Too High

“Are we there yet?” Lee asked as he blindly followed Wendy and Bucky up a steep path. He tugged on the bandana Wendy tied around his head right when free time began.

“Almost!” Wendy said.

“Can you tell me where we’re going?” Lee asked.

“Absolutely not!” Bucky said. He reached over and grabbed Lee, turning him in another direction.

They continued to walk quietly. Lee thought about all the places he was being taken, and wondered why Wendy would blindfold him. At first he thought it was the secret place Wendy had been going on and on about, or the forbidden nature trail Bucky had found a few days ago. Whatever it was, Wendy had promised him the biggest root beer float at the Snack Shack later. Lee could just picture it in his hands, sipping it slowly while the sun set over the camp.

“We’re here!” Wendy announced. She ripped off the blindfold.

Lee blinked in surprise, letting his eyes adjust. He heard a small clink, and a giddy laugh as a camper zipped away above the trees. Other campers lined up, trying on harnesses and helmets, waiting in line for their turn on the line of doom. A few kids pushed past Lee, Wendy and Bucky, eager to get into the line.

Turning to his friends in horror, Lee backed up. “What have you done?” he whispered. “Why did you bring me here?”

“Remember at the big bonfire a few nights ago?” Bucky asked.

Lee nodded. He did tell his cabin that one of his big camp goals was to ride the zip-line.

“We thought we’d help,” Wendy added. “Is it still worth a root beer float?”

Lee paused. He paced back and forth, while more and more campers ran up and joined the line. Two counselors came up the hill, carrying baskets of harnesses and helmets. Lee watched as they hung them back up in the cabinet. He went over the options in his head: go back down and refuse to complete his big goal, or face certain death and ride the zip-line across the pine trees, with a reward of his favorite snack at the end.

“Can I watch for a bit?” Lee asked, sitting down on a nearby boulder.

Wendy and Bucky nodded with enthusiasm. “Take your time,” said Wendy.

“If you can’t do it today, that’s ok,” Bucky said. “We can always come back later.”

The three of them sat on the boulder, watching as camper after camper was clipped onto the zip-line, and sent all the way down and across the trees. Most of them laughed and cheered as they flew across the line, while others screamed loudly. Lee watched them go, shaking more and more each time. The more he watched, the more deep down inside he wanted to try.

The counselor sent one last kid off down the line. He turned to Lee, Wendy and Bucky. “Hey, just so y’all know, free time ends in like ten minutes. Y’all can be the last three on if you want.”

“Already?” Lee asked, his heart pounding in his chest.

“We can come back tomorrow,” Wendy reminded him. “It’s ok.”

“No.” Lee stood up. “I’ll do it. It has to be today.”

Wendy and Bucky grinned. “Do you want to go before or after us?” Bucky asked.

Lee took a deep breath, thinking it over. “Go before me,” he decided. “I’ll meet you over there.”

His friends nodded. Bucky went first, waving as he was pushed down the zip-line. Wendy turned to look at Lee one more time. “See you on the other side!” she called out as she flew into the woods.

Stepping up to the harnesses and helmets, Lee took a deep breath. He shook his head. “I can do this,” he whispered, slipping into the harness. “I can do this.”

He walked up to the edge, listening to the directions. When the counselor yelled, “GO!” Lee pushed off the edge, eyes shut tight. The zipping sound echoed around the forest, and the wind tousled his hair as he quickly made his way across the trees. He carefully opened up his eyes, and smiled. Below him, a blur of green trees seemed to touch his shoes. He looked up at the sky, feeling the wind on his face. He laughed, and looked back down. Someone had called his name. He looked all around, spotting his cabin mates on the ground. They all cheered and chanted his name, and a few chased after him, waving. Lee took his hand off and waved back nervously.

Finally, he could see the end. The other cliff and counselor came into view as he went down a little hill. Wendy and Bucky stood near a few trees, waving and cheering, jumping up and down. Lee's feet touched solid ground again, and once he was unclipped, Wendy and Bucky rushed over to give him a big hug. “How was it?” Wendy asked.

“Were you scared?”

“Did you keep your eyes open?”

Lee laughed. “It was great!” He took the helmet and harness off. “Can we go again tomorrow?”