Where the Roots Begin

Chapter VI

Time tells me what I am.

I change and I am the same.

I empty myself of my life and my life remains.

-Mark Strand

They had lunch and dinner together. The others were gentle with her while fighting, but they didn't just fight. They played this game where five of them would throw balls to the sixth, and that person would have to dodge them. Nirav was the best at this one. And he would give everyone advice, especially Zachary who seemed to be having the most trouble at dodging more than two balls at the same time. So they would only throw two and then three balls at him. They would talk about specific situations too. They would set up a place, goals, and an obstacle and discuss the best way to get out of any mess they had gotten themselves into. Zachary was the best at this. They played this during their rests. Then they ran.

And at the end they climbed a wall with holes, where they were supposed to hold on to.

"Ok, everybody. Who's first?" Sewell asked clapping his hands together. He seemed exited.

No one volunteered.

"Ah, how about you, Alessandra? Let's see if you have any beginner's luck".

The others exchanged uneasy glances. Sewell had been particularly unpleasant with her, and he had a scary glow in his eyes as she walked forward. Under and around the wall there were blue mats, so it looked safe.

Alessandra felt everyone's eyes on her back as she held on to one hole with a hand and put her feet in other hole. No one said anything as she climbed three feet, four feet, five feet. She was about seven feet, and getting close to where the wall bent to a roof to keep climbing she didn't know how, when she got stuck. She couldn't see any holes close enough to reach from where she was without having to put her feet on the holes where her hands were, or jumping. She started going back the way she came, when Sewell's voice broke the silence.

"Tired already?" He asked, not angry, but mocking. "If you are to come down, let go but don't climb back".

"I'm looking for another way," Alessandra answered.

"Don't. Climb. Back".

Alessandra hooked her feet and her right hand, and turned to face him. Everyone else looked small from where she was, but not him.

"How am I supposed to keep climbing then if there aren't any more holes?"

"You should've thought of that before taking that route", he answered.

"Fine" Alessandra muttered as she turned back. She was not going to give up just yet. She went back up to where she had been, and considered her options. Her best chance, she decided, was jumping. So she got in a comfortable position, made sure her feet weren't too deep in the holes, and jumped up.

Everything seemed to be in slow motion. She saw the next hole getting closer to her hand's reach, but at the same time she was about to grab it, she realized there weren't any holes below it. She would end up hanging by one hand. And so she did.

She felt the pull as gravity pulled her down, and held with both hands. She tried to pull herself up by climbing with her feet, without luck. She heard Sewell's chuckle as she tried to swing from side to side, and his loud laugher as she let go and fell and rolled a bit. Gracelessly.

When he finally calmed down, he started walking towards her. For a second, Alessandra thought he was going to help her up. Instead, he walked past her and started climbing. Alessandra stared up in awe. He made it look so easy. He climbed and jumped, and when he got to where the wall became roof, he made no change in his movements. The only thing that gave away he was hanging down was his long hair. It looked like he was crawling. Alessandra had been so focused on watching, she forgot she was sitting under him, and if he decided to let go, he would land just on top of her face. She quickly moved away to where the others were watching. Sewell crawled all the way to the end, and even when he let go, he did so, gracefully. He landed, rolled, and stood up watching them. No, Alessandra realized, watching her. He wasn't even sweating.