Thankyou, everyone, for all the encouragment! Promise next chapter will be longer and deal with the girls.
Chapter.13
His arms were sore, hands roughened from endless contact with stone, stinging in the raw places. His clothes...a veritable Robinson Crusoe...
The thought almost brought a smile to his lips.
"Robinson Crusoe, eh?," Keith would say.
And if Lucas laughed, he'd laugh with him.
But if he looked downcast , he'd clap him on the shoulder and say,"That's okay. You can be whoever you want to be. Your life is for you to map out, you alone."
Lucas paused in the dark, felt a familiar burning sensation behind his eyes...
How could two brothers be more different?
He slammed his knee into an outcrop of rock, banged the wall with his fist. Every time he started thinking about Dan, something happened.
He had to learn to control it. Not let Dan 'get inside his head.'
The pain in Lucas's leg brought him back to reality.
No light. No food. Haley's sweatshirt the only whole piece of clothing on him.
Keith, Peyton, Hales. They were probably all rescued by now, safe in the hands of capable emergency workers. And worried about him.
But a little nagging voice, that physically ill feeling in the pit of your stomach, told him not to give up.
Lucas was relieved the cave had finally settled down. The thought of becoming trapped down here still brought sweat to his forehead, but the freezing panic was gone.
He pictured, in his mind, images of September Eleventh...the day a part of his world had changed. So many changes, large and small, here and there. And, add them all up, pluses, negatives, and you had a life.
The clarity of his thoughts was amazing. Silent, unmuddied, unprejudiced.
He felt his way through the bleak emptiness of the tunnels, brushing up against the cold, remembering...
His first taste of orange juice. Chilled, frothy,orange. A peculiar cobweb cleaner in the wee hours of morning.
Brushing his fingers against smooth, ivory keys- the mellow tones of a piano. His mom, playing...
The way people smiled at you when you made them proud, like making that first basket.
It's what he really missed most, around Dan. That look, that 'I'm proud of you' glance. It's things like that that let a person feel worth while.
The ground began slanting downhill. He cautiously followed the descent, not sure of what lay ahead. Not sure of anything, anymore. Except that he was thirsty, and very, very tired.
It might be a good thing to call out, just in case somebody was close by. Funny, being alone, in the dark, made one unconsciously tend to breathe more quietly, straining for welcome sounds in the hushed atmosphere of the underground.
"Hello!"
The cave caught his shout, threw it back at him, again and again.
Echoing.
"Peyton?"
Funny, it was her name that kept coming, unbidden, to his lips.
"Haley? Keith!"
"Lucas!"
Wondering if he'd imagined that cry. Turning slowly around...
Footsteps thudded off the hard floor.
"Lucas?"
Shocked realization.
"Nathan?"
"Wait up."
Lucas imagined him, hands on his knees, bent over, gasping for air.
"I didn't think I'd find you."
"Tunnel hasn't branched off."
"The girls aren't out. I couldn't leave them. He could."
Lucas swallowed. A tiny part, hoping that Nathan had come back partially because of him.
Realizing what a fool he was. Scott's seemed eternally ready to deliver a slap in the face.
"Dan just let you walk back in here?"
Nathan cleared his throat. "That's none of your business."
Lucas shook his head, an unseen gesture.
"It's okay. You think he runs my life or something?"
"You don't need to explain yourself to me." Lucas pushed on ahead, anxious to leave the subject behind.
"I sure as heck don't."
"Listen." Lucas focused on his brother's vague shape. "I don't want to argue. I'm here to find people who may be hurt, who are depending on us. Forget about Dan. He's not worth it."
"No, you're wrong."
"Oh. And you can say that, with a clear conscious? Nathan, loyalty has boundaries, too."
"And those are?"
"When it becomes a wedge between someone and the entire outside world. If you didn't let him make all your decisions for you then maybe you wouldn't have time for all this crap."
"You don't know anything about it. Since when have you ever been in our lives? My dad, the team, at school-you're just an outsider. You don't fit in. Why do you even bother?"
Lucas quickened his pace, heard Nathan run to catch up.
"And Peyton. Just give it up."
"I think she broke up with you."
"Like it's the first time? Peyton's that way. We always get back together."
"Maybe."
"Maybe? You hardly know her. I've been with her for years."
"That's my point."
"You know what? I-"
Lucas caught his sleeve. "Hear that?"
"Maybe it's the girls! Peyton? Haley!"
"Nathan, wait a minute! Nathan, slow down!"
"Peyton? Pey-ah!"
"Nathan! Where are you?"
Cooler air. Twisting, like fingers, through strained clothing. Pressing him back.
Lucas held up a hand, stumbled toward the source.
Light. Dim light, growing brighter each clumsy footstep.
The ground broken, uneven. Tripping on something...a vine. Vine?
Sand, scattered over everything, in the wind. Blinding him. Ocean smell.
They'd found the way out!
Lucas laughed, followed the curve of the tunnel toward freedom-
And his feet jerked out from under him.
