At the Threshold
Copyright© 2025 by Heel
Chapter 6: First Steps Outside
The sun was weak, pale behind the clouds, but it was enough.
Anna adjusted the height of her crutches carefully, and tested the weight, balancing on her good leg. Each movement required concentration — her arms burned almost immediately, and the cast made her foot feel heavy, awkward, like a foreign object.
She took a tentative step out the door. The hallway felt longer than it used to, echoing with the small taps of metal tips on tile. Her chest tightened with a mixture of fear and excitement. She hadn’t realized how long it had been since she’d moved without the safety of walls on every side.
The rain had slowed, leaving the streets wet and shimmering. Cars passed with soft splashes, and pedestrians dodged puddles, oblivious to the woman who was learning to walk again in a small, careful dance.
People glanced at her. Some stared a little too long, others quickly averted their eyes. Anna felt exposed and invisible at once — a strange, dizzying combination. But her heart thumped with a small thrill: she was out. She was moving. She was present.
The crutches were awkward at first. Each step demanded her full attention, a constant recalculation of balance. Her arms ached, her shoulders burned, but with every careful stride, something inside her shifted. The world wasn’t entirely hers yet — not completely — but she could touch it.
At the corner shop, she maneuvered toward the automatic doors, nearly toppling once. A young man inside rushed to hold the door open. She muttered thanks, cheeks hot.
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