Bench Climb

I set my sights on the giant wooden picnic bench near the trees and didn't waste a second wondering how to get up. I grabbed the rough timber of the bench leg with both hands, jammed the tip of my boot into a deep knot in the wood, and hauled my full weight upward. Splinters brushed against my shirt, but I shoved past them with one big heave and threw an elbow over the edge of the seat plank. With one hard push off my left heel, I swung my leg up and locked myself onto the flat plank. High ground won, totally solid.