“Dramatic backdrop,” he says, unaffected by her skepticism. “The audience will love witnessing you persevere through natural challenges.”
We set off single file through the glistening forest. Rain slickens every surface, making the trail treacherous. The crew struggles with their equipment, stopping every few minutes to wipe lenses and adjust protective covers. Lena walks directly behind me, following my footsteps with careful precision.
Through the trees, I can see the open expanse—a wide stretch of tall grasses and wildflowers, now bent low under the weight of the rain. No shelter here. We’ll be completely exposed.
“Perfect!” Elliott declares, directing the camera operators into position.
Lena pulls her hood tighter around her face. “What am I supposed to gather in this?”
“I’ll show you,” I say, leading her into the grassland. Despite the downpour, several edible plants remain identifiable—wild onions, fireweed shoots, young ferns that will taste like asparagus when cooked. I point them out, demonstrating proper harvesting techniques while the cameras roll. Lena listens attentively, repeating my motions with unexpected skill. When she thinks I’m not looking, she names each plant under her breath as she gathers it. Not only the common names, but scientific ones.
An hour into filming, the rain intensifies. Water streams from the brim of my hat, and even quality rain gear has its limits. Lena’s hands are red from cold and pruned from the constant wet as she digs for edible roots.
“We need enough for a proper segment,” Elliott calls when I suggest wrapping up. “Twenty more minutes!”
The terrain slopes gently downward toward its northern edge, where the ground drops more steeply into a ravine. Aswe work our way in that direction, I keep a careful eye on our proximity to the edge. The rain has turned much of the field to slick mud.
“Stay back from the edge,” I warn, aware the soil grows increasingly unstable. “Footing isn’t reliable.”
Lena nods, but Elliott directs her closer to get better framing against the dramatic backdrop of mountains disappearing into mist. “We need you right at this spot,” he insists, pointing to an area near the edge where the ground drops away. “The composition is perfect.”
Damn fool. She could fall.“That’s too close!”
“It’ll be fine,” Elliott dismisses. “Quick shot, then we’re done.”
Lena steps carefully to the spot he points to, clutching her basket of gathered plants. The camera operator circles, capturing her from multiple angles while rain courses down her face. She forces a game expression for the shot, playing her role despite the miserable conditions.
That’s when it happens. The rain-saturated soil gives way beneath her right foot. One moment she stands posing for the camera, the next, her leg disappears into a sudden depression, throwing her off balance. The basket flies from her hands as she pitches sideways, sliding toward the ravine edge.
I move without thinking, lunging across the muddy ground. My hand closes around her arm as her body goes over the edge, the abrupt weight nearly pulling me down after her. My boots dig into the mud as I brace against her fall. Lena dangles halfway down the steep incline, clutching my arm with both hands, her rain jacket snagged on protruding rocks. Below her, the slope grows steeper, dropping twenty feet to a rain-swollen creek.
“Don’t move,” I say, shifting my weight to better anchor myself. “I’ve got you.”
Fear has wiped the camera-ready expression from her face. This is no performance.
“Pull me up,” she says, voice tight.
I reposition, planting my feet more securely, and begin hauling her upward. The mud makes everything treacherous.Damn it, she’s slipping. Dig in. Pull. Harder.Her rain-slick jacket slips in my grasp.
Elliott and one of the crew members hurry to my side, reaching down to help. Together, we pull Lena back onto level ground. She collapses onto the wet grass, breathing hard.
“Are you hurt?” I ask, checking for injuries.
She shakes her head, then winces. “My ankle twisted when the ground gave way.”
I examine her right ankle, removing her boot. No obvious deformity but already swelling. A sprain, most likely, not a break.
“Can you walk?” I ask.
She tries to stand, pales, and sits back down. “Perhaps?”
“Got it all on camera,” the second cameraman announces, a note of pride in his voice. “Amazing footage.”
I turn to glare at him. “Put that down and help me get her back to level ground.”
We create a makeshift seat with our arms and carry Lena away from the edge, back toward the more stable center of the meadow. The rain continues, soaking through layers of clothing.
“We need to get her dry,” I say to Elliott. “The ridge is out of the question now.”
