Kya was dragged into the climbing gym with a deep, profound sense of apprehension. She definitely wouldn't have walked in at all if it hadn't been for Izumi who was allowing her to squeeze the life out of her pale hand.
As soon as Kya saw the rock climbing walls, the sense of dread magnified.
I'm on the verge of a panic attack just looking at them, how the hell do they expect me to climb them?!
The photos on the website were daunting enough but seeing the walls that stretched up over 15 meters high in real life was downright terrifying. The medical student would much rather go to a haunted house or swim with sharks than do what she was about to do now.
Izumi patted her shoulder sympathetically, ''How are you doing?''
Kya wanted to reply with something sarcastic and witty to prove to her best friend that she wasn't as scared as she probably looked. But all she could manage was a high-pitched whimper.
Okay. Maybe she was as scared as she looked. In fact, probably she was more scared than she looked. There weren't enough words in the whole damn universe to describe just how little Kya wanted to be there. Izumi's hand had once been a place of comfort, a bony stress ball. Now it was a padlock keeping Kya from turning and fleeing the gym.
Kya kept her eyes trained on the dark, rubbery floor. They had stopped walking and she could hear Izumi speaking to someone but she couldn't get herself to look up, let alone listen. Then Izumi was letting go of Kya's hand and turning to face her.
Forcefully she gripped the arms of the other woman. ''You've got this, Kya.''
''I don't know.'' Kya finally verbalized weakly.
''Yes, you do. You're strong and brave and kickass and you aren't going to let your fear of heights dominate your life. You hear me?!'' Kya nodded and exhaled deeply. ''Doing this will help you become the best-damned doctor there ever was because you'll be able to assist people no matter the altitude,'' She patted her arms ''and it'll improve your life because you'll be able to join us on our annual ski trips.''
Kya nodded again and took another deep, steadying breath, trying to ground herself by focusing on the black hairs of Izumi's eyebrows currently furrowed together.
The motivational speech was working. Kya really did want to be the 'best-damned doctor there ever was.' If she left her acrophobia unchecked, it would be very hard to be that, should she ever find herself needing to treat someone above the ground floor.
Kya also longed to ski with Izumi and her brothers again. She had avoided the joint family winter excursions for the past 3 years and it was a decision that always brought her a great deal of shame. She was tired of cross-country skiing, but those steep mountains and the slightly traumatic experience of having a panic attack on a stopped ski lift were not things Kya wanted to relive.
''It's scary now, but you know it'll be worth it. Remember what you promised me.''
''Yes! Okay!'' Kya finally exclaimed, ready to get the two-hour session over with. ''I'm here, aren't I? I'm here and I'm as ready as I'll ever be.''
Izumi's forehead untensed and she wrapped the woman in a tight hug. She let go of her roommate and stepped back. ''Just call me if you need anything. I'll see you soon, okay?''
''Okay,'' Kya responded, though the anxiety in her chest was growing again now that her friend was leaving her stranded in an ocean of brightly colored walls and geometric shapes.
Izumi shouted that she loved her before disappearing through the sliding glass doors into the bright sunlight. With that, her torture would begin.
Kya's gaze wandered around the large space, taking in the unnatural landscape until it landed on an attractive woman with short black hair and twin, pink facial scars watching her with sharp, deep green eyes. She hadn't noticed the young woman standing near her until now, but judging by the way she was holding extra climbing shoes and a harness, she was probably who Izumi had probably been speaking to earlier. Not only did she have climbing gear, she also had climbing gear. That is to say: big, strong arms and broad, muscular shoulders.
