The Zone: A Short Story

On the uneven bars, it's easy to miss. Reaching out for the bar too late, flipping too fast or too slow, a grip not fully secured-there are a thousand ways for a routine to go wrong, and only one way for it to go right. And not only that, everyone's watching, holding their breath. Are you feeling the pressure yet? Step onto the mat and look toward the sky as Aubrey-all of thirteen years old-soars, twists, and flips through the air. One wrong move, one little slip.and it's all over. But even with every eye in the gym trained on her, waiting to see if she can complete her routine successfully-or not-Aubrey isn't nervous, though anyone else surely would be. Why? Because she's in The Zone, and The Zone will get her through. Chalk up.
It's showtime.