Embark, a Humpbuckle Tale

A 50-word #ZapFic50 story inspired by the Freewriters writing @daily.prompt, "embark"
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I'm ready, I say. You smile. You've got this. I'm an adventurer, I reply. My hero, you say. I check pockets: alarm, keys, wallet, phone. Pint of milk, you remind me. I nod. I take a breath, open the door and step outside for the first time in a year.
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^{^{^{Thanks so much @victoradebiyiart for this brilliant image (I have full rights to use it). Please check out his other artwork at his page. And if you want to see how he created this image, check out this post}}}

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_{All my stories are my own, coming from my imagination. I do not (nor have I ever, nor will I ever) used any AI program to write my stories. I am personally against the use of AI to write (for me the whole point of writing is to use my own brain: that is the joy of writing for me). The screenshot is of a word counter app that I use when writing my stories to check that my Humpbuckle Tales are precisely 50 words long. I am human, #NOTaRobot}