Trial by Fire by Jeff Probst

ravine wall as she dared. Still, it wasn’t enough.
    Carter couldn’t reach him, either. “Can you climb?” he asked frantically.
    Buzz reached for an exposed root over his head, but it was just beyond his grasp. When he collapsed back, dust and gravel showered down in his face before falling to the ravine floor a hundred feet below. At the bottom, Jane could see the tree that had been their bridge until now, lying there like a giant dead body.
    â€œWhat should we do, Carter?” she asked. He was already up and looking around the immediate area. “Rope!” he said desperately.
    â€œWe don’t have rope!” Jane said.
    â€œMaybe this will work,” he answered, tearing off his own shirt. “Hold on to me!”
    Jane grabbed his legs as Carter threw himself down on the cliff’s edge again and dangled the shirt.
    â€œBuzz!” he yelled. “Can you reach this?”
    Buzz strained for it, but his fingers barely whiffed at the cloth of the shirt. Above them, the sound of the plane was growing even louder. Carter scooted forward, inching his body a little farther over the edge.
    â€œCarter, be careful! I can’t hold you!” Jane yelled. If he went over, she’d never be able to stop him. They needed something longer. Something that Buzz could reach—and climb.
    And then all at once, she realized what it was. “Use me!” she said.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œSit up!”
    Carter scooted back up while Jane took his place. She backed herself over the lip of the ravine, feetfirst, and put her hands out for Carter to take.
    â€œLower me down there!” she said. “But don’t let go!”
    â€œThat’s crazy!” he said.
    â€œJust do it,” Jane said. “Lower me down! Right now!”
    There wasn’t any choice. Carter took both of her wrists and she grabbed onto his, and they locked themselves together.
    â€œBuzz!” Jane yelled again. “Grab my feet.”
    â€œJane, no!” he yelled. “It won’t work!”
    â€œNow!” she said.
    â€œYeah,” Carter groaned out. “NOW!”
    Carter had a good grip on Jane, but she could feel herself slipping lower than she wanted to be. He was going to have to pull them both back up.
    At the same time, she could hear the plane—almost directly overhead now. But they were hidden in the ravine. A stand of scrubby trees shielded them from above. There was no way to be seen here. No way to catch the plane’s attention without getting to that signal fire.
    â€œI can’t do this!” Buzz said.
    â€œYES, YOU CAN!” Jane shouted. “Just do it—RIGHT NOW!”
    She barely even recognized her own voice. It came from somewhere deep inside—never as strong as that before. Never so adult.
    The next thing she felt was Buzz’s hand on her ankle. Carter gripped her wrists at the other end—but his hold was slipping fast.
    â€œPULL, CARTER—PULL!” she called.
    There was a terrible tension in her body. Buzz held on to her legs from below while Carter dragged her in the opposite direction from above. She couldn’t see Buzz, but she could feel him scrambling higher and searching for a foothold. For a moment, it felt as if she were about to snap in half. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the worst. A sob caught in her throat.
    And then, the tension eased. Buzz had found his foothold. He was climbing again, until he was at her side, pulling himself onto level ground.
    At the same time, Carter yanked Jane up over the edge, and all three of them collapsed there, onto their backs.
    Jane struggled just to catch her breath. “Too . . . close!” she said.
    â€œNo,” Buzz panted out. He got up to his knees and pointed into the distance. The sound of the plane was still there, but growing fainter. “Not close enough,” he said.

    Carter forced himself onto his feet, and stumbled in the