Part XVI:
The heat of the day had waned and the sun was but a pinkish hue on the horizon, visible along the surface of the ocean. Dust, along the path Artemis traveled, flew up directly in his face and eyes. Somehow, he did not seem to notice and continued, steadfast in his pace. There were no cars around as he crossed the main highway, headed straight towards a rocky protrusion, underneath which white surf thrashed violently. Had Artemis been aware of the danger ahead, he would have done well to reduce his frantic pace.
Instead, he continued at no less than breakneck speed. Maybe it was a rock, maybe a twig, but little did it matter. Something crossed his path and sent him tumbling. Heals over head and then head over heels, like a boulder, Artemis went rolling. He was in a nearly unconscious state to begin with, the adrenaline coursing through his veins failing to sharpen his thoughts. His legs and arms received the only benefit, invulnerable to the normal course of tiring out.
CRASH! Artemis tumbled straight over the ledge and down the cliff, a drop of some 35 feet. Luckily, the only major blow to his head occurred on the roll over the outreaching rock. He managed to fall quite plainly on his buttocks in the center of an area where the water had collected, without many of the more jagged rocks that had littered the surrounding area. By some great feat, Artemis had not only landed without causing any great physical damage to himself, but since he had lost consciousness along the way, he was also lucky to come to rest with his head comfortably above the water he came to rest in.
To be continued…
