Prologue: THE ROAR
The thick clump in her throat descended with the grace of a pine cone. Though it was only saliva, the inside of her throat became raw. Salty sweat dribbled from her hair line down her olive skin, into her chestnut eyes. Her lips pressed into a tight smirk as she struggled to mask her fear.
She could do this.
She had to do this.
Gravity was not on her side. Any unplanned shift in her weight would send her plummeting hundreds of feet to her death. And though striking the cold hard earth would be excruciating enough, it wasn’t the only danger taunting her from below.
A throaty growl rippled its way through the air. It reached from below the ruffles of her stalking feet, up to the shiny ornaments around her ears.
Tae’s breath began to quicken.
The sudden rise and fall of her chest inadvertently tipped her backward. Feeling the weightlessness before falling her arms shot forward. Palms pressed down on nothing but air. But it worked. The jolt offset her backward motion, pulling her forward enough to create a pause.
‘Steady.’ She repeated the word internally. Her hands stroked the air while redistributing her weight to the balls of her feet. Tactfully she rediscovered her center and blinked salty tears away. One breath, two … it took seven more for her eyes refocus on her destination ahead. The smooth wooden platform, her safe haven, was still eight rifle lengths away. But her plan would work. One foot directly in front of the other, shoulders back and head held high. She could gracefully survive.
Another growl vibrated through the air around her. It wasn’t the same growl as before. It was deeper, hungrier even. Her stomach sunk lower as she realized why.
There were two starved creatures that paced the dirt ring below. Eight thick paws that pounded the ground as they circled and jumped for her. Two mouths salivating for her to make one small mistake and two sets of teeth ready to rip her flesh from her bones.
With everything she had, Tae fought the urge to confirm her suspicion. She pulled a stream of oxygen through her nose and lifted herself up to the pads of her feet. The thin line swayed as she traced her toe across it. Sliding the rest of her foot to follow she evenly place her weight on both, steadying her ankles.
She released the breath locked inside only to take another slow drag, the smell of sugar and peppermint mixed with lamp oil filled her senses.
She took another step, then another.
The line vibrated again, but this wasn’t her fault. Something had happened below. A pounding sound mixed among snarls painted a mental image of the beasts fighting. Each wanting the first taste of her flesh.
Nerves raw and twitching, she silently pleaded with herself not to look. What good would it do?
Her eyes denied her plea. Though her chin remained level, her eyes broke away from their goal, tracing down the thin wire to the dusty ground below. There with his mouth open, exposing a line of sharp jagged teeth residing in its powerful jaws, the adult lion watched her. Its yellowed eyes filled with hunger and irritation at her stubbornness to not give him what he wanted.
Feeling Tae’s gaze the animal lunged into the air. Blood rushed to her face and she swallowed a scream. Though it was impossible for either creature to jump high enough to reach her, Tae’s body still shivered at the idea of being ripped from her perch. If she wanted to be safe, she needed to get across.
‘Breathe. Lift. Place. Slide. Breathe.’
As if it were a lullaby the words cycled through her mind, her body following their instruction. With each verse the platform drew nearer. Her arms swayed, pulling her from one side to the other. Her goal was two rifle length away. If she jumped she could catch the platform with her hands and pull herself up. Or she cold miss - no. She decided a few more steps would do. So the lullaby continued.
Sensing their loss of a meal, both lions below released powerful roars as they pounded their weight against the destination tower. The whole platform shuttered sending the same uncontrolled vibration up her legs. Like a frantic windmill Tae desperately fought for balance.
In a last attempt to keep from falling Tae pressed her back foot into the wire and pushed off. This threw all the weight she could find forward. Hands out in front, Tae grabbed hold of the light wood railing and braced for impact. Her knees made contact with the edge of the splintered wood causing the entire platform to sway. Eyes closed she wondered,
Would the tower topple?
Inside her head played a rhythmic melody of blood pulsing across her temples and desperate breathing swimming through silence. She couldn’t wait to find out. She had to get to her feet. Now!
Muscles shivering, Tae used the railing to pull herself onto quivering legs. She promptly smoothed the fabric of her flashy skirt before squaring her shoulders. Her lips pulled apart into a wide smile, eyes fluttered open, her sweaty braid tumbled down her back, and she threw one arm into the air.
Her blurred vision made it impossible to see anything but shifty shapes. Yet she knew they were there. Which is why she kept her poise. Switching arms she turned and reached triumphantly to the sky.
That’s when the ground rumbled again seconds before the sound came crashing in like the water from a broken dam. It was more deafening than the lions roar, and more terrifying than the threat of death. The blurred shapes in her vision sharpened and synchronized with the clapping of hands, and the cheering of grown men and women. Each had watched her struggle to survive. Half of them had wished for her to fall to her death. But still, Tae held her smile.
She put her hand to her chest, bowing deeply. She swallowed the tears that threatened her composure. However a whisper that no one could hear managed to escape her throat.
“Please, God. Save me.”
