Alexander had tied his light to a rope, and was lowering it over the side. There was no light. Lissie stared at the void. He measured it in his hands as it went, and when it stopped he said, “One thing in our favor, it is eleven feet down.” He began pulling the rope back up. “Not that I was worried it was a hole of nothing stretching into nothing that went on forever.”
Riley stood up from her crouch at the side. “Right, so we use the ropes to get down. Nikolai, if you would be our anchor since there’s nothing else to tie off on.” She was pacing around as she spoke, “We’ll have to lower Lissie in first, since you won’t be able to climb down yourself with the arm. Then Nikolai can just jump in.”
“Right, so we’re all just going into the pit of nothing? How do we get back out?” Cora asked. She was staring at the hole. Everyone was staring at the hole except Nikolai who was staring at Lissie.
Niko looked up from the hole and she met his gaze as he spoke. “I can jump back up if it is only that deep.”
“Sounds like you’re first!” Alexander was already working on a harness out of the ropes.
She stepped into the two loops, and pulled them up to her waist. “Niko, will you do the honors?”
“I fear I may break the rope again.”
“Think of the rabbits.”
She laid the rope across his outstretched hands, and watched him close his blue fingers over his palms.
“What position do you have the most control? When you do your sculpting?” She stared at the rope.
“I sculpt with only my first finger and thumb.”
“Then hold it between your finger and thumb. And think about the rabbits.”
He opened his hands again, and she moved the rope, careful not to touch him. He was trembling. He held it like her grandmother had held the yarn for her knitting. Lissie stepped closer to the edge.
“Ready?”
“I am ready for you Lissie.”
She stepped over the side, and the harness went taut. She clung to the rope with her good arm, and looked up. There was nothing. There was only darkness. She closed her eyes, and opened them. It was the same.
Instinct made her look down. Black. She took a deep breath through her nose. It smelled like wet rock, ice, and something else.
Something like scat and herbs?
Her feet touched stone, and she kept her eyes shut. It didn’t matter, and it was better not to feel blind. Better to feel like this was a choice.
This is a choice, I chose to come here.
The rope grew slack and she stepped out of the loops, and listened. No one called down to her.
“I made it!” She yelled up. There was no echo, the sound seemed to stop at her face.
She sat down, and felt the stone beneath her fingers. It was smooth, and warm.
Why is it so warm in here?
She wanted to get her coat off, but she couldn’t by herself with one arm.
Not with this cast.
She stretched her good arm out as far as she could from where she was sitting and felt nothing. She pawed around for the rope in the darkness but it was gone. She stood up, and began feeling for it everywhere, but it was gone.
Did they pull it back up? I shouldn’t go far.
She took two steps, counting them, and felt in front of her with her foot as she went. The flat stone under her feet warmed them through her boots. She reached out with her hand blindly reaching and felt nothing. She took two steps backwards, and felt a boot hit her head.
“Lissie!” Riley’s voice, and it sounded far away. “Lissie, we’ve been screaming down to you!”
“I was calling up to you. I assumed you couldn’t hear me.”
Grasping arms wrapped around her. “You sound so far away! How can you stand this?”
“Riley, Riley it’s ok. Just breath. Close your eyes, it helps.”
Riley was breathing hard against Lissie. “I thought we lost you, I should have went first.”
Lissie hugged her tight with her good arm. “I’m fine, we’re fine, it’s just dark. Remember when we used to stay up late in your room after your mother made us blow the lamp out?”
“I’m not afraid of the dark! I was a little girl then, and Cora always told those horrible stories.”
“You were thirteen when Cora scared us so bad.”
Cora’s voice sounded like it came from mile away. “You told me to tell you a scary story!”
Lissie felt legs and then a body. Riley removed one hand from Lissie but the other hand was still clinging to her jacket sleeve. Lissie felt Cora pulled into the huddle.
“I never thought they were scary, and this isn’t scary either, right Cora?” Lissie was raising her voice against whatever was dampening the sound.
“I thought Alexander was coming next?” Riley asked.
“He said he needed to figure out what to do with Ruskin, but I think he’s just scared.” Cora replied. “Have we tried exploring at all yet?”
“I haven’t found the wall, but if we stay here we’re going to get kicked again.” Lissie answered.
The three moved together, holding onto each other in the darkness. There was no wall. They found nothing after twelve paces.
“We should keep shouting and move back, he might be down by now.” Cora pulled at Lissie.
“Which way is back?” Riley was shouting, with panic in her voice.
“Back is this way,” Cora’s voice was getting hoarse from the yelling, but she still found a way to sound casual.
“Help! Help me! Please, Niko, pull me back up, they’re gone, it’s nothing, there’s nothing down here! Oh gods this is hell, this is what I deserve. They’ve taken me to hell for my crimes.” Alexander was screeching in the darkness.
Ruskin howled after him, catching his master’s dread.
“Alex, Alex, calm down.” Cora broke off from the huddle, Lissie felt her arms go.
“Cora, oh gods, all six of the fancy ones and all the rest too!” Alexander was screaming, though the sound was soft. “Are the others alive?”
“It’s just hard to hear. They’re over… ” Cora’s arm reached out and Lissie felt fingers pawing at her face, “Right here. Yes.” Cora’s hand moved down to Lissie’s shoulder and Alexander was pulled into the group. He was shaking.
“That just leaves Niko.” Lissie said, “Is he jumping? We need to get out of the—”