FOUR — FALL
Falling into that hole was the worst thing that ever happened to him.
Michael was used to taking risks, used to putting his life on the line for hours or days— but there was always a reprieve afterward. A rest, a dulling down, a calm period after walking a constant edge between safety and hazard.
There was nothing like that after he crawled out of that hole.
It's funny, he thought, walking down Riverline toward Brewster, where he would meet the old man. Escaping the temple was the most dangerous thing I've ever done. If I die...
He lingered over that thought, tempted, and pushed it away. Too much to do, he thought. And I'm too stubborn to give up. He had to keep believing that, or one day he might just stop trying– stop fighting, stop caring.
Why did I have to fall down that hole? he thought bitterly, resettling the package he carried. Why couldn't it have been someone else? But try as he might, he couldn't think of one person he would wish this on.
Author's Note:
Had so much trouble with this prompt. Clearly not my best work. Fourth prompt out of fifty, list made for me by TheMagicPocketTurtle. Go read her fifty-theme list.