It could be a lot better...it will be, I promise, but my brother gave me a cold so I'm kind've zoned out. Still thinking OTH, though...lol ..I'll clean up mistakes later.
Chapter.10
"Lucas!"
Shards of rock rained about them. Larger chunks of stone bounced off the stone floor like deadly hail. It reminded Lucas of a scene from an action film. Something inside of him kept repeating, no, this isn't real. This can't be happening to me.
Yet the warmth of Peyton's body, pressed close, reaffirmed the fact: they were caught in a landslide and the walls were falling around them. He felt Peyton's arms tighten about his neck, swallowed fear itself.
They couldn't hear one another in the crashing, booming echos of destruction. Amazingly, Peyton still clutched her flashlight in one hand. Pebble sized rocks ricocheted away from it with high pitched tones.
Then the floor began to tilt. Lucas scrabbled at the ledge, trying to find a hold, stop them from being slid into the open. Peyton caught Lucas's wrist.His precarious grip slipped, he grabbed at the stone, desperately trying to hold them both under the haven of safety.
Another grating shift...and his hand fell away, clutching open air.[]
"What was that?"
Nathan rose on shaky legs, offered a hand to Haley. She shook him off, clambered to her knees and raised a white face to the shadows above.
"We're becoming entombed in this awful place."
"There's got to be something we can do!"
"Send up a flare?"
Nathan cast her a look of pure irritation, tempered by a growing admiration at her seeming fearlessness.
"I think rescue parties are screaming out here. At least, with your dad around, we don't have to worry about getting forgotten."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Haley's answer was devoid of any bitterness. "I come from a large family. And I love them dearly. But...being an only child has it's advantages."
"Only child?" Nathan smirked. "I wish."
"Finally admitting to blood relations, are we?"
"No. If Lucas wasn't around, our lives would be a lot simpler."
Haley rummaged through the scattered pack. "I think you mean your life would be a lot simpler."
"No. I didn't."
"Nathan-"
"No, Haley. Think about it. We're trapped here. Alone. Together. You came in here today with Lucas, not me. "
Haley rose, brushing the dirt off her knees.
"I left Lucas because you were about to give away our secret."
"I needed to talk to you."
"You led me down here and Lucas..." she let the sentence die.
Nathan shrugged .""We're the ones you should be concerned about. No one else was in the tunnel. You know that."
"Ya." She pushed her hair back and nodded."If there's one thing I learned growing up...nothing is black and white."[]
"Peyton?"
Lucas rubbed a dusty hand across his eyes, shirt bunched over his mouth. The thick, swirling grit choking. It seemed quiet. The ground had stopped shaking. A slab shifted inches away.
"Peyton?"
Lucas tried to move, but found out he couldn't budge. The rain of stone splinters was up to his waist, pinning him down. "Peyton!"
"I-I'm over here." He made out a lighter form against the dark back drop of the cave.
"Are you okay?" His voice was ragged with relief.
"I'm stuck."
"So'm I." He strained, but he had nothing to use as leverage. The pebbles shifted under his hands.
"Are we going to die?"
"No, no we're not. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"It's hard to breath."
"I know. Hold your arm over your mouth."
"I am."
Lucas sighed. "You should never have followed me."
"Nathan came down here. And- I couldn't just leave him. Even if he is a jerk."
"I know. I hope Haley's safe." The words were feeble, lame. He swallowed hard, held tight to the belief that she was okay. She had to be. She just had to.
"There's a cavern at the end of this, isn't there? Or-there used to be."
"Yes. We must be pretty close."
"Lucas. I know what you're thinking. And don't worry about it. It isn't true."
He remained silent. She heard his breathing-it was quick, shallow.
"How deep are you?"
"About-oh, I don't know."
"Maybe if I could get free, I could dig you out. I think the cave is higher over here. I'm only in to my knees."
"Peyton, be careful. There could be something hung up, if we cause a lot of disturbance..."
"I'll be careful." She didn't like the tone of his voice. And she had the feeling it had something to do with Nathan and Haley.[]
"Good thing you packed all this food."
"Lucas's mom wanted to make sure we were well stocked."
Haley picked at her sandwich. Their shadows, strangely distorted, were magnified on the walls behind them. "We should probably save the batteries."
Nathan reached out and switched the flashlight off.[]
"Lucas?"
"Hm?"
"What is that?"
Peyton froze. She heard his breathing stop.
"Bats."
"Bats?"
He couldn't help but notice the small shudder in her voice.
"They can't hurt you."
"I know."[]
"Hey!"
Lucas blinked up into the darkness. He must have drifted off...Peyton was tugging at his shirt . "There's a way out!"
"Peyton- be careful!"
"I am. But I can fit my head and shoulders through."
Her voice grew faint. "Oh my gosh-hello! Hey! Can anybody here me? Hello?"
Lucas shifted restlessly. It was hard to breathe, to think clearly with the pressure forcing him down. He wondered if Peyton was losing it...
A spatter of pebbles hit him.
