Free Sanctuary Falling by Pamela Foland

worse than Mr. Shove-us-out-the-door.”
    “I can’t believe you called him that!” Annette exclaimed, because she couldn’t believe it.
    “Why, trust me, I’ve heard worse,” Becky replied, “Don’t you call him anything, after he rejected your application?”
    “No, I don’t. That’s not how I was raised, by either set of parents!” Annette protested.
    “Okay, I won’t call him that again. So I guess you don’t mind the all the work it’ll take if you do get accepted. You know, constant studying and tests and chores and it’ll go on and on and on for four or five or even six years!”
    That question didn’t even give Annette pause, “Why should it be any different.   Niri ran us into the ground. Then I had school, and then after school there was more Niri, and then homework. If I had time after that I would study on my own.”
    “Seriously?” Becky asked. Her face clearly showed her surprise.
    “Seriously! Haven’t you worked for it?” Annette shot back.
    “Not that hard!”
    Annette glanced at her, again her mind fished away at something more, “If you want something, shouldn’t you work towards getting it?”
    “Yeah,” Becky nodded, “But there is work and then there is WORK!”
    “There is also wanting and WANTING. Are you ready?” Annette asked.
    Becky nodded and both entered the transport pod. Annette tapped the activation button. When they arrived at the start, Annette realized that somehow her anxiety had built the obstacle course into more than it was. Ahead of her was a short, if high balance beam walk. Then a rope climb, which would hardly be a challenge seeing as the rope was pre-knotted at intervals. The course seemed too easy. Niri had been known to put her class through much worse before breakfast.
    Annette started across the balance beam, picking up speed as she went. About halfway across she wobbled as a brief wave of dizziness hit her, but she made it across. She turned back to check on Becky’s progress just in time to see the girl land on the suspension field at the bottom of the six-foot pit.   Annette glanced from the girl to the bottom of the pit. She probably could not make it out on her own. Even if Becky didn’t have the same work ethic it wasn’t right for her to fail so soon into the test. Annette’s eyes scanned the platform, the climbing ropes were too long they were probably designed to reach the floor. The excess rope sat in a coil on the platform. Annette scooped up one coil and tossed the end into the pit. Becky hadn’t even fully recovered from the fall yet.
    “Are you okay? Do you need me to come down and help you up?” Annette called.
    Becky spun to face Annette, with surprise clearly shown on her face. “No, I’m okay, you go on, there’s no point in both of us failing!”
    Annette turned to climb her rope, but glanced back. Becky still seemed dazed.   She shoved   her own rope over the edge and jumped into the pit. She sprinted to Becky’s side and offered a helping hand, “Come on, the rope’s this way.”
    “But, what about your score? And the time limit?” Becky asked ignoring the helping hand and shuffling towards the dangling rope.
    “So it’ll take me a while longer this time, all the more improvement to show for the next test,” Annette waited until Becky had arrived on the platform before scrambling up her own rope. Becky continued up the rope ahead of Annette without so much as a backwards glance, or a thank you. Annette tried not to take that personally. Becky was already halfway across the next obstacle, a rope bridge, when Annette finally reached the upper platform.   Annette started to set foot on her own bridge when Becky noticeably swooned. It almost looked like she was going to fall.
    “Hold on tight Becky, I’ll be right there!” Annette called.
    Becky swiveled her head and nodded to Annette. Carefully and more slowly than the ticking timer in Annette’s head liked, Annette inched across the rope bridge with as