Page 98 of Dawn of Hope
Trapped.
I need to get out of here.
I stagger to the front of the cave, just behind the falls. I try to look past it, but can see nothing except for the wall of water.
“I’m here,” I croak, my voice barely audible. No one is going to hear me. I need to be louder. I cough, hard, trying to wake up my voice so I can get help.
“I’m here! Hey! Help! I’m here!”
I have nothing else to make any noise, so I just keep yelling as loud as I can.
“Lennox? She’s here guys! I found her!”
Mara.
She slides behind the wall of water into the cave and wraps me in an enormous hug.
“I thought you were a goner. How did you get out of there?”
“I-I don’t know,” I stammer. Warnings sound in the back of my head, telling me not to say anything to anyone about the man who helped me.
Logic says I should. If this was one of the Castaways, which it most likely was, everyone needs to know. Dane needs to know.
I can’t help but listen to the small voice that says to keep it a secret.
He’d helped me, saved me even. He pulled me from the water as I was drowning and somehow brought me back to life.
He looked so relieved when he saw I was alright, and he pleaded with me to keep him a secret. Could I give him that?ShouldI give him that?
This is the one favor I would allow him. One for one. We are even after this. Next time I come across one of them, I won’t hesitate to fight or to bring down the wrath of everyone else on the right side of this island.
“You’re one lucky bitch,” Mara laughs as she slings her arm across my shoulders. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” She slides behind the waterfall again, and I follow, mimicking her exact moves and trying to keep away from the water as much as possible. The opening lets out to a pile of slick rocks between two falls with enough grip holds to climb up to the bridge.
Mara is already halfway up as I place my hands on the closest holds, hauling myself up the slippery rock behind her.
I focus on the rock, making sure I don’t lose my footing and slip back into the deadly pool below. When I reach the top, she sticks anarm down to help pull me up, back onto the rock bridge where I had started this whole excursion.
Storm stands beside her, crossbow at the ready and pointed at the water below.
“What is in there?” I ask, winded from making the climb and still recovering from almost drowning.
“Sirens,” Storm says gruffly.
“What are those?” I look between him and Mara, both their faces stoic.
“They are half fish, half people. They live in the lagoon,” Mara answers.
“Why are both of you okay, but I wasn’t?”
Or the man who saved me?
“Clearly you have fears,” Storm grunts.
Mara rolls her eyes just as Roley jogs up to join us.
“Everyone has fears, Storm.” He grunts in response, but Mara continues. “The sirens prey on your fears and make you feel happy. Am I correct to assume you were afraid of searching out here by the water?”
“Yes. I’d been dreading coming here all day.”