"Peyton?"
Maybe there was somebody there. Freedom on the other side-
"Okay. Okay. Easy- Peyton, stay here. I'm going down."
Nathan's voice. Lucas rolled his eyes in the dark. "Great."
"Hello?"
Lucas swallowed his pride. Something he'd had a lot of practice with, lately.
"I'm over here."
"Hold on."
Lucas heard his brother land beside him.
"Where are you?"
"This way."
Pebbles moved, rose against his chest. Lucas kept his instinctive urge to panic at bay. He felt Nathan's hands on his shoulder.
"Whoah. You really did it this time."
Lucas didn't feel that comment deserved a reply.
"Give me your hands. I'm going to try and brace myself on this rock-pull you out."
"I don't know..."
"We can try it, can't we?" Nathan's voice was sharp. "Give me your stupid hands."
Lucas shook his head, mentally preparing himself. Ignored the attitude. "Okay."
Nathan caught his hands...it felt strange, touching his brother...he almost pulled away.
"Okay. On three."
They heaved together; Nathan finally called a halt, gasping for air in the smothering closeness of the stone prison.
"Are you holding up?"
Lucas coughed. "Yes."
"Then let's try this again." In the distance, a deep rumble drew attention to the fact that the tunnel was completely unstable. It could collapse at any time.
"Again!"
Nathan felt like his muscles were going to tear. He strained, sweat making him lose his grip.
Lucas collapsed, as far as he was able. The blood pounded in his temples, he drew in deep gasps of air. "I'm not getting out."
"Yes, you are." Nathan wiped his forehead and tried to think.
Above them, a chunk of rock broke free and slammed into the broken ledge. Lucas tried to shield himself from flying splinters.
Nathan swore softly.
"You should get out of here." Lucas's voice was surprisingly calm.
"Believe me, it's occurred to me."
They were both silent, listening to the rapid pulse in their ears, each other's thoughts.
"I'm going to try digging you out. The cave is a little lower over here."
Lucas helped, but it seemed an endless task. Every time they made a small indent, more stones filled it up.
"You didn't happen to pack a shovel?"
Lucas paused. "No."
"Seems like your mom packed everything else in that bag."
"She looks out for me." Lucas's reply was clipped.
Nathan opened his mouth to respond, but his comment was drowned out by shrill screams. Lucas glanced up toward the exit, but his attention was diverted...
The earth was shaking again.
Lucas covered his head with his arms, felt the sting of razor sharp rock chips.
Nathan fell back against him, just missing the largest fragment. It rolled to a stop in front of them, sending up a wave of smaller debris.[]
Chapter.10
"Lucas!"
Shards of rock rained about them. Larger chunks of stone bounced off the stone floor like deadly hail. It reminded Lucas of a scene from an action film. Something inside of him kept repeating, no, this isn't real. This can't be happening to me.
Yet the warmth of Peyton's body, pressed close, reaffirmed the fact: they were caught in a landslide and the walls were falling around them. He felt Peyton's arms tighten about his neck, swallowed fear itself.
They couldn't hear one another in the crashing, booming echos of destruction. Amazingly, Peyton still clutched her flashlight in one hand. Pebble sized rocks ricocheted away from it with high pitched tones.
Then the floor began to tilt. Lucas scrabbled at the ledge, trying to find a hold, stop them from being slid into the open. Peyton caught Lucas's wrist.His precarious grip slipped, he grabbed at the stone, desperately trying to hold them both under the haven of safety.
Another grating shift...and his hand fell away, clutching open air.[]
"What was that?"
Nathan rose on shaky legs, offered a hand to Haley. She shook him off, clambered to her knees and raised a white face to the shadows above.
"We're becoming entombed in this awful place."
"There's got to be something we can do!"
"Send up a flare?"
Nathan cast her a look of pure irritation, tempered by a growing admiration at her seeming fearlessness.
"I think rescue parties are screaming out here. At least, with your dad around, we don't have to worry about getting forgotten."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Haley's answer was devoid of any bitterness. "I come from a large family. And I love them dearly. But...being an only child has it's advantages."
"Only child?" Nathan smirked. "I wish."
"Finally admitting to blood relations, are we?"
"No. If Lucas wasn't around, our lives would be a lot simpler."
Haley rummaged through the scattered pack. "I think you mean your life would be a lot simpler."
"No. I didn't."
"Nathan-"
"No, Haley. Think about it. We're trapped here. Alone. Together. You came in here today with Lucas, not me. "
Haley rose, brushing the dirt off her knees.
"I left Lucas because you were about to give away our secret."
"I needed to talk to you."
"You led me down here and Lucas..." she let the sentence die.
Nathan shrugged .""We're the ones you should be concerned about. No one else was in the tunnel. You know that."
"Ya." She pushed her hair back and nodded."If there's one thing I learned growing up...nothing is black and white."[]
"Peyton?"
Lucas rubbed a dusty hand across his eyes, shirt bunched over his mouth. The thick, swirling grit choking. It seemed quiet. The ground had stopped shaking. A slab shifted inches away.
