As soon as she reaches the summit she sees the other one behind it. Higher. This isn’t the end she’d hoped for. She collapses into the snow, presses her head against the cold stone. ‘I can’t do it,’ she wants to say. That would release her from this. But she can’t say that. Won’t say it. She picks herself up, adjusts her pack, and carries on.
Paddy Dobson
21st August 2024