From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent

Chapter 237

After a vigorous hour–long hike, Annie and Sarah finally crested the hilltop.

They’d picked up some candles at a quaint little shop along the way and dropped a couple of coins into the donation box before heading into the chapel to offer a heartfelt prayer, their foreheads softly touching the ground in reverence. Once their spiritual moment was complete, they stepped back outside into the hustle and bustle of the fair.

The first of the month always saw the area around the Chapel come alive with vendors of all sorts.

Food and fun. Everything your heart could desire.

“Annie, check out the ring toss over there!” Sarah pointed excitedly towards a crowd a short distance away.

Annie nodded in agreement.

Ten bucks got you twenty rings, and whatever you hooked, you kept.

But with the prizes set at a challenging distance, many had dropped a pretty penny only to walk away empty–handed.

Undeterred, Sarah bought twenty rings and handed half to Annie.

Annie raised an eyebrow with a playful smirk, “With all these rings, if we hook everything, how on earth are we going to carry our loot back down?”

The booth owner, overhearing her, chuckled and said, “Now, that’s some confidence! Tell you what, if you manage to hook every single prize, III personally help you carry them down the hill.”

“Gentlemen’s agreement?” Annie asked, her eyes sparkling with challenge.

“Can’t back out of it now!” The owner exclaimed with a grin. His livelihood had been built on this ring toss game over the last twenty years, and the best he’d ever seen was someone hooking half the prizes with twenty rings. He was pretty sure this sprightly young thing, who looked to be no older than eighteen, didn’t stand a chance.

Annie smiled, “With your word on it, I’m all in. Could you pass me another forty rings, please?”

After all, with the owner’s offer to help carry the prizes down, she wasn’t worried about the logistics.

replied, handing over another

you sure you’re that good?*

said confidently, without

decided to give it a go first. She threw a

hooked nothing.

picked up the ring,

She tried again.

Still nothing.

fourth attempts, with the same result, Sarah let out a sigh

far, so why was it

looked at Annie, “Your turn, miss. Give

glanced up, “Keep your eyes peeled, don’t blink.”

a ring, and

up in excitement, “That

was

on the first try? Must be

a sec, sir. It’ll be too much hassle to collect them one by one. Let me finish, and then you can pick them all

see if this young

“Which ones do you

still in shock, managed to point out,

“Anything else?”

was momentarily

1/2

09:57

Chapter 237

don’t I just hook ten in one go? Doing it one

Sarah swallowed hard.