Page 9 (2/2)

One step after another

But when I finally reach the top, I instantly wish I had never made it instead

This can't be

I start to sway in my feet, and quickly clutch the handrail to keep

I really thought I could make it

I really did

But how can I whenin the middle of the ocean?

Sobs start crawling up htly aroundits toll on ive up, jump overboard, and be done with it

But I can't

Not just yet

And so I focus on what has gotten me this far

One step at a time

One breath at a time

Just one after another

Tension gradually slackens its grip on e to cry finally disappears I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and tell myself to focus

Keep your shit together, Sara Perez!

When I openI notice is a yellow Post-It stuck on the screen of a wall-mounted h school classroom while the four leather recliners before it would make the perfect ad for a home cinema

If I have any doubts left about how loaded e I'm in effectively lays all of my questions to rest The entire area has the look and feel of a reception lobby of a five-star hotel: it has its own bar in one corner, a small but state-of-the-art kitchen (but no knifes in display), andareas

There are more s than walls in this place, but for now they're co outside I can hear the waves roll and crash against the hull, but all I see when I peer outside is the boat's well-lit exterior: a large sun pad on the bow, an outdoor dining area on the stern, and side decks that are only wide enough to allow one-way traffic

My gaze drifts back to the sticky note, and my stomach starts to churn as I finally make myself read it