Chapter 5 - The Silence at the Top
At the highest beam, Nora reached up and caught the wood with one hand.
For one breath, she hung there.
One-handed.
Still.
The entire obstacle yard froze around her.
Knox’s stopwatch remained lifted, but he was no longer looking at it.
He was looking at her.
Nora tapped the highest marker with the heel of her palm.
Not dramatic.
Not triumphant.
Just proof.
A clean sound against the wood.
Tap.
That was all.
The sound traveled farther than shouting.
A soldier near the front swallowed.
Another slowly lowered his chin, ashamed now of laughing before he understood what he was seeing.
Nora began her descent.
Controlled.
Smooth.
No slide burn.
No loss of balance.
The rope moved under her like it belonged to her.
She landed in front of Knox with both boots planted in the dirt.
The stopwatch clicked late in his hand.
Very late.
Nora looked at him.
“You talked longer than I climbed.”
Nobody laughed.
Not because it was not funny.
Because it was too true.
Knox’s face flushed red.
May you like
His mouth opened, then closed.
For once, the loudest man on the field had no useful words.
