Burn

Chapter Two

Climbing up a ladder isn’t as easy as it looks, especially the longest ladder ever. Well, it might not be the longest ladder ever, but it feels like it is. I slowly breathe in and out. You can do this, just keep climbing and don’t look down. I nod. I keep climbing; step by step so then I don’t fall. Just breathe. “Well duh,” I mutter under my breath. I think I’m going crazy. Well, I think I’ve gone crazy. I look up to the sky to see how much more climbing I need to do. “Far out,” I sigh. I’m only half way up, and knowing my luck, the fence is never ending. “Hey, get her!” a voice says, coming from the ground. I start to climb faster. “Leave me alone!” I cry.

“Ha, we won’t stop until we eliminate your kind from this earth,” The voice replies. I sigh again. Just keep climbing, but faster. I climb faster than I have ever climbed before. I hear a gun go off from the ground. I scream and almost fall off. Keep climbing. I climb even faster now, faster than I have ever climbed before. The ladder feels like it’s never ending. Another gunshot goes off. I can feel tears threatening to run down my face. I jerk myself over the ladder and onto the other side of the fence. I almost stumble over. I then realize something. Something important. There is no ladder on the other side of the fence. I can’t climb down. Another gunshot goes off. This is all in your head. I shake my head. “This feels real,” I whisper. Just jump. Take a risk or two in life. That is how you will survive. I take a big breath.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Then I jump off. There is wind this time. It makes me feel like I’m flying, like a bird In the springtime breeze. I run my fingers through the air. It feels nice, even though I know this will be the last 10 seconds or so of my life. I close my eyes. This is just a dream. I relax, well as much as I can anyway. I hold my breath. I don’t want to die, but in a small way I do. Knowing that it’s what they want. But who are they? Sadly, I will never know. Once again, I brace myself for the landing.