Crisscross Climb

Diamond ladders! A whole wall of crisscross wooden slats leaning right against the brick! I didn't stop. Charge! Both hands hooked straight into the bottom squares. Heave! Pull! My long orange legs wove in and out like braided yarn. Squeeze! Knees through one hole, toes gripping the next! The rough cedar smelled like warm sawdust. Halfway up, my foot kicked a loose slat—thock-clack! A sharp, hollow snap! The whole frame shuddered. I froze. Held on with just two fingers. Then—one giant stretch! My arms snapped over the very top rail. Up! Chin hooked on the flat edge! The whole lawn spread out below like a tiny green blanket. King of the lattice!