“I want Mommy,” she whimpers, her words turning into a gut-wrenching sob.
“I know.” My eyes flood with tears. “I’m gonna take you to her, okay? We just have to get you out of this hole first. Can you stand up?”
Harley sniffs, wiping the back of her hand across her cheek and slowly unfurling herself.
I lean back to call into the forest. “They’re here! I found them!” I shout it as loud as I can, hoping my voice will carry.
Pulling out my phone, I doubt it has reception… and yep, I’m right.
“They’re here!” I shout again before lying on the ground and stretching my arm down into the hole. “Reach for me, sweetie. You can do it.”
Harley gives me a doubtful frown, but I wiggle my fingers at her.
“I’ll pull you up, okay?”
She sniffs, her chin bunching as she stretches up. I shuffle forward a little more, then whip a look back over my shoulder. “Kendall, you stay there, okay? I don’t want you falling in too.”
Nodding, she inches back, sitting down beside my leg.
“Good girl.” I smile at her, then turn back to Harley.
“I can’t,” she whimpers.
“Yes, you can.” I strain my arm down even farther. “We can do this together, okay?”
I try to keep my voice light and ignore the panic riding through me. Her teeth are chattering, her skinny body quaking as she tries to reach for me.
“It’s too far.”
“You can do it. Reach for me, sweetie. Come on.”
With a strained grunt, she does a little jump, and I manage to snag her fingers, then wrap mine around her wrist.
“Good girl!” I praise her. “I’m gonna pull you up, okay?”
Using all my strength, I curl my bicep and start to drag her out of this hole.
Please, body. Help me out.
It’s a tough ask at this awkward angle, but I tug and strain.
“That’s it. That’s it,” I encourage Harley. “Walk up the edge. You can do it!”
Harley tries but then slips, my body tensing as I catch her weight and continue to draw her out of this damn hole.
“Almost there, almost there.” I’m not sure if I’m talking to myself or her right now.
My muscles are screaming at me to stop, but all I can hear in the back of my mind is“One more set. You can do it. Push, push, push.”
So I do.
I push, and I take that pain. I embrace the burning muscles that are threatening to quit until I can wrap my arm around this little girl’s waist and pull her up to safety.
“Harley!” Kendall shouts as I flop onto my ass, grabbing the trembling little blonde into my lap.
“You’re safe,” I whisper, kissing the top of her head and catching Kendall against my side when she launches herself at us. “You’re both safe.”
“Harley!” comes from our right, quick steps crashing through the brush until Carson appears, pale and out of breath. He must have been sprinting since he heard my shouts.
