“I don’t like you right now,” I said to Richard between gasps. A lady coming down the hill had just looked at me sympathetically, saying, “it’s not much further dear,” dispelling my notion that I was only suffering on the inside.

“Why?” He asked.

I gave him the death glare. Not my best work with all the wheezing, but it got the message across.

“I thought you’d be happy this way is quicker,” he said with much less sympathy than the stranger I’d just seen.

Funny thing, the quicker way up a hill is also the most vertical.

“Come on, the view will be worth it,” he declared as he skipped ahead.

I grumbled my way up the last few metres but I had to grudgingly admit the view was spectacular. Once I’d caught my breath I even voluntarily climbed up the tower staircase.

I was feeling quite proud of myself as we made our way down, even though my legs shook with every step. Then I saw something that made my blood run cold.

A dude was jogging up the steep path.

Bleep.