives. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Shawn closed his eyes and pressed his sweaty forehead against the cool rock of the cliff.
    â€œHey, kid—you all right?” It was Colin’s voice. “You want me to take over? I could lead for a while.”
    Shawn shook his head fiercely. “I’m fine.” He forced himself to look at the precarious route ahead.
    â€œShawn?” Behind him, Petra’s voice was anxious.
    â€œIt’s okay,” he croaked. “Follow me. We’re almost there.”
    â€œShawn, buddy—I don’t want to rush you or anything,” called Tony from the back of the line, “but we should probably pick up the pace, or that fire’s going to beat us to the top of the cliff!”
    Shawn looked around and realized with a sinking feeling that Tony was right. The fire had spread out from the mouth of the valley in both directions, following the treeline up the steep, rocky ridge and onto the clifftops encircling the valley. Soon the two lines of fire would meet, closing the circle at the top of the back cliff wall that they were now scaling.
    â€œClimb!” cried Shawn. “Everybody, climb