Vee

I stared at the tree.

The tree stared back.

Master stared at me.

“This is impossible,” I declared dramatically, gripping the trunk with both hands as if I had been personally betrayed by nature itself.

Behind me, I heard the rustle of clothes. Then the unmistakable sound of disappointment.

“What are you doing, Vee?”

I glanced over my shoulder at him with the saddest expression I could manage.

“Trying to climb this so I can run away.”

Master blinked once.

Then twice.

“…You can literally fly.”

Silence.

I slowly looked back at the tree.

“…I’m heavy.”

That was a lie.

A horrible lie.

We both knew it.

I wasn’t even trying to leave.

Honestly, climbing sounded exhausting too, but now I was committed to the performance.

Master folded his arms. “You floated upside down for three hours yesterday because you were bored.”

“That was different.”

“How.”

“I had motivation.”

“You said you were trying to see if soup tastes better upside down.”

“It did.”

“It was cold.”

I gasped softly. “So judgmental.”

The branch above me swayed in the wind.

I reached up lazily, touched it with my fingertips, then immediately let my arm fall back down.

“See?” I sighed. “Too difficult. I’m basically trapped here forever.”