Lahnthean Aria

Steps

Kiran had two choices.

First, she could stay in the meadow, count to a hundred like a good girl, and wait for Mr. Kidnapper to return. That would require her to trust that Mr. Kidnapper hadn't abandoned her: that he simply stepped away for a much needed time alone to think things over, and that he would return once she reached a hundred. Did she trust Mr. Kidnapper? Despite how reluctantly handsome he was in the dark, she could not trust him - not completely, at least. After all, he held a blade to her throat and had the audacity to leave her alone in a place she was in no way familiar with instead of quietly meditating in a corner where she could still see him.

Second, she could shove her fear of heights somewhere in the deepest corners of her mind so that she could hike down the mountain alone. She would also need to devise a safe way to walk down the steps. Clearly, she couldn't just prance down each step like she would with a normal set of stairs. The wind was strong at the edge of the cliff and the only things she could hold onto were protruding stones on the cliff wall; if there was any at all that she could grasp. Each stone step was also shiny and smooth like marble. Factoring in the possibility that it could also be moist due to the high altitude, slipping down to her death was highly probable.

Come to think of it, there was also a third option available: jump off the edge of the cliff and hope everything was a dream.

Kiran shook her head.

No. Survival was her priority. There was no food anywhere in the meadow so she couldn't stay there and wait for someone to rescue her. That meant the only choice left for her was brave the stone steps and hope that she would reach the bottom of the mountain alive.

Kiran nodded to herself. She had to suck it up and follow the footsteps of the main characters she admired in the stories that kept her up at night. Kiran got on her knees and gingerly crawled to the edge of the cliff to examine the stone steps and the cliff wall that was visible in the darkness.

She couldn't imagine herself standing on the stone steps with her legs already trembling like jelly. Kiran took a deep breath, the cold air already freezing her lungs. She flinched when she realized that it was getting harder for her to breathe. It seemed that the meadow was at an altitude with low oxygen levels. She would have to leave before she lost her wits to altitude sickness.

Kiran narrowed her eyes at the cliff wall. It seemed to have crevices that she could hold on to. Hopefully, the shadows she spotted on its surface were really rocks that she could grab, and not just her wistful delusions. Kiran took one last deep breath before sitting up on the edge of the cliff, her legs gingerly dangling over the first stone step. She winced and squeezed her eyes shut as panic surged through her senses.

Kiran hated hiking down from high places because the helpful tip "don't look down" to manage her fear of heights couldn't apply to it. Looking down was necessary to get to the ground from a high place. It was the only way she could be sure that she was heading toward the right destination. It was also the only way her fear could petrify her, and make her fall prey to the ruthless gusts of wind blowing along the side of the stone steps.

Kiran felt cold sweat slide down the back of her neck. Her ears rang as her heart painfully pounded against the walls of her chest. Her limbs trembled with every second she remained perched on the edge of the cliff. She had to move. She had to push herself forward, or she would slip and fall to the ground.

Kiran snapped her eyes open and inched herself over the first step, making sure she remained seated. She shakily felt the cliff wall for crevices she could hold on to, and fortunately found two that she clung to for dear life. Kiran bit her lip as a whimper escaped her throat. She was finally perched on the first stone step. Next, she would have to dangle her feet over the edge of the step - right on top of the second step downwards.