Climb

“I thought hazing was against fraternity bylaws.”



“Dude, shut the hell up. Do you wanna make it worse?”



Silence settled over the pledges momentarily. Except for a few moans and their bare feet slapping on the rocks, none dared utter a word. Step by step they ascended Peril Peak, supposedly a ritual that had been carried out since before their grandfathers vowed eternal brotherhood. Bound together by rope they were only as strong as their weakest link. An exercise in teamwork their brothers had told them with sheepish grins.



Daring to whisper, Caleb started up the conversation again. “Why do we have to be naked? What was the reason again? I’m gonna friggin’ burn in places I won’t be able to reach with aloe.”



Without even a glance his way, Seth responded. “Back to our roots, one with nature. That kinda bullshit.”



“Bullshit is right. This better friggin’ not end up on youtube.”



Without warning, Caleb started laughing. Not a funny laugh, yet not quite to the brink of insanity either.



Again, glaring eyes told him to shut his mouth. Somehow though, the laughter began to grow. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he tried uselessly to stifle the sounds spewing involuntarily from his mouth. “I’m never asking Macie to let me tie her up again. These rope burns suck like no other,” he managed to share his thoughts in between hysterical cackles.



Seth reached out and slapped him. No one could imagine what punishment would await them if the senior brothers heard the noise on their sacred expedition. “Man, I’m telling you to pull it together or I swear I’ll hang your sorry ass by this rope. And I’m telling the lot of you, whoever the hell keeps farting up there, I’m going to sew your cheeks together if you let another one go.”