Three.
When I finally reach the platform, I should feel relieved that it’s almost over. I don’t. Not even a little. The drop is terrifying, and people keep stepping off like it’s nothing, trusting their lives to a wire they haven’t questioned for a second.
How old is that wire? Who checks it? Is there a guy? Has it ever snapped? Are those frayed bits... decorative?
“You okay there?” I look up to the voice, grateful for literally anything that isn't the giant, life-threatening drop in front of me. “I'm Jonny,” he says, holding out his hand to me.
I take it, unbothered that he can feel how much my hands are shaking. “I'm Honey,” I say with little confidence.
“Nice to meet you, Honey.”
Behind me, Gabe sighs. “Some of us would like to go today,” he mutters.
Jonny's expression tightens as he looks past me and nods. “Give me a second.” He lifts the wire over my head so he can move around me, and without looking at Gabe, he unclips him from the tower and onto the first line.
“You can go ahead,” he tells Gabe. “As long as you're okay going alone?”
Gabe looks over at me and then back to Jonny. “Yeah, that's fine.”
I instinctively step back a little, holding on as tight as I possibly can to the clip and close my eyes. The platform shakes under Gabe's jump, and my stomach rolls.
“Hey,” Jonny says quietly as he works on the next couple. “You don't have to rush this. Take a second. There's enough room on the platform.”
“Okay.”
It'll be fine. I just need to build up my nerve, and then I'll jump down like everyone else.
It’s been forty minutes since Jonny said I could take my time, and I can see the regret in his eyes.
Three busloads of people from the cruise have already gone through, every single one of them smiling and happy to jump. I’m the only one still standing here, too chickenshit to move.
“Okay, so we have one more bus from your cruise, then we’ll need to start thinking about options for you, Honey,” he says gently.
I nod, peering over the edge and immediately regretting it.
It’s just so high.
“I’ll do it,” I say unconvincingly, but Jonny nods, nonetheless.
“We could try now while no one is around to put any pressure on you?”
“I’m good. I just want to watch a few more techniques.”
He nods, checking the line and the clips, and I’m relieved that I can hear voices coming up the stairs. Once there are people here, maybe Jonny will forget about me.
“Honey?” Bella steps onto the platform, taking her sunglasses off and pushing them to the top of her head. “I didn’t know you were on this trek.”
“I, uh, wasn’t. I was on the earlier one. I just haven’t moved yet.”
“Oh.” She laughs just as Drew comes up behind her. They shuffle forward, taking their spots on the zip line as Jonny harnesses them in.
Bella’s standing close to me as she looks down into the gully peacefully.
“It’s not that bad, I promise,” she says reassuringly. “I did one of these in a mall just outside London once. The second you’re off the platform, it’s fine. It’s amazing, actually.”
I look down into the valley, my lip curling a little. This seems a little more intense than the mall version.
She takes my hand and squeezes. “You can do it. I know you can. Do you want to do it with me? Drew can go down on his own in a second.”