Sand scoured, treacherously slippery rock. There was nothing to grab hold of, smooth stone. His fingers clutched at the walls, missed.
Then everything fell away, he was hurtling down...enveloped in space...
"Ah!"
A gnarled vine, thicker than his wrist. Climbing, snaking it's way up the steep cavern surface. Lucas landed over it, started to slide off, hooked his arm around it.
It snapped taut. Then held.
Looking down. Trying to find a foothold. Nothing. Empty, tree pocked beach. Waves, thundering against house sized boulders. The spray crashed into them, sent up an arc of foam that hid all that lay beneath.
The weight of his body, digging into his arms.
Nathan's voice.
Lucas manged to turn his head, met Nathan's terror stricken gaze.
"I can't-hold-on-" he was suspended, supported by a
tentative hold, fistfuls of scrawny, cliff side shrubbery.
"Do it, Nathan! Hold on! Don't let go!"
"It's-breaking-"
Lucas felt dirt as it trickled down from the greenery. "Oh, crap!"
The lashing gusts of wind sent the vine to swaying.
Something ripped loose-Haley's sweatshirt. It rode the breeze, a fallen standard, turning over and over, before disappearing below.
"Ah!" Nathan fell another foot, was stopped short. Lucas wondered how much time until all the growth gave way. With him, it was a question of, could he hold on any longer?
Sweating, in the coldness. Muscles burning. Fear, strain, washing over them...Lucas blinked, felt like blacking out.
"Hey! Nathan! Nathan! Up here. Lucas! Boys!"
Lucas lifted his head, shaking, focused on that voice...was it real or imaginary?
One hand fell away. Beside him, Nathan cried out.
Warm, hard, somebody grabbed his wrist.
Dan Scott, feet latched around a skinny tree. Face down, a son clinging to each hand for dear life.
"Come on! Push up!"
There was nothing to use as leverage. The cliff side was slanted inward.
Dan grunted, bit out,"Come on! I can't-keep this up-forever-"
Lucas, holding onto that hand, feeling Dan's grip slipping...
Nathan, "Dad!"
"Hurry!"
There was no way he could save both of them.
Nathan, white faced, pleading.
Lucas, silent, eyes closed.
Dan swore under his breath; he was strong enough for this, he had to be. He was in shape, he trained, heck, he worked out every day. He was stronger than most men his age. He was always on the ball. He-
They saw his lips move, sound torn away by the buffeting wind. Dan's face contorted,
"I'm sorry..." they read.[]
Chapter.13
His arms were sore, hands roughened from endless contact with stone, stinging in the raw places. His clothes...a veritable Robinson Crusoe...
The thought almost brought a smile to his lips.
"Robinson Crusoe, eh?," Keith would say.
And if Lucas laughed, he'd laugh with him.
But if he looked downcast , he'd clap him on the shoulder and say,"That's okay. You can be whoever you want to be. Your life is for you to map out, you alone."
Lucas paused in the dark, felt a familiar burning sensation behind his eyes...
How could two brothers be more different?
He slammed his knee into an outcrop of rock, banged the wall with his fist. Every time he started thinking about Dan, something happened.
He had to learn to control it. Not let Dan 'get inside his head.'
The pain in Lucas's leg brought him back to reality.
No light. No food. Haley's sweatshirt the only whole piece of clothing on him.
Keith, Peyton, Hales. They were probably all rescued by now, safe in the hands of capable emergency workers. And worried about him.
But a little nagging voice, that physically ill feeling in the pit of your stomach, told him not to give up.
Lucas was relieved the cave had finally settled down. The thought of becoming trapped down here still brought sweat to his forehead, but the freezing panic was gone.
He pictured, in his mind, images of September Eleventh...the day a part of his world had changed. So many changes, large and small, here and there. And, add them all up, pluses, negatives, and you had a life.
The clarity of his thoughts was amazing. Silent, unmuddied, unprejudiced.
He felt his way through the bleak emptiness of the tunnels, brushing up against the cold, remembering...
His first taste of orange juice. Chilled, frothy,orange. A peculiar cobweb cleaner in the wee hours of morning.
Brushing his fingers against smooth, ivory keys- the mellow tones of a piano. His mom, playing...
The way people smiled at you when you made them proud, like making that first basket.
It's what he really missed most, around Dan. That look, that 'I'm proud of you' glance. It's things like that that let a person feel worth while.
The ground began slanting downhill. He cautiously followed the descent, not sure of what lay ahead. Not sure of anything, anymore. Except that he was thirsty, and very, very tired.
It might be a good thing to call out, just in case somebody was close by. Funny, being alone, in the dark, made one unconsciously tend to breathe more quietly, straining for welcome sounds in the hushed atmosphere of the underground.
"Hello!"
The cave caught his shout, threw it back at him, again and again.
Echoing.
"Peyton?"
Funny, it was her name that kept coming, unbidden, to his lips.
