Graphic by Claire Keck
BRRRRRRNG. My clock reads 5:09 a.m., snoozed once already. The Long Sidewalk awaits. I roll out of bed to get dressed, making sure to layer appropriately for the negative twenty degree morning.
Before heading out for the day, I double check the contents of my backpack: twelve Clif Bars, a grappling hook, climbing boots, water bottle, laptop, charger, and two pens and a pencil (No eraser; I don’t make mistakes).
Jack Frost nips my nose. A coyote howls in the distance. Chills run down my spine. Every bone in my body is telling me to turn around and climb back into bed, but I can’t give up. Not today. Not when everyone is counting on me to succeed.
I take a deep breath and begin to follow the Long Sidewalk. Sidestepping huge chunks of ice and snow, I eventually make it to the edge of the cliff overlooking the Teaty Sea. Another deep breath. I scrupulously lower myself down the rock face, pausing to eat a Clif Bar halfway down – I need as much energy as I can get. Fifty minutes later, I’ve reached the bottom, and I check the time again. Half past seven. Perfect.
The rising winter sun illuminates a sign ahead: PROCTOR’S PASS, it reads, in peeling brown paint. Hazy shapes come into focus as I inch across the landscape, including the familiar Semolina Fields. I can faintly see my destination in the distance, but I’ve come to learn that it’s only an optical illusion, like the buildings in Las Vegas or at Disneyworld. I dry swallow another Clif Bar and jog in place for a minute to warm up before continuing.
Suddenly, two bright lights pierce through the fog. I launch myself into a nearby snowbank right as a Jeep Wrangler thunders down the road where I was standing. Jesus, that was close. Unwilling to give up, I dust the snow off of my khakis and march on. Like clockwork, a strong savory scent that makes my stomach growl wafts towards me. I’m almost there. I unwrap another Clif Bar as if that would dissipate the mouthwatering odor currently blessing my nostrils. By the time I’ve swallowed the last crumb, I can just make out the numbers displayed above my building: 5, 7, 4. My watch reads 8:55, which means I have just enough time to run to the bathroom before finding a seat in my 9:00 A.M. Physics 11 lab.
