Chapter 4
909 Words
By now, I was far behind every other racer.
Everyone assumed that after crashing near the jump, I was out of the race.
Even the live commentators had already started mourning my run.
"We've received an update from further up the course. Triple Winter Crown Champion Sienna Vale appears to have made a major mistake near Falcon's Crest Jump. There are concerns about her right shoulder, and the injury looks serious. This is a devastating turn of events. A veteran of her caliber rarely makes this kind of error at a championship event."
"Sienna Vale was one of the strongest favorites for this year's title. Fans were hoping the Golden Duo of Sienna Vale and Ethan Cole would write another chapter of their legend, but at this point, her race may already be over."
"That said, if we look at the current standings, Vivian Lane, who has fallen just short of gold for three years in a row, is now leading the field."
The two commentators kept talking, trying to keep the broadcast moving.
Meanwhile, the pain in my right shoulder was so intense that I was close to blacking out.
I bit down hard on my lower lip and used that sharp sting to keep myself conscious. The taste of blood spread through my mouth.
I lowered my body and chased down the racers ahead of me like prey. My right arm hung uselessly at my side, so my left hand had to grip the pole, control my speed, and carry me through the rest of the course.
From this point on, my left hand had to do everything.
When I reached a flatter section of the course, I used bandages to strap my right arm tightly against my torso. I had to stop the broken limb from swinging and making the fracture worse.
The blizzard was thinning, and visibility was finally coming back.
But the camera drones had already stopped following me. Once I could see again, I no longer needed a race coach.
I could draw this entire course in my head with my eyes closed. Now that the path ahead was clear, what did I need Ethan for?
'Ethan, I stopped needing you a long time ago.'
There were two more gates before the final acceleration stretch.
Suddenly, the commentators' voices rose with excitement.
"A racer has entered the final acceleration stretch! It's the red suit, Bib 3, Vivian Lane!"
"She's coming in fast! Vivian Lane is charging toward the finish line!"
At the finish zone, a red banner had already been unfurled. Ethan walked toward it with a huge bouquet of white roses in his arms.
Reporters swarmed around him, shoving cameras and microphones forward, their eyes wide with shock.
"Ladies and gentlemen, that's Coach Cole! What is he doing?"
A microphone was pushed so close that it almost touched Ethan's mouth. He smiled gently at the camera.
Everyone else was worried about me, but there was not a trace of concern on his face.
"My queen worked hard today," Ethan said. "I prepared a surprise to celebrate her coronation."
One reporter frowned in confusion. "But Sienna Vale has been badly injured. She can't possibly still be in contention for the title."
Ethan shook his head, and his smile deepened.
"Only the queen of the slopes deserves what I prepared," he said. "I've waited seven years for her. Just keep watching."
With that, the cameras zoomed in on the banner.
Even the commentators erupted.
"'To My Queen, Vivian Lane'? Is Coach Cole about to propose on live television?"
Then a figure came hurtling down the mountain, snapping the commentators' attention back to the course.
"Wait. Viewers, are you seeing this? Another racer has entered the final acceleration stretch!"
"The spray is too thick to make out the bib number, but Vivian Lane is already on the final run to the finish!"
I bit through my lip and poured every last bit of strength into my left ski.
Only two gates remained.
I had already overtaken eight racers, and now that flash of red was directly ahead of me.
I could see the finish line. I could see that hideous banner, too.
All I needed was to be a little faster.
At the finish zone, every race official seemed to hold their breath at once.
Two figures, one in red and one in white, came charging toward the line at terrifying speed.
Ethan was already down on one knee in the snow, holding the white roses and waiting for Vivian to cross the finish line and rush into his arms.
He clearly had not expected me to still be in the race. The moment he saw me, his expression changed, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
I gripped my ski pole tightly in my left hand as the red silhouette shot toward the finish line.
Just as Vivian was about to cross, I dropped lower, drove every last ounce of power into my skis, and overtook her from the outside.
A sharp c***k split the air as both racers crossed the finish line almost at the same time.
The commentator shot out of his seat.
"I can see the bib clearly now! It's Bib 7, Sienna Vale! She is still in this race! They were too fast to call with the naked eye. Viewers, we need the high-speed replay."
"I can now announce that the winner of this year's Summit Alpine Championship women's downhill is..."
- Writer
