Adam could not believe what he had said. Nothing turned out the way he wanted it to turn out. He had planned on speaking to his brother from the heart in a calm rational manner, but instead he spoke out of anger. But he could not keep himself from walking. Adam just kept walking on past the small sign that contained information about the trails at Cedar Falls. If Jason wanted to speak to him, he would know where to come. So Adam kept walking.

Maybe I am being selfish? Jason would never want to hurt me for anything in the world. Mom and Dad always try to do what is best. Maybe it is my fears that are getting in the way of wanting this surgery. They really do want what is best for me. Maybe this surgery is the best thing no matter what happens. But if that is the case, why can't I shake this feeling of dread? Why don't I want this surgery if it is going to help me so much?

I

Adam still felt confused as he reached the brothers' favorite spot. It was a cliff that overlooked the beautiful falls that were hidden by the pine trees that grew all around it. As boys, the brothers used to go to the top of the falls and slide down the waterfall into the deep lagoon. But then the state put a stop to that after it took over the park from the county. But one thing that the state never took out was the old rope that hung from a large tree on top of the cliff. Adam could not figure out if it was because the park service never saw it or just did not seem to care that it was there, but it remained a reminder of the past. Budget cuts also made it harder for the rangers to keep track of the area two years ago. Now one ranger was in charge of several park areas, making it impossible to monitor the parks. Since no one visited Cedar Falls, the visits were far between. But this was good news to the local teenagers who in the summer time would come out and swing from the rope and drop into the deep-water twenty feet below. Due to his injuries, Adam missed out on that. Standing beside the rope, Adam tested the sturdiness of it. The rope proved to be very sturdy. He looked around for any sight of life, but no one was around. Putting his foot into the loop, he again tested the rope. Satisfied with the safety of the rope, he swung out a little bit and then put his feet back on rocky terrain.

That was fun! But he really should not be swinging like that. Jason would skin him alive if he caught him on the rope.

But the rope called his name back and the little boy wanting to escape came to life. With that, Adam swung out over the lagoon below. The rope spun him around and made him feel slightly dazed, but he loved the feeling of being free. The younger Kramer found himself wanting to go higher and higher and farther and farther out off the side of the cliff. Soon the tree branch that held the rope even started to bounce, sending him twirling even faster in circles like a tire swing. Adam simply held his hand out and closed his eyes. He felt like he was literally flying, not a care in the world. All of the days' stresses seem to be flowing out of his body as his hand felt the air and his medium length hair gravitated off of his neck and into the air. For once he did not care about his fingers fumbling on him, for he knew that he would just land in the water below. It would be cold, but he would survive. For once he did not care about his memory, for swinging on the rope was something he did as a child from the tall pine at Cedar Falls and off of the huge maple tree on his grandmother's farm in Ohio. The song, "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi seemed to ring in his ear for some reason. He even found himself singing the main chorus, "It's my life. It is now or never. I ain't gonna live forever! I just want to live while I'm alive, cos it's ... my... life!" He felt like those chains were finally off and he could just enjoy the moment. That is until a shout pierced the air.

"ADAM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" a familiar voice shouted out. Adam looked over at his brother and waved.

"Jason, can't you tell that I am swinging?"

"Adam, there is no need to be sarcastic. Let me help you get off of there before you get hurt," Jason started in. He reached out and grabbed his younger brother as he swung back towards the cliff. But Adam did not let go of the rope. The momentum of the rope and Adam's body took Jason off guard. Jason found himself being drug along behind his brother..

Seeing that his older brother was about to be drug off of the cliff, Adam quickly grabbed a hold of him with his free hand. Jason reacted quickly as well, grabbing the rope with his own hands.

"Put your feet in the hole with my one foot," Adam instructed him as he moved his second foot out of the noose. Jason did as Adam said to do and soon both brothers were swinging by the rope. The tree branch creaked from the weight, but held the brothers firmly. Looking over at Jason, Adam saw the look of fear in his eyes. He could not help but laugh at Jason as the brothers swung back and forth on the rope.

"What are you laughing at? You are the idiot out on a rope in the middle of the winter. It might not get too cold around here, but it is not exactly swimming weather without a wetsuit either!" Jason muttered.

"I am not the only idiot on the swing," Adam howled back. Then he let his other hand go out into the air, causing the brothers to spin as they swung on the sturdy rope. Jason tried to grab his brother, but found that he almost lost his own grip. Jason was never one to like doing things like that for the fun of it. He preferred computers, board games and a good book or movie, not activities that had him hanging from trees.

"What are you trying to do? Act like Tarzan?" Jason mumbled at him.

