The Year I Stopped Being His novel Chapter 191

191 /192

Their steps grew slower and heavier, their footing already beginning to drift. Professor Harrison knew everyone was pushing past their limits, and they wouldn't last much longer.

He needed to find a way to lift their spirits.

"I'm fifty years old this year, and this might be my last time coming to Antarctica. I've... always loved climbing mountains, exploring, and studying broken rocks since I was a kid..." Professor Harrison spoke up, raising his voice as if gathering all his remaining strength.

"Tell me, why did you young folks come to Antarctica?"

"To make money, of course!" Diego Solano was the first to answer, his voice laced with ragged gasps. "One trip to Antarctica is enough to equal a year's wages working in the small town of Atacama. Money in Argentina is hard to come by... I want to save up enough to bring my mom to The United States for her retirement, buy her a house with a yard where she can grow vegetables."

He paused. "I also wanted to see the place my dad risked his life to reach... He said it was beautiful here..."

"Now I know why it cost him his life!"

Professor Harrison chuckled softly to himself and turned to Josh Jace. "What about you?"

Josh pressed his lips together, looking at Professor Harrison with a hint of helplessness. "Professor, did you forget? You were the one who demanded I come with you... Otherwise, my scholarship for next year..."

Professor Harrison had almost forgotten that he had forced Josh to come by using his scholarship as leverage... simply because Josh was the top student in his entire year.

And his favorite student.

He didn't laugh out loud, but a smile touched the corners of his lips. "Alright, alright, I know. Don't worry, Josh, I'll definitely get your scholarship approved for next year, in full!"

Finally, he turned to Sloane Taylor. "What about you, Sloane? You're married and have such a cute son. What made you want to come to Antarctica?"

Sloane's frozen brain finally began to process the question. Why had she... come to Antarctica?

She kept her head down, walking a few steps before she spoke. "I've never done anything for myself in my entire life. This is the first time." She paused, her boots crunching into the snow and pulling back out. "I wanted to see how far I could go."