 Post 3 and done! PHILOMATH ❅ not one atom, but two ♪ ♪ made of starstuff ❅ def main():
Balancing on the beam proved to be rather easy since it was very sturdy and not too narrow. What wasn't easy was the not looking down part. See, what Benzi hadn't taken into account in this whole thing was that he really really didn't like heights. Not one bit. Not even a little. Between him and the floor was lots and lots of space which would make for a long fall and probably a broken leg. He was VERY high up. He couldn't look down. Not even when the rope snagged on something and he had to pull it free. Nope. Pull until it's free, not looking down.
Not looking down. Walking. Not looking down. Looking straight ahead. Walking. Yup, all good.
Hands sticking out on either side of him for balance, Benzi swiftly made his way to the other side of the beam where he carefully sat down. As he'd predicted, the window was an easy jump, the balcony a difficult one and the trap door right above him a rather hopeless cause as he couldn't jump to push it open. Should have grabbed that plank.
Window it was. Using the opportunity, Benzi tied the edge of the rope to the beam and secured it around his waist. This way, if he fell he'd have SOME sort of protection, even though he didn't much fancy the idea of this rope digging into his sides. Best not fall if he had the option. Standing back up, he bent his knees a couple of times then hopped easily enough onto the lower beam, then breathed out and jumped for the window, hands outreached as he flew through the air and grabbed a hold of the window sill. Benzi turned his face to the side to avoid bashing his nose on the wall and with a great heave of his shoulders, managed to clamber on to the ledge.
... Well, he'd been right. He had passed the great big hole in the street, but there was nothing here that could help him. The balcony that he had been wanting to try looked broken and crumbling too, so he was a bit stumped. How else would he get to the roof? Going back wasn't an option, the stairs were broken. Perhaps he could scale down with the rope? Sighing, he was about to turn back and try to figure out another way when his eyes caught sight of the wooden shutters. The tall, old wooden shutters that could definitely be pried from their hinges with enough force.
Brilliant.
Almost smiling, Benzi carefully leaned forward to grab the bottom of one shutter and began rattling it, loosening up the metal hinges. It took him longer than expected and briefly he wondered if there was a time limit to this challenge, but with a satisfying creak, it came free. It was also much lighter than he expected and he almost went flying backwards. Over excited. He was okay.
And now back to the beams. Untying the rope from around his waist, Benzi tied it instead to the shutter, carefully covering all its sides so it wouldn't simply fall to the ground and leave him with a dead end. He let it go so it could dangle idly from the rope while he easily made his jumps back, and within the minute was back on the top beam.
Breaking open the trap door was easier than he thought. Getting through it was much harder. He'd untied the rope so he'd have it with him on the roof, but it just made all of this that much less safe. A few times he almost lost his balance and fell from the beam, but the fourth time he managed to grab onto the side of the opening and slowly crawled onto the roof. Finally.
With lots of panting, Benzi righted himself and looked around, instantly noticing the lack of a flag on the roof he was in. He wondered around the roof for a bit, sticking mainly to the sides until he rounded a third corner and saw the flag two buildings down from where he was on the opposite side of the street. His heart sank at the distance between the two buildings until he realised that if he were to run down the street, the gap between the buildings got narrower. And the distance between the buildings along the street were practically not existent.
This time he did smile. Letting the rope go, Benzi bounced on the spot a few times and started his run, feeling almost euphonic now as he jumped over the buildings as if it were nothing. This he could do. This he did at home all the time. Running, jumping over gaps and dodging obstacles was a walk in the park for him. When the street did get narrower, he made the longer jump to the other side and quickly ran back up, out of breath when he finally made it to the flag and swept it up with one swift, self satisfied motion.
"Got ya, y'little bugger," he whispered under his breath and smiled. ... Now how to get down? Was Dakest around? Should he wave his arms to get attention or go back to solving some puzzles some more?
__________________ yeah I like tеlling stories________________________
but I don't have to write them in ink_____
_____________I could still change the end |