Fandango’s Story Starter #259: The Far Side of Fear

This week’s Story Starter teaser is:

“The old rope bridge had seen better days — much better days.“

The Far Side of Fear

The old rope bridge had seen better days — much better days. It sagged between the cliffs like it had finally given up, each plank bowed and splintered, each rope frayed to a whisper. She stood at the edge, toes nudging the first board, listening to the wind push through the gaps as if it were warning her to turn back. But turning back wasn’t an option, not anymore. The medicine in her pack was the only thing keeping a child on the other side from slipping past the point of no return, and every minute she hesitated was a minute she couldn’t afford to lose. She tightened her grip on the straps, feeling the small glass vials shift against one another, each one a reminder that fear wasn’t the worst thing she could face today; failure was.

She drew a slow breath and tried to steady her hands, but the tremor wouldn’t stop. The boards ahead of her dipped and swayed in the wind, moving just enough to make her stomach twist. She imagined the child’s face, pale and fading, waiting for help that might never come if she stayed frozen here. The thought pressed against her ribs until she felt it in her throat, a quiet push that told her she had already run out of time to be afraid.

She shifted her weight forward and set her foot on the first board. It dipped under her, a soft groan rising from the ropes as if the bridge were waking from a long sleep. She held her breath and waited for the sway to settle, fingers curled tight around the straps of her pack. The next step would be harder, but she took it anyway, letting the bridge carry her weight because there was no other choice left.

The wind rose as she moved, tugging at her sleeves and pushing the bridge into a slow, uneasy rhythm. Each step felt like a question she didn’t want to answer, but she kept going until her boots finally touched solid ground on the other side. She paused long enough to feel the steadiness beneath her feet, then turned toward the trail without looking back. Somewhere up that path, a child was waiting, and she had what they needed.

Thank you, Fandango, for such a great story starter! This one really pulled me in!

Thank you for reading, liking, lurking, and commenting. You are important!

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