Down and down
Eyes bigger than the mountain itself,
And a heartbeat faster than the nearby river.
Her feet gripped the rusty red stone,
Her toes curling, longing for the safety
of the ground.
With each step,
Her legs flexed,
Pushing them to their limit.
Red dust covered her skin, her clothes,
Seeping into the fabric,
From head to toe,
Promising to now and forever,
To always be with her.
Her lungs burned,
From the fear playing in her brain
And the lack of oxygen at 6,000 feet
above sea level.
She longed to be back by the river.
Her hands burned,
The beige gloves,
Not doing as well of a job as needed,
As the rope seared its way into her palms,
Branding her with the memory.
The blue helmet stuck itself to her head,
The sweaty strap chafing at her chin.
The harness hugged her hips,
Trying to assure her,
She would be safe.
As she neared the bottom,
Her heart rate slowed.
She knew that she would miss this moment.