The Fear Place 2-3

The Fear Place 2-3

In The Fear Place, Doug Grillo and his family are camping in Colorado Rockies. Doug's parents have left on an emergency. His brother, Gordie, has gone off alone after he and Doug argue. Doug worries when Gordie doesn't come back after three days. He sets off to find Gordie, even though he knows he will have to cross his Fear Place - a narrow ledge that terrifies him.

As Doug follows the rocky trail, he gets more and more nervous. He tries to keep his mind on other things, thinking about animals and rocks. He hears a noise behind him. It is Charlie, a cougar that he has befriended. Charlie moves in front of Doug and she looks back to see if Doug is following.

The further Doug climbs, the narrower the path becomes. His heart is pounding. He remembers the time before when he was on this path with his family. He was too scared to make it all the way across. Suddenly, he rounds a corner to the ledge he is so afraid of. Doug doesn't think that he can cross the ledge. It is narrower than he had remembered. One slip, and he will fall off the cliff.

Doug tries to imagine the ledge as a yard-wide line drawn in chalk. But it is the cougar who shows him how to get around it. She stays close to the side of the mountain and doesn't lean. Doug feels his body tighten with fear. He takes a deep breath. He couldn't look down. Carefully following Charlie, he reaches a wider part of the path at last.