the silent heartbeat

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

[Part 01]

After walking for what felt like hours, we emerged from the dense forest to find ourselves standing before a vast, glimmering lake. Its waters stretched far into the distance, calm and glassy, reflecting the soft hues of the sky above. I could see the other side of the lake, but it was still far enough away that I felt a sense of daunting vastness—a reminder of just how much journey still lay ahead of us. The lake had a sort of magical quality to it, almost too perfect to be real. The sunlight danced on its surface, casting shimmering ripples that created a mesmerizing effect.

As we stepped closer, we noticed a small wooden dock jutting out into the water. Moored at the edge were two simple rowboats, swaying slightly in the gentle current. They looked old but sturdy, as if they'd been waiting there just for us, their worn wood a testament to years of use and countless journeys across the lake.

Kaleb was the first to speak, breaking the silence. "Looks like that's our way across," he said, nodding toward the boats.

Berryl raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me that these are the only boats? There are only two."

Holland stepped forward, examining the boats with a critical eye. "They look like they'll hold us, but it's going to be a bit cramped. We'll have to split up."

I glanced at the lake again, its waters stretching endlessly. The idea of crossing it in such small boats made me nervous, but I could see there was no other choice. A small path led along the shore, but it wound away from our destination, taking us in the opposite direction. The boats were clearly our best—if not only—option.

Wallace looked at me, reading the unease on my face. "Hey, it's going to be okay," he said, offering a reassuring smile. "These boats have been here a while. They've made it across before."

I nodded, trying to shake off the uncertainty. "Alright," I said, taking a deep breath. "Who's going with who?"

After a bit of back and forth, we decided on our groups. Kaleb, Wallace, and Holland would take the first boat, and Berryl and I would share the second. I tried not to dwell on the distance between us and the shore on the other side as we split into our groups, loading our supplies carefully into the boats.

Kaleb and Wallace took their places at the oars in their boat, while Berryl and I settled ourselves in ours. She looked over at me, her face a mixture of excitement and focus. "Ready?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

I forced a smile. "Ready as I'll ever be."

With a few strong strokes of the oars, we pushed off from the dock, the wooden planks creaking under our weight before we were finally free of it. The water was calm, almost eerily so, and the only sound was the gentle lapping against the side of the boats as we drifted out into the open lake. Each stroke of the oars moved us farther from the shore, the vast stretch of water ahead slowly shortening as we moved closer to the distant bank.

The quiet of the lake settled over us, and for a while, no one spoke. I was hyper-aware of every ripple in the water, every slight shift in the boat, as though even the smallest disturbance might be a sign of trouble. I glanced over my shoulder at the others in the other boat, their faces focused on the steady rhythm of rowing. They were close enough that we could hear each other if we spoke, but far enough that we each felt the quiet weight of the lake around us.

After a few minutes, Berryl broke the silence. "I wonder what waits for us on the other side," she murmured, more to herself than to me. Her gaze was fixed on the distant shore, her expression thoughtful.