“I’m here!”
“I hear you! Weston, I hear her! Come Quick! I hear her!”
Turning in a circle, I look everywhere at once, realizing I just spoke to Mickie, another human I thought I might never see again.
“Sabrina, where are you!?” Mickie shouts down to me. “Answer me! Weston is coming!”
“I’m here. Down here. I’m beneath a stone and metal floor of some sort!” I move to each of the cracks, searching for sight of him but being unable to see him, I scan for something I can climb to the ceiling and break a hole big enough for me to climb through.
“Don’t move—we’re coming down for you!”
Finding nothing for me to climb, only a couple ofpartially broken plastic crates that won’t hold up my weight and a bunch of useless small pieces of tech like the orbs, I pace, wondering about Darolus.
I was just thinking about staying and about taking my time to be here with him while I learn how to survive in this world. I was going to convince him to let me above ground, to teach me the area and how to survive here… because that’s what survivors do, they keep learning and adapting to every new environment they’re thrown into.
I want to survive this and still be Darolus’s friend…My heart starts pounding for an entirely different reason.
“We’re going to try climbing down!” Mickie calls down. “Weston went back to the ship to grab the wrench and some rope. Hold on! It’s going to take some time!”
Knowing the day is darker than usual and darkening further now that it’s getting closer to the evening, another thought hits me.
What if Darolus comes across my crewmates and they attack him, or vice versa? What if he finds them down here or me climbing out?
“Fuck,” I curse under my breath. Running down the stairs, I quickly gather my things and head back up, except as I do, my gaze falters on the water.
There’s another way out.
I can swim and meet them outside, leave on the ship… and not be here when he returns.
My foot catches and I falter again, pushing out the emotions that want to rise up and stop me. But with so little time to decide and my crewmates already coming down, I don’t know what to do except react to the opportunity.
I climb the stairs two at a time, and stop under the biggest break in the ceiling. “Tell Weston to stop! There’sanother way down in the building next door. It’s going to take too long this way and it’s dangerous!”
“Another way? Are you sure?”
I hesitate, wondering whether to tell them about Darolus and if I can brave the water or not. I shudder and shake off my fear knowing it’s now or never. If I don’t go now, I may never have a chance again. Darolus could come back at any moment and if he does, he might block off the path through the water and my only option of escape. If that happens, I may really be down here waiting for him forever.
Because there’s a real chance of that happening and I can’t take that risk, as much as I don’t want to say goodbye. I take in a deep, steadying breath, making a hard decision.
“Yes! I’ll meet you over there, and try to find me. I’ll have to swim to get to the other side, so you better be there to pull me out.”
“Copy that! Good luck. We’re heading over now.”
I hurry back down the stairs and make sure I have everything I need in my bag. Looking around quickly, I avoid the nest completely, refusing to let myself focus on it, knowing I’ll pull one of Darolus’s hides to my nose and breathe him in. As much as I yearn to do so, to take one last sniff and have that comfort brought with me for this next part, I don’t.
Instead, I reach up and find the necklace with the black rock he gave me and give it a squeeze.
If I linger too long, I might stay and take my chances. I know I can convince him to give me freedom eventually, right?
Grabbing one of the smaller hides anyway, I stuff it in my bag and throw it over my shoulder, heading to the edge of thepool.
The water is dark, shadowy, and hard to see to the bottom.
I glance behind me as a tremble courses through me, saying a final farewell and hoping for all the luck in the universe. Of course today is the day there would be clouds in the sky to block out the light source of the sun, right at the time I need it most.
Moving to the edge of the pool, I stare down into its gloomy depths.
I can do this.
