Page 444 of Coal Hearts

We made a wet, slow procession through the small cave.

I bumped my toes multiple times, my heart pounded from carrying my share of a person.

Finally, we stopped outside the small chasm.

Peering inside, I willed the light to get brighter.

It didn’t.

It was just enough to see how hard this journey would be.

It veered up steeply, mimicking the longest tunnel I’d ever seen.

But...it was dry.

“It’s narrow to start with, but I think it widens.”

Rachel squished closer. “We can make it. We don’t have a choice.”

Mollie pressed her cheek to mine, looking at our unfortunate climb.

She sighed, but then...

...the faintest breeze.

A lick of cool.

A kiss of freshness.

I gasped on a sob.

Not dank and cave stagnant.

But alive.

Bracken and soil and trees.

We glanced at each other.

Without a word, we wriggled into the crack.

I went first and dragged Peter with me.

They went second and pushed.

Together, we inched our way into the light.

* * * * *

I’d endured some horrible things since Henri targeted me and brought me here.

I’d had to dig deep to stay sane and draw from strength I didn’t know I had.

But that journey...good God, it was hard.

Time lost all meaning as we climbed and crawled, tugged and dragged each other up and up and up. At one point, it felt as if we traversed a ladder made of rock and pebbles. The next we were in a chute made of stone.

Everything hurt.