Okay, here’s the thing – I am daring yet I have a minor fear of heights and a great fear of falling.

Last night, after a scary dream about a tornado hitting my home that made me shrink into my blanket, a shriek woke me up. It was the smoke alarm in the bedroom, shrieking at 4:30 in the morning, needing a battery change.

After that, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t sleep much anymore. The shrieking was seared into my brain. When I finally fell asleep again, I began to dream of changing the battery of the smoke alarm but again and again, the shrieking continued. After that dream, I no longer wanted to sleep. Besides, my mom was already up and stomping upstairs. 

After breakfast and all the preparation for school, I still had 30 minutes. The smoke alarm was still shrieking downstairs and I decided to have a tackle at the task of changing the battery. From the other bedroom, I brought the highest chair I could find and positioned it under the alarm. It wasn’t high enough to reach the alarm. Oh no, I thought, I’ll have to get the ladder from the garage.

The ladder was heavy but I managed and staring at the three steps up the ladder, I swallowed and grabbed on like my life was depending on it. One step, two step, three step, my head was inches from hitting the ceiling. With trembling hands, I turned the alarm and it came loose. Now, if I can find the place for the battery. 

A short time later, I found it and with a pounding heart, I jammed the battery into place as fast as I could and screw the alarm back into its place. Then, slowly, I climbed down and stared up at the alarm for a second. The room was once again quiet. Whew, that was daunting. Please don’t make me do it again.

Daily Prompt – Daring