Payton Klaer

Despite the snow covering the ground, the skatepark had a few visitors – Callie and her older brother Nick along with his friends Steven and Dan. But Callie could never keep their names straight. Was the one in the big red beanie Steven or Dan? Or was the one in the puffy black jacket Steven? But today names didn’t matter – she had more important things to do.

Like rescuing Todd from his snowy prison.

Callie took in the obstacles between her and her friend. The smooth concrete looked like it was glowing in the somehow bright February sun. All of the snow had been cleared away, piled at the borders of the skatepark. She could see the light coat of water along the concrete from the residue melting. At the other end of the park, she found her stuffed frog sitting on a pillar of snow she had constructed when they first arrived.

She was wasting time. She needed to rescue Todd before it was too late.

She rummaged through her backpack sitting in the snow and pulled out her blue and purple quilt. This was the source of her powers. Without it, she knew she wouldn’t stand a chance against the obstacles that were ahead. Callie carefully wrapped the corners around her neck and donned the quilt as a cape. She could almost feel it blowing in the wind behind her, making her see herself as the superhero she knew she was. To be safe, she double-knotted her shoelaces before taking off running.

Her first obstacle was simple – conquer the Slippery Steps. The water had frozen over the concrete stairs, making her climb slightly more difficult than it was in warmer months. Luckily, the sun was doing her favors. It looked like a large patch was melting which left her staring at a large puddle. She giggled and pulled the quilt off, throwing it over the puddle so she could avoid soaking her shoes. Grabbing hold of the handrail, Callie made her way to the top of the steps, making sure to stop for her makeshift cape after using it as a bridge.

She paused for a moment to retie the knot of her quilt before making her way to the second obstacle: the Balancing Bridge.

Callie, without hesitation, climbed onto the rail. She’d crossed this part of the skatepark many times, but the slickness of the metal was going to prove this trial to be more difficult. She made sure her feet were stable before standing up, arms out to her sides.

Step by step, Callie walked across the Balancing Bridge. She imagined herself walking along a tightrope connecting two buildings together when, in reality, she was maybe a foot off the ground. Despite that, she was careful about where she placed her feet. Too far forward and she could slip. Not far enough and she’d be wasting time getting to Todd. Slowly, she made her way across and jumped to the ground on the other side. She sat on the concrete, wiped her shoes on her quilt to make sure the water wouldn’t make her slip later, and continued her journey.

The Big Bowl would test all of her powers. She needed to slide down one side of the bowl, run across the bottom, and climb back up the other side. Just across the hole, she could see Todd sitting on his cold pedestal, beginning to lean to one side as the snow melted beneath him.

“Don’t worry Todd! I’m almost there!” She called out to him. She could see the worry on her stuffed frog’s face.

“Is that our cue?” Nick asked. He and his friends stood along the left edge of the bowl, skateboards under their feet. Cassie giggled and nodded, watching as he and his friends soared down and into the Big Bowl. They circled back and forth, blocking her path. Callie closed her eyes and felt the power of the quilt on her back. It warmed her from the cold air and she imagined feeling a surge of strength coming from it. When she opened her eyes, she was ready.

She knew her brother and his friends wouldn’t hit her. Callie always took the same course in the Big Bowl – they had rehearsed this rescue scene plenty of times. So, she slid down the side of the bowl, using her quilt as a sled. Once she hit the bottom, she scrambled to her feet.

Crossing the middle took a lot of skill and intelligence. Callie had to wait until all of the boys were along the edges of the bowl. That would give her enough time to cross. She looked around, watching her brother near the rim of the bowl. His friends were doing the same. She smiled and took off across the middle. The path was clear to the other side.

Nick cheered for her, clapping his hands together as she reached the upward slope. She pulled the quilt in front of her, wiped her hands and shoes on the blanket to make sure she was dry and began scaling the wall. It had taken a lot of practice and guidance from Nick, but Callie had learned how to climb the wall without sliding down to the bottom.

She watched as Todd began slipping from his seat just as she reached the top of the bowl. She jumped toward him, imagining she was soaring through the air to catch him as he fell, and grabbed hold of the frog just before he hit the ground.

“I got you! You’re safe now!” She said with a wide smile. Nick skated up the wall and landed next to her, holding out a hand for a high-five.

“Congratulations Captain Callie. You saved him again.” He crouched down to her level and said, “What do we say to Steven and Dan?”

“Thank you for playing with me!”