To LWM and Holly,

I admit it, my friends...I fell. Lost my grip, all inner reserves gone. The brink passed, left far behind. Nothing left.

I thought to myself, “Finally, finally, finally... Finally, I’m going to fall.” Except you know what happened? Something caught me; got snagged up on a gnarled branch, I don’t know. What freakin’ luck...I wanted to hit the rocks below, smash these gods damn bones of mine open once and for all, the ultimate release found at the distant base of a cliff...longed for it...ached for it.

How pathetic, didn’t even have the energy to manage my way free. Just fucking hung there limply. Disgusting, I know, but there was nothing I could do.

Today though...I woke up. There’s a small crack; an brief reprieve. Lifted my head, looked around and said “Screw this, shit.” And mentally formed me a shiny hand-pick axe...lifted it up and THUNK! Sunk that silver bastard into the rock face above.

Well, that may be all I can manage at the moment, no climbing up and out, but by gods, do I have a FIRM grip on that handle! (And a thick thong of leather wrapped several times around my wrist.)

As well as a determined, half-smiling snarl on my face.

In other words:

I’M BACK!!!