"Haley? Keith!"
"Lucas!"
Wondering if he'd imagined that cry. Turning slowly around...
Footsteps thudded off the hard floor.
"Lucas?"
Shocked realization.
"Nathan?"
"Wait up."
Lucas imagined him, hands on his knees, bent over, gasping for air.
"I didn't think I'd find you."
"Tunnel hasn't branched off."
"The girls aren't out. I couldn't leave them. He could."
Lucas swallowed. A tiny part, hoping that Nathan had come back partially because of him.
Realizing what a fool he was. Scott's seemed eternally ready to deliver a slap in the face.
"Dan just let you walk back in here?"
Nathan cleared his throat. "That's none of your business."
Lucas shook his head, an unseen gesture.
"It's okay. You think he runs my life or something?"
"You don't need to explain yourself to me." Lucas pushed on ahead, anxious to leave the subject behind.
"I sure as heck don't."
"Listen." Lucas focused on his brother's vague shape. "I don't want to argue. I'm here to find people who may be hurt, who are depending on us. Forget about Dan. He's not worth it."
"No, you're wrong."
"Oh. And you can say that, with a clear conscious? Nathan, loyalty has boundaries, too."
"And those are?"
"When it becomes a wedge between someone and the entire outside world. If you didn't let him make all your decisions for you then maybe you wouldn't have time for all this crap."
"You don't know anything about it. Since when have you ever been in our lives? My dad, the team, at school-you're just an outsider. You don't fit in. Why do you even bother?"
Lucas quickened his pace, heard Nathan run to catch up.
"And Peyton. Just give it up."
"I think she broke up with you."
"Like it's the first time? Peyton's that way. We always get back together."
"Maybe."
"Maybe? You hardly know her. I've been with her for years."
"That's my point."
"You know what? I-"
Lucas caught his sleeve. "Hear that?"
"Maybe it's the girls! Peyton? Haley!"
"Nathan, wait a minute! Nathan, slow down!"
"Peyton? Pey-ah!"
"Nathan! Where are you?"
Cooler air. Twisting, like fingers, through strained clothing. Pressing him back.
Lucas held up a hand, stumbled toward the source.
Light. Dim light, growing brighter each clumsy footstep.
The ground broken, uneven. Tripping on something...a vine. Vine?
Sand, scattered over everything, in the wind. Blinding him. Ocean smell.
They'd found the way out!
Lucas laughed, followed the curve of the tunnel toward freedom-
And his feet jerked out from under him.
Sand scoured, treacherously slippery rock. There was nothing to grab hold of, smooth stone. His fingers clutched at the walls, missed.
Then everything fell away, he was hurtling down...enveloped in space...
"Ah!"
A gnarled vine, thicker than his wrist. Climbing, snaking it's way up the steep cavern surface. Lucas landed over it, started to slide off, hooked his arm around it.
It snapped taut. Then held.
Looking down. Trying to find a foothold. Nothing. Empty, tree pocked beach. Waves, thundering against house sized boulders. The spray crashed into them, sent up an arc of foam that hid all that lay beneath.
The weight of his body, digging into his arms.
Nathan's voice.
Lucas manged to turn his head, met Nathan's terror stricken gaze.
"I can't-hold-on-" he was suspended, supported by a
tentative hold, fistfuls of scrawny, cliff side shrubbery.
"Do it, Nathan! Hold on! Don't let go!"
"It's-breaking-"
Lucas felt dirt as it trickled down from the greenery. "Oh, crap!"
The lashing gusts of wind sent the vine to swaying.
Something ripped loose-Haley's sweatshirt. It rode the breeze, a fallen standard, turning over and over, before disappearing below.
"Ah!" Nathan fell another foot, was stopped short. Lucas wondered how much time until all the growth gave way. With him, it was a question of, could he hold on any longer?
Sweating, in the coldness. Muscles burning. Fear, strain, washing over them...Lucas blinked, felt like blacking out.
"Hey! Nathan! Nathan! Up here. Lucas! Boys!"
Lucas lifted his head, shaking, focused on that voice...was it real or imaginary?
One hand fell away. Beside him, Nathan cried out.
Warm, hard, somebody grabbed his wrist.
Dan Scott, feet latched around a skinny tree. Face down, a son clinging to each hand for dear life.
"Come on! Push up!"
There was nothing to use as leverage. The cliff side was slanted inward.
Dan grunted, bit out,"Come on! I can't-keep this up-forever-"
Lucas, holding onto that hand, feeling Dan's grip slipping...
Nathan, "Dad!"
"Hurry!"
There was no way he could save both of them.
Nathan, white faced, pleading.
Lucas, silent, eyes closed.
Dan swore under his breath; he was strong enough for this, he had to be. He was in shape, he trained, heck, he worked out every day. He was stronger than most men his age. He was always on the ball. He-
They saw his lips move, sound torn away by the buffeting wind. Dan's face contorted,
"I'm sorry..." they read.[]
