by Aquaria Sandalwood » Wed Jun 21, 2023 7:06 pm
I can see the diamond necklace on the other side of this obstacle course, which looks quite challenging. I take a step forward to get a better look at the challenge that lies before me, and I hear a loud beep. I look over and notice that my step forward must have but me on the boundaries of the course, because the timer has started its countdown. “Well,” I think to myself, “I guess that means I’ve begun.” I quickly drop to my belly and start army crawling under the barbed wire, snagging the back of my [Look at me; I'm an idiot] even though I thought I was being careful. This first part isn’t too hard, although I’m already filthy. I have a fleeting thought, wondering when I will be able to shower next, but quickly focus my mind back on the task at hand.
I leap up and look to what’s next: the monkey bars. I wish I was in better shape. I jump up and grab onto the first bar and swing my weight so I can grab the next. About halfway through my arms start shaking, and the palms of my hands are burning, but I still am able to finish without falling off. I stand there for a second once I’ve finished, trying to catch my breath, but I look over to the clock counting down and realize 5 of my 20 minutes have already passed so I need to get moving.
The next part is a 6-foot wall. It’s completely smooth, with no footholds or anything. Standing next to it I can touch the top, but there’s no way I can just pull myself up to the top of it. I take several steps back and get a running start, climbing partway up the wall and using my weight to launch up to the top, and then I roll over and drop to the ground on the other side. I’m over! I thought that was going to be harder!
The next part is archery, and I know this is where I’m going to waste the most time. There’s a target right in the way though, so I know I’ve got the put an arrow into it to move on. I grab the bow and quiver; there are only 5 arrows. Okay, I can do this. With shaking hands, I try my first arrow, then second, then third, and completely miss the target all three times. I take a deep breath, and land my fourth one on the very edge of the target. I’m going to have to do better than that. Okay. Last arrow. I take a few deep breaths, aim, and to my astonishment, I land the arrow right in the middle of the target! It swings out to the side, allowing me to pass on to the next obstacle. I look over to the clock and see that I’ve only got four minutes left. I’m not sure if I’m going to make it.
The cargo net is next, and I keep getting my feet caught in it. I feel like I’m caught in a spider’s web, but I manage to get up it and move onto the rope climb, which is easy enough. I shimmy up the rope quickly, which is good because I’m almost out of time.
The last obstacle is the multi-rig, so I jump up and grab onto the hanging rings and try to swing myself to the next ones. I really wish I hadn’t just climbed a rope, because my arms are so tired right now I’m not sure if I can hang on. Slowly, much more slowly than I’d like, I make my way across it, and I can hear the clock in its final countdown. With seconds to spare, I launch myself off the final ring and drop to the ground, and with shaking limbs I stumble over to the diamond necklace, grabbing it from where it was hanging. “Well, I made it,” I laugh to myself. “Let’s just hope I don’t have to do any more of those.”
I can see the diamond necklace on the other side of this obstacle course, which looks quite challenging. I take a step forward to get a better look at the challenge that lies before me, and I hear a loud beep. I look over and notice that my step forward must have but me on the boundaries of the course, because the timer has started its countdown. “Well,” I think to myself, “I guess that means I’ve begun.” I quickly drop to my belly and start army crawling under the barbed wire, snagging the back of my [Look at me; I'm an idiot] even though I thought I was being careful. This first part isn’t too hard, although I’m already filthy. I have a fleeting thought, wondering when I will be able to shower next, but quickly focus my mind back on the task at hand.
I leap up and look to what’s next: the monkey bars. I wish I was in better shape. I jump up and grab onto the first bar and swing my weight so I can grab the next. About halfway through my arms start shaking, and the palms of my hands are burning, but I still am able to finish without falling off. I stand there for a second once I’ve finished, trying to catch my breath, but I look over to the clock counting down and realize 5 of my 20 minutes have already passed so I need to get moving.
The next part is a 6-foot wall. It’s completely smooth, with no footholds or anything. Standing next to it I can touch the top, but there’s no way I can just pull myself up to the top of it. I take several steps back and get a running start, climbing partway up the wall and using my weight to launch up to the top, and then I roll over and drop to the ground on the other side. I’m over! I thought that was going to be harder!
The next part is archery, and I know this is where I’m going to waste the most time. There’s a target right in the way though, so I know I’ve got the put an arrow into it to move on. I grab the bow and quiver; there are only 5 arrows. Okay, I can do this. With shaking hands, I try my first arrow, then second, then third, and completely miss the target all three times. I take a deep breath, and land my fourth one on the very edge of the target. I’m going to have to do better than that. Okay. Last arrow. I take a few deep breaths, aim, and to my astonishment, I land the arrow right in the middle of the target! It swings out to the side, allowing me to pass on to the next obstacle. I look over to the clock and see that I’ve only got four minutes left. I’m not sure if I’m going to make it.
The cargo net is next, and I keep getting my feet caught in it. I feel like I’m caught in a spider’s web, but I manage to get up it and move onto the rope climb, which is easy enough. I shimmy up the rope quickly, which is good because I’m almost out of time.
The last obstacle is the multi-rig, so I jump up and grab onto the hanging rings and try to swing myself to the next ones. I really wish I hadn’t just climbed a rope, because my arms are so tired right now I’m not sure if I can hang on. Slowly, much more slowly than I’d like, I make my way across it, and I can hear the clock in its final countdown. With seconds to spare, I launch myself off the final ring and drop to the ground, and with shaking limbs I stumble over to the diamond necklace, grabbing it from where it was hanging. “Well, I made it,” I laugh to myself. “Let’s just hope I don’t have to do any more of those.”