Page 9 of Mountain Void

The decision was loud and clear.

“Wall it is, then,” the gendarme laughed. “Single file, and I’ll show you how to get the harness on.”

“You’re climbing as well, right, Ms. Charlie?” Ellie asked, craning her neck to take in the tall wall.

If anybody else had asked, Charlie would have found a way out of it. Heights were not her thing. Her palms were already damp just looking at the wall. But Ellie’s bright green eyes were wide with a fear she was trying—and failing—to hide. As much as she didn’t want to climb that wall, Charlie didn’t want to let the little girl down.

Charlie smiled. “Of course I am.”

The gendarme helped everyone into harnesses, checking straps with brisk efficiency. Charlie’s harness cut into her legs, making her wish she hadn’t worn jeans that morning. She shrugged off the discomfort. The gendarme was speaking, and Charlie wasn’t hearing a single thing.

“Excuse me?”

“I asked if you’ve been climbing before?”

Charlie had. Once. With Lorenz. It’d been one of their first dates, back when they didn’t know each other that well. He’d wanted to introduce her to one of his favorite sports. She’d been less than twenty feet up by the time she’d realized climbing was not her thing. But they’d ended up making love in the back of his truck afterwards, and his hands had soothed… No. Now was so not the time to think about that.

“I’m a complete beginner,” she said. That wasn’t a lie.

“You’re going to love it. It’s almost—but not quite—as exhilarating as flying.”

Charlie finished strapping on her helmet and looked up at the gendarme’s uniform. “You’re a pilot with the PGHM?”

She probably knows Lorenz.

I could ask her about him.

No. Not happening.

“Yes. Flying is the best, but climbing is almost as much fun,” the woman continued. Charlie hoped she was not a mind reader. “You’re going to love it.” She turned to look at the kids, who by now were buzzing with excitement. “Alright. Who wants to go first?”

Charlie raised her hand, partly to get it over with, and partly because she knew Ellie was watching her every move.

The wall felt rough under her hands. Colder than she’d expected.

“I’ve got you,” the gendarme said, tapping her own harness, the rope running smoothly through her hands. “Climb on.” She lowered her voice so only Charlie could hear. “Don’t worry. It’s an easy route. You’ll be fine.”

Charlie wasn’t worried.

She was terrified.

But she smiled and started climbing. The beginning was always the worst, she reminded herself.

One foot. Then another.

Her arms burned quickly. She thought of the buttery croissants at her local café. Maybe she’d sampled too many. She should start running. Or lifting weights.

Soon, it wasn’t just her arms; her legs started trembling as well. Still, she kept going, encouraged by the chorus of small voices below.

“You’re doing great, Ms. Charlie!”

“Almost there!” That one, from little Ellie, was a lie. Charlie knew better than to look down, but looking up she could see exactly how much she had left.

“Keep going, Ms. Charlie!”

It wasn’t like she could stay here all day, anyway. With a silent apology to her arms, Charlie channeled her inner Spider-Man and kept going, up and up, until she was finally close enough to ring the bell.

“Yes!”