The rocks came thundering down. Cole snatched Lloyd's wrist and jerked, dragging both of them out of harm's way.
With a soft bonk, one pebble slid down the pile and came to a stop at Lloyd's feet.
"Man," he breathed. "That was insane."
"I'll say," Cole agreed. "Jay?"
Jay didn't say anything. Cole spun around. "Jay?"
"Guys!" a muffled voice filtered through the rocks. "Help!"
"On no," Lloyd breathed. "Jay!"
He ran to the pile. "Jay! Jay, are you okay? Jay!"
"I'm okay," Jay said weakly. "But I'm stuck. And I'm kind of panicking because I really don't like being trapped in dark, enclosed spaces. I am seriously panicking right now!"
Despite the rain and lightning, Cole's face broke into a broad grin. "Well, Jay, looks like you'll get to face your fear tonight, too."
"I'm not kidding!" Jay yelled, some of the power and desperation in his voice lost between the big stones. "Cole, you're strong- get me out of here!"
"Cole," Lloyd said nervously. "Maybe we should-"
"Nah," Cole said amiably. "Hey, Jay- while we're all out here, facing our fears, why don't you tell us why you're afraid of dark, enclosed spaces?"
"I don't mind being in dark, enclosed spaces!" Jay yelled. "I said I don't like being trapped in dark, enclosed spaces! Now let me out of here!"
"You didn't say 'please'," Cole replied, his voice sing-songy.
From inside the rocky prison came a voice that sounded as if its owner was very close to having a nervous breakdown. "Cole, come on…! Please!"
"Why are you afraid of being trapped in dark, enclosed spaces?" Lloyd asked the rock pile, trying tactfully to take Jay's mind off of Cole. Jay moaned.
"When I was little my parents were conducting an experiment on top of a pile of junk and I was standing near them… at the edge… and there was an explosion… and I slid down and got stuck under a huge pile of stuff and I had to stay there while my parents tried to dig me out for TWO WHOLE HOURS!"
His voice had been rising steadily in pitch throughout this monologue, and at the last few words, it reached fever pitch. A bolt of lightning accentuated his next words. "NOW GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
"It's like you said to me, Jay," Cole said soothingly. "It didn't hurt you, right? The dark isn't hurting you. Neither is the enclosed space."
A crash of thunder sounded. Inside the boulder prison, Jay heard Lloyd's voice add itself to Cole's. "Breathe, Jay! Do what you told me! Just try and breathe!"
Jay was briefly considering having a nervous breakdown and/or frying Cole's face off with a lightning bolt when Lloyd's shouted advice reached him. It made sense, and Cole would probably let him out soon enough.
He took a deep breath, a little surprised when his voice trembled slightly. "Okay…"
"That's it," Cole said encouragingly. "Hold it, I'll try the rocks now. Stay cool."
Jay heard Lloyd offer to help, and Cole's assurances that it wasn't necessary. The rocks seemed to close in on him again, and he choked; wondering helplessly whether Cole was even strong enough to move the stones.
"Breathe!" Lloyd yelled again. A tiny shaft of light broke through the dark as Cole began heaving rocks out of the way. The two combined factors made Jay relax a little.