"Me Tarzan," Adam laughed back. He was enjoying aggravating his brother. "Come on Jason, live a little. This is fun. Feel the air! It feels like you are flying!"

are

"If God wanted me to fly, he would have given me a set of wings!" Jason fired back, still clinging to the rope with both hands. "I am going to get us off of here."

"I am staying, you can get off if you want," Adam said stubbornly. But Jason feared that if he jumped off of the rope when they neared the cliff, he might cause Adam to lose his grip or balance.

"Adam, you have been swinging enough. It is time to get off before you get hurt! I don't understand why you did this! You know that mom and dad would kill you for doing this in your condition!"

"And that is just my point. You guys are smothering me! You are making decisions that I should be making! I am not a baby, I am seventeen!"

"But some of those decisions could get you killed!"

"Surgery can kill me too."

Jason did not have a comeback to that one.

"See, you guys made all the decisions without asking me what I wanted."

"Fine," Jason muttered. "What do you want? You tell me what you want and I will back you whether I agree with you or not."

"Really?"

"Yes. Adam I am sorry if it seems like I don't love you as much as I did before the accident, but it is not true. The accident taught me just how fast things can happen and I never want to feel that helpless again."

"I never doubted HOW you felt about me. It was what you THOUGHT about me that I doubted, if that makes sense," Adam pointed out.

"So what do you want? You never answered me."

"To be honest Jason, I really don't know if I want the surgery or not. I mean, I know that you all want me to have it and I think that maybe it is the best thing to do. But then I think about rehab, being in the hospital and having to miss out on school, sports, mysteries..."

"Alyssa," Jason added coyly.

Adam blushed. "And Alyssa. I just don't know if I want to put my life on hold anymore."

"Well, can you do me a couple of favors?"

"What?"

"When you know what you want to do, let me know."

"Sure! What is the other favor?" Adam asked, smiling at his brother. At least, for now, Jason was listening to him.

"Help me start swinging this thing. I guess we didn't pay attention and the rope stopped swinging," Jason stated. It was then that Adam noticed that the brothers were now stalled twenty feet above the lagoon. He started to laugh again. Jason grumbled at Adam's sense of humor.

"Uh, big brother. I hate to tell you this, but there is only one way off of this rope. There is no way we can get enough momentum to get back near the cliff," Adam quipped with a smirk on his face.

"You don't mean we are going to have to...there has to be ... no way... are you joking with me?" Jason stammered, thinking of the free fall and the cold water waiting below.

Adam just smiled and moved his head up and down.

"OH! NO! I AM NOT LETTING GO OF THIS ROPE!" Jason shouted out.

"Fine, then I guess I will see you sometime later," Adam replied. "Bye-bye big brother, see you at the house!" Adam smarted off as he let go of the rope and dropped into the cold dark water below. Jason watched in horror as his brother's body went all the way to the water. Adam hit the water with a huge splash. Jason didn't breath until he saw his brother's head pop up from the under the surface of the water.

"Come on Jason, it is refreshing! Live a little!" Adam called out, but Jason was not letting go of the rope.

Desperate times call for desperate measures big brother! Adam thought. "Jason? I feel weak!" Adam called out. Then Adam disappeared beneath the surface of the water. Jason looked down and saw his brother struggling to stay afloat in the water.

"ADAM! Are you okay? You are not having a seizure, are you?" Jason called out but Adam did not answer, he just kept fighting to stay above the surface. "I AM COMING ADAM!"

With that, Jason let go of the rope and plunged into the cold water. When he broke the surface, he quickly looked for his brother. But he did not see a sputtering swimmer. Instead he saw a familiar face laughing back at him.

"I thought you was having a seizure!" Jason called out, angrily.

"I just said I was feeling weak. Now I feel just fine!"

"You are a brat!" Jason said as he swam towards his younger brother. "That was a low down trick!"

"It got you off the rope!" Adam replied as he swam towards the shore. Soon both brothers were standing on the shoreline, catching their breath.

"Now you can't tell me that wasn't fun," Adam said with a smile in between breaths.

"I always wanted to jump into a pond of cold water in the middle of the winter from a tree rope," Jason smirked back at his blond brother.

"No sense of adventure!" Adam laughed back.

Even as the brothers made their way back to the van, dripping wet and a little chilled. Adam could have sworn that he saw a slight smile on his older brother's face. Even if Jason had a little bit of fun, he would never admit to it. So Adam took that smile as a victory. The brothers changed into some old dry clothes that was in the van and made their way home. Not a word was even mentioned concerning the surgery.

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The Hardy Boys Fan Fiction authors of the Hardy Detective Agency have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.