Member-only story
The Penitent
A 100 word story
In dreams he trod from spur to saddle to summit.
“Will I see?”
The technician, nodding, chewed her lip. Her eyes downcast while he adjusted the visor covering his face.
“Ready?” she asked.
The climb a gentle slope, no danger of avalanche or oxygen deprivation. Frigid air bit at his nose and carried the scent of pine. Green moss and grey rock scrolled past, then stark white snow as he neared the summit. Virtual reality without the brutality of the mountain.
“I couldn’t bring you down!” he cried.
Once again he found her near the peak, peaceful in her slumber.
The bodies of many climbers who died on Mount Everest are still there, due to the difficulty and danger of recovery. The photo above is not Everest, but inspired this flash piece.
- Inspired by the photo above and prompted by http://www.phantomsway.com/2019/10/11/fiction-friday-100-word-challenge-a-wilderness-maybe/
