Rodie takes a deep breath, steeling himself for the climb. One foot after the other, one rung at a time, he ascends. At the top he steps forward. A skinny boy in bright trunks, he moves cautiously between rails. Past the rails, he takes five steps to the board’s end. He draws another deep breath, looking down….
Today Rodie stands in a cold room, recalling the day he stood 3 meters above the community pool and conquered fear that stabbed through him like a knife. He turns to the seven men sitting before him, breathes deeply and smiles.
This was *intended* to be a submission to Velvet Verbosity’s 100 Word challenge for this week but I appear to be off-cadence. Alas. Maybe next time.
The challenge closes at midnight on Sunday (I think by Eastern time), just so you know when the linky list closes. Glad you still posted it in comments though. 🙂
I could see this almost like a movie-scene. A man in a business suit standing before a board, and reflecting back on an earlier time to give him courage. Well done.
@VelvetVerbosity Thanks for the nod! I keep checking back for a new word. I'm about to travel again. I hope not to miss another cycle, but I'm so enjoying the challenge I'll post even if I miss the opportunity to link. Thanks for the feedback (and for inspiring all of us!).