The stones are like sandpaper, rubbing my fingers raw, but I can’t risk reaching for my chalk bag. I’d slip. And that would be the end of it. This was supposed to be a reclaiming of life and courage and … me. It doesn’t feel like that now. Terror clogs my throat and my fingers tremble. I’ve reached the top of the climbing wall. Time to let go. I want to scream. Instead I sing the bravest melody my horrified mind can conjure: Super Mario theme. “Da, da, da … .” I let go and the rope around my waist slows my descent.
Zsaffryn Terra is an Idahoan author whose shadow takes the form of a chihuahua. Her writing will be appearing in Micromance Magazine and KissMet Quarterly. Bluesky, Instagram, Substack, Threads, and X: @ZsaffrynTerra