listened. They
could hear the tap of the pickaxe in the distance, coming down the shaft.
“He’s ahead of us?” Roy asked. “Is that coming down the shaft
that’s the way out, or from this other one?”
“The other one,” Deem said. “Come on, let’s hurry. We should
be able to speed up now that we’re past all the rocks.”
Roy kept a sharp eye on Deem ahead of him as he picked up his
pace and tried to stay within the protective radiance of her lantern. He
listened for the sound of Tonnaquin behind him, and he thought he heard it once
or twice, but he didn’t dare turn around to look or stop to listen. Deem was
moving very quickly, and one pause would place him too far from the lantern and
subject to bites from the snakes closely following him.
They didn’t stop until Deem emerged into the opening with the
ladder. Roy followed, and took a moment to catch his breath. He turned around
to look back into the adit. The sunlight made it hard to see back into the
tunnel. Deem went straight for the ladder, climbing up rapidly. Roy followed,
going a little slower, rechecking each rung on his way up. The creatures that
followed them hadn’t entered this opening; he figured they must not like the
sunlight.
Deem extended an arm to him as he topped the ladder, and she
helped pull him out. Then she replaced the plywood covering.
“God, I hate that place,” she said, adjusting the plywood so
that it completely covered the hole. “So fucking boring!” She looked up at Roy
and shot him a quick smile.
Roy laughed. She’s alright, he thought.
◊
Winn lay on the other bed in Steven’s room, the one not used
by Jason. He adjusted himself a few times until he felt comfortable.
“If he agrees to leave,” Winn reminded them, “make sure you
tell him he has to go back and play along, not give them any indication he’s
planning to go. I’ll talk to him, too.”
“And if he says he won’t?” Steven asked.
“Then that’s that,” Winn said. “So do your best.”
“Alright,” Steven said, worried.
“I’ll help,” Roy said, seeing Steven’s concern.
“Here I go,” Winn said. “It should take about ten minutes
before he comes back. If I come back before he does, that means I couldn’t get
him to even listen to you.”
Deem stepped over to Winn’s bed, holding a Big Gulp cup,
sipping from the straw. She placed the cup down on the nightstand next to the
bed. Winn closed his eyes, and after a few seconds Deem pressed the palm of her
left hand onto Winn’s chest and held it there. She watched as his eyes moved
under his eyelids, and after a couple of minutes she removed her hand and
picked the Big Gulp back up. She looked up at Steven and Roy, who were standing
at the foot of Jason’s bed. “He claims it helps him trance deeper for going
into St. Thomas,” she said. “Could be total bullshit and his way of getting me
to touch him.”
She walked around to where Steven and Roy were standing.
Steven checked his watch. It had been four minutes.
“You know what you’re going to say, if he comes?” Roy asked
Steven.
“Not sure exactly,” he said. “I’ll have to wing it.”
“Well, whatever you do,” Roy said, “don’t get all bossy like
you do. That’ll just piss him off and he’ll stop listening to you.”
“You’re one to talk,” Steven said.
“Maybe I should talk to him,” Roy said.
“You jump in if it looks like I’m failing,” Steven said. “I’d
like a chance to save my own son first, if you don’t mind.”
“You two always like this?” Deem asked, looking at them.
“He is,” Roy said, nodding at Steven. “I’m not.”
Deem turned back to look at Winn. He was motionless. She
walked up to him and checked his pulse, then she walked to Jason and checked
his.
Steven sighed and began to pace the room. After a couple of moments
he checked his watch again. Eight minutes in, two to go.
He walked to the side of Jason’s bed, looking down at him. What
a
could hear the tap of the pickaxe in the distance, coming down the shaft.
“He’s ahead of us?” Roy asked. “Is that coming down the shaft
that’s the way out, or from this other one?”
“The other one,” Deem said. “Come on, let’s hurry. We should
be able to speed up now that we’re past all the rocks.”
Roy kept a sharp eye on Deem ahead of him as he picked up his
pace and tried to stay within the protective radiance of her lantern. He
listened for the sound of Tonnaquin behind him, and he thought he heard it once
or twice, but he didn’t dare turn around to look or stop to listen. Deem was
moving very quickly, and one pause would place him too far from the lantern and
subject to bites from the snakes closely following him.
They didn’t stop until Deem emerged into the opening with the
ladder. Roy followed, and took a moment to catch his breath. He turned around
to look back into the adit. The sunlight made it hard to see back into the
tunnel. Deem went straight for the ladder, climbing up rapidly. Roy followed,
going a little slower, rechecking each rung on his way up. The creatures that
followed them hadn’t entered this opening; he figured they must not like the
sunlight.
Deem extended an arm to him as he topped the ladder, and she
helped pull him out. Then she replaced the plywood covering.
“God, I hate that place,” she said, adjusting the plywood so
that it completely covered the hole. “So fucking boring!” She looked up at Roy
and shot him a quick smile.
Roy laughed. She’s alright, he thought.
◊
Winn lay on the other bed in Steven’s room, the one not used
by Jason. He adjusted himself a few times until he felt comfortable.
“If he agrees to leave,” Winn reminded them, “make sure you
tell him he has to go back and play along, not give them any indication he’s
planning to go. I’ll talk to him, too.”
“And if he says he won’t?” Steven asked.
“Then that’s that,” Winn said. “So do your best.”
“Alright,” Steven said, worried.
“I’ll help,” Roy said, seeing Steven’s concern.
“Here I go,” Winn said. “It should take about ten minutes
before he comes back. If I come back before he does, that means I couldn’t get
him to even listen to you.”
Deem stepped over to Winn’s bed, holding a Big Gulp cup,
sipping from the straw. She placed the cup down on the nightstand next to the
bed. Winn closed his eyes, and after a few seconds Deem pressed the palm of her
left hand onto Winn’s chest and held it there. She watched as his eyes moved
under his eyelids, and after a couple of minutes she removed her hand and
picked the Big Gulp back up. She looked up at Steven and Roy, who were standing
at the foot of Jason’s bed. “He claims it helps him trance deeper for going
into St. Thomas,” she said. “Could be total bullshit and his way of getting me
to touch him.”
She walked around to where Steven and Roy were standing.
Steven checked his watch. It had been four minutes.
“You know what you’re going to say, if he comes?” Roy asked
Steven.
“Not sure exactly,” he said. “I’ll have to wing it.”
“Well, whatever you do,” Roy said, “don’t get all bossy like
you do. That’ll just piss him off and he’ll stop listening to you.”
“You’re one to talk,” Steven said.
“Maybe I should talk to him,” Roy said.
“You jump in if it looks like I’m failing,” Steven said. “I’d
like a chance to save my own son first, if you don’t mind.”
“You two always like this?” Deem asked, looking at them.
“He is,” Roy said, nodding at Steven. “I’m not.”
Deem turned back to look at Winn. He was motionless. She
walked up to him and checked his pulse, then she walked to Jason and checked
his.
Steven sighed and began to pace the room. After a couple of moments
he checked his watch again. Eight minutes in, two to go.
He walked to the side of Jason’s bed, looking down at him. What
a
Similar Books