"Peyton?"
Lucas tried to move, but found out he couldn't budge. The rain of stone splinters was up to his waist, pinning him down. "Peyton!"
"I-I'm over here." He made out a lighter form against the dark back drop of the cave.
"Are you okay?" His voice was ragged with relief.
"I'm stuck."
"So'm I." He strained, but he had nothing to use as leverage. The pebbles shifted under his hands.
"Are we going to die?"
"No, no we're not. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"It's hard to breath."
"I know. Hold your arm over your mouth."
"I am."
Lucas sighed. "You should never have followed me."
"Nathan came down here. And- I couldn't just leave him. Even if he is a jerk."
"I know. I hope Haley's safe." The words were feeble, lame. He swallowed hard, held tight to the belief that she was okay. She had to be. She just had to.
"There's a cavern at the end of this, isn't there? Or-there used to be."
"Yes. We must be pretty close."
"Lucas. I know what you're thinking. And don't worry about it. It isn't true."
He remained silent. She heard his breathing-it was quick, shallow.
"How deep are you?"
"About-oh, I don't know."
"Maybe if I could get free, I could dig you out. I think the cave is higher over here. I'm only in to my knees."
"Peyton, be careful. There could be something hung up, if we cause a lot of disturbance..."
"I'll be careful." She didn't like the tone of his voice. And she had the feeling it had something to do with Nathan and Haley.[]
"Good thing you packed all this food."
"Lucas's mom wanted to make sure we were well stocked."
Haley picked at her sandwich. Their shadows, strangely distorted, were magnified on the walls behind them. "We should probably save the batteries."
Nathan reached out and switched the flashlight off.[]
"Lucas?"
"Hm?"
"What is that?"
Peyton froze. She heard his breathing stop.
"Bats."
"Bats?"
He couldn't help but notice the small shudder in her voice.
"They can't hurt you."
"I know."[]
"Hey!"
Lucas blinked up into the darkness. He must have drifted off...Peyton was tugging at his shirt . "There's a way out!"
"Peyton- be careful!"
"I am. But I can fit my head and shoulders through."
Her voice grew faint. "Oh my gosh-hello! Hey! Can anybody here me? Hello?"
Lucas shifted restlessly. It was hard to breathe, to think clearly with the pressure forcing him down. He wondered if Peyton was losing it...
A spatter of pebbles hit him.
"Peyton?"
Maybe there was somebody there. Freedom on the other side-
"Okay. Okay. Easy- Peyton, stay here. I'm going down."
Nathan's voice. Lucas rolled his eyes in the dark. "Great."
"Hello?"
Lucas swallowed his pride. Something he'd had a lot of practice with, lately.
"I'm over here."
"Hold on."
Lucas heard his brother land beside him.
"Where are you?"
"This way."
Pebbles moved, rose against his chest. Lucas kept his instinctive urge to panic at bay. He felt Nathan's hands on his shoulder.
"Whoah. You really did it this time."
Lucas didn't feel that comment deserved a reply.
"Give me your hands. I'm going to try and brace myself on this rock-pull you out."
"I don't know..."
"We can try it, can't we?" Nathan's voice was sharp. "Give me your stupid hands."
Lucas shook his head, mentally preparing himself. Ignored the attitude. "Okay."
Nathan caught his hands...it felt strange, touching his brother...he almost pulled away.
"Okay. On three."
They heaved together; Nathan finally called a halt, gasping for air in the smothering closeness of the stone prison.
"Are you holding up?"
Lucas coughed. "Yes."
"Then let's try this again." In the distance, a deep rumble drew attention to the fact that the tunnel was completely unstable. It could collapse at any time.
"Again!"
Nathan felt like his muscles were going to tear. He strained, sweat making him lose his grip.
Lucas collapsed, as far as he was able. The blood pounded in his temples, he drew in deep gasps of air. "I'm not getting out."
"Yes, you are." Nathan wiped his forehead and tried to think.
Above them, a chunk of rock broke free and slammed into the broken ledge. Lucas tried to shield himself from flying splinters.
Nathan swore softly.
"You should get out of here." Lucas's voice was surprisingly calm.
"Believe me, it's occurred to me."
They were both silent, listening to the rapid pulse in their ears, each other's thoughts.
"I'm going to try digging you out. The cave is a little lower over here."
Lucas helped, but it seemed an endless task. Every time they made a small indent, more stones filled it up.
"You didn't happen to pack a shovel?"
Lucas paused. "No."
"Seems like your mom packed everything else in that bag."
"She looks out for me." Lucas's reply was clipped.
Nathan opened his mouth to respond, but his comment was drowned out by shrill screams. Lucas glanced up toward the exit, but his attention was diverted...
The earth was shaking again.
Lucas covered his head with his arms, felt the sting of razor sharp rock chips.
Nathan fell back against him, just missing the largest fragment. It rolled to a stop in front of them, sending up a wave of smaller debris.[]
