Orion makes sure my radio is securely attached and looks over my equipment while the others get in place, and then he helps me over the rock ledge and into the hole.
Once all my weight is on the ropes, I look up at Magnus. His gigantic form is clad all in black except for the pale skin around his eyes.
I can’t read his expression under the balaclava, and I don’t know if he agrees with Orion’s decision, but his presence is comforting. I don’t know him well, but I trust him.
“Radio if you need anything,” Orion says as I drop out of sight.
“I will,” I say, voice echoing around me.
I shine my flashlight below, but don’t see anything except more darkness.
I look up every so often to see how far I’ve gone since it’s hard to tell otherwise. The bright circle above gets smaller and smaller as I descend.
When Magnus is just a speck haloed by light, Orion comes through the radio, “How are you doing? Do you see anything?”
“I’m fine. I still can’t see the bottom,” I say.
There were a few scuffs on the stone walls where the dirt had recently been disturbed, along with some smears that might be blood. I’m hoping Silas only sustained minor injuries, but it’s such a long way down.
Orion checks in every so often, and I give the same report.
I’ve been in the dark for so long, it takes me a second to realize when the light reflects off something below.
I can’t make out much until I get closer, but eventually I see broken, splintered boards littering the bottom. They’re probably what was covering the hole until Silas broke through. The debris extends beyond what I can see, the edges disappearing past the circumference of the shaft.
Most importantly, I don’t see Silas.
I squint as I drop lower. There’s something below the boards, hay or maybe sawdust.
I hoped to spot Silas before radioing in, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.
“I’m close to the bottom. Slow my descent. I don’t see Silas yet, but there’s a cave or something down here and he’s out of sight from my current position,” I say.
“Got it. Let us know when you’re close to touching down,” Orion says.
I come out of the shaft about ten feet from the ground,dangling above a cavern. I swing my light back and forth, trying to make sense of the mess and find any sign of Silas.
Dust motes reflect in my beam, the air stale and dry.
“How close are you? Can you see him?” Orion asks.
“Not yet. I’m about five feet from touching down.”
I’ll be landing on an enormous pile of wood shavings. Now that I’m close enough, I’m sure that’s what it is. I can smell the pine scent, still potent even after however much time it's spent down here.
I don’t know why that’s here, maybe the hole was used as a trash pit, but it’s good news for Silas since it means he didn’t fall onto bare earth.
“Be ready to stop,” I say.
A groan answers me, and not from the radio.
“Silas? Can you hear me?” I ask loudly.
There’s more groaning and the wood shavings shift around.
“Do you see him? How is he?” Orion asks.
“I heard him, I don’t see him yet,” I say.
