Beyond The Bridge [ONC 2023] // Longlisted

Chapter Eight

I move the candle around the cavern to try to figure out the size of the space we have found ourselves in. Gigantic walls surround us, made up of packed dirt and sand that run onto the floor when I move my hand along it. Above us, I can just make out the hole that we fell through, sunlight from the entrance just inching its way towards the hole and offering us a little more light. Our only means of escape is the small gap in the wall.

"You have to go, Grace," Levi says, still laying on the floor. His voice is softer than usual, a bad sign if ever there was one.

"No, I'm not leaving you here alone. There has to be a way for you to get out of here."

"There isn't. I can't even move."

"Just let me think. Mother says that there is a solution to every problem, so there must be a solution here as well. I just need to work out what it is.

The candle burns in my hand, wax dripping down into the metal holder. We need to hurry if we are to get out of the cavern, and the cave, with a decent light source. My head still aches, the cavern swimming under me, but I ignore it and focus on the task at hand. I crawl along the floor in search of my basket, hoping I could use it to stabilise Levi's leg and maybe make it easier for him to move. It's the only idea I have.

My fingers wrap around the handle of the basket, and I place the candle on the ground so I can use both my hands. I work quickly, following Mother's basket-weaving instructions. Since I was a child, I always found the work of basket weaving to be boring and unnecessary, but it turns out to be the most helpful skill I possess. I manage to work the handle off the basket, placing it beside me.

With the candle burning and the light source diminishing with each passing second, I work to unravel the basket before reweaving it into the same structure as the handle. The tarts and sausage rolls Mother packed remain displaced around us, and I grab them, untying the string from around the wax paper and stuffing the food into Levi's overflowing satchel.

I shuffle back to Levi, placing the string and the basket sticks on the ground. He lifts himself off the ground to watch me, a slight raise of an eyebrow and amusement dancing on his lips. Even in the semi-darkness, I can see how pale his skin is and the slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. We need to get out of here and fast.

"This might hurt," I say, shifting my body so I am close to his broken leg.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"Not really, but I watched Dr Spencer do it to a young boy in the village and we do not have any other options."

"Well, if you have seen it done, then I suppose that is better than nothing." He lies back on the ground, squeezing his eyes shut. "Just do it quickly."

"I apologise in advance."

Levi says nothing. I see his fingers curl up into a fist and I know that even though it is going to hurt him; I have to do it. This is the only way we get out of here, or at least try to. My mind drifts back to the day I watched Dr Spencer do something similar, although I had only been a girl when I witnessed it. One of the other children had been walking along a wall and slipped, snapping his ankle. Dr Spencer used wood and a piece of rope to keep it in place until they could carry him home.

I take a breath, grab hold of Levi's crooked ankle, and pull it to straighten it out. He screams. The sound echoes off the wall of the cavern, and I try to ignore it, focusing on the task at hand. Once his leg is straight, I grab the two pieces of the basket and place them on either side of his leg, securing them with the string and tying them as tightly as I can. The ground under my knees shifts and moves. I blink my eyes until it stops.

With the string secure, I sat back, wiping my hand across my forehead to remove the sweat that has built up despite how cold it is. Levi's leg being stable doesn't mean he can walk, but it might make things a little easier and I can always help him.

"Is it finished?" Levi asks, opening an eye and looking at me.

"I think so. It should hold, at least for a little while."

"You are a wonder, Grace Williams, you really are." He shakes his head. "What do we do now?"

"We try to get out of here. I can support you as best I can, but it's going to hurt. We're also running out of light, so we need to move quickly unless your ingenuity led you to pack more than one candle."

"It did, actually. I packed three."

"The first bit of luck we've had." I stand up, stumbling a little as light spots dance in my vision and the ground moves beneath me. The throb at the back of my head continues, and my chest aches with every breath. I fight to ignore it. "Let's stand you up."

"The true test begins now."

I roll my eyes, knowing it's his attempt at making light of an otherwise terrible situation. With no light, I have no idea how long we've been trapped or even what time it is, but those things don't seem to matter as much if we cannot get out. Levi forces himself into a sitting position, grunting with the effort but not appearing to be in any other pain. We were both luckier than we could imagine.

He holds his arms out and I grab them, grunting as I pull him to his good foot. Levi groans again but doesn't scream, although his cheeks are tinged red from the effort of standing. I hold on to his arms, allowing him to catch his breath and steady himself. He makes no attempt to put his right leg on the floor. We stand together in the semi-darkness, both breathing heavily and both of us struggling to stand straight.

I grab the satchel off the floor, making sure the latch is secure and swing it on my shoulder, before grabbing the candle. Levi looks at me, still breathing heavily and wobbling on his good leg.

"You can take the lead on this one, Grace," he smiles. "Show me the way."

"Let's pray there's a way out of here."

Levi wraps his arm around my shoulder, putting as much weight as he dares on me. I accept it and hold the candle out in front of us, allowing it to lead the way as we duck through the small hole and out of the cavern.

~~~

The Weekend in Room 512 by zoe_grimm

 When Ethan Wong finds out his professor hasn't secured a hotel room for his violin concerto, Cameron Langley, college baseball star, decides to take his chances and offers to share a hotel room with his ex-boyfriend for the weekend. With no alternative, Ethan and Cameron must face the music or strike out of each other's lives for good. 

First Published - March 10th, 2023