Sleepless Mountain (19)

But then, a sharp roar echoed from outside the tent. The strong wind, blowing from all directions, surrounded Camp C1. It felt as if countless wails, cries, anger, despair, and resentment were mixed within the sound of the wind. They roared and complained at us again and again. The fierce wind squeezed our tent. It contorted into all sorts of bizarre and strange shapes. It was like countless hands, claws extended, trying to drag us into another dimension, not of this world. Or like a human face pressed against the tent. Showing all sorts of extremely twisted and pained expressions. In all my years of mountaineering, I've never been this scared. Though I have no religious beliefs, I kept praying in my heart. God, please, don't let them take me. And Mita, who was holding me tightly, kept murmuring the Rosary while crying, pleading, "I'm not ready yet. Please don't take me at a time like this." Both Mita and I stayed huddled together, embracing each other. We tried hard to maintain our sanity and not break down. Until it was almost dawn. This wind finally stopped. The figures outside had long since vanished. But Mita and I didn't have the courage to open the tent door. It wasn't until around 7 AM, when the sun illuminated the entire campsite, that Mita and I, with trembling hands, pulled open the tent zipper. My heart was praying, "Please, don't let us see anything not of this world outside." Fortunately, There was nothing outside the tent..... And about five meters away, Chen's and Wang's tent was also in its original position.