As Hope and Promise Fade

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The faint light they had shining from the sun was quickly fading as day turned into night. Marc sat against one wall while Ariana sat against the one across from him. There wasn’t much room, with their legs extended they brushed against one another.

They had searched every little inch of the cave and saw no way out. Ariana’s hopes were down in the dumps as she hugged herself tight because of the cold joining the moon outside.

“Someone has noticed we’re missing by now. They’ll come.” Marc said in hopes of restoring some of her optimism. “Ariana….” Her name was laced with a pound of worry coming from his mouth.

“I’m fine.”

“No you’re not. Come here so we can conserve some body heat at least.”

Knowing that was a good idea, Ariana felt her way around the darkening cave to go over and sit by his side. “I’m scared Jax will come looking for us and my father will do something to hut him.” she confessed weakly.

“No don’t think like that.” He reached out and pulled her against his chest. “You have to focus on getting through this.”

Ariana took comfort in the abnormal heat radiating from his body. “How’s your arm?” she felt around what felt like his chest and up to his neck to touch his bare skin. She wished right now she ran that hot, she probably wouldn’t be freezing now.

“Healing. By morning I can be of better assistance trying to claw our way out of here.” He tightened his arm around her shoulders and held her close to him.

“Your heart’s racing.” Her hand lay right above it. “You’re scared aren’t you? And you’re too macho to admit it.”

He chuckled as he laid his hand over hers. “No it’s not that. We’re going to get out of here, I promise you.”

She turned her head away from his shoulder and peered up to his eyes she could see in this dark cave. His eyes still humming yellow appeared like a cat’s when they were in the dark; humming to life despite the light. “Thanks.”

“Try to get some rest while we wait for the sun to return.”

She laid her head back down on his chest. “You have a very nice way of talking. Instead of saying we’ll wait for the sun to come back up you used the word return.” She enjoyed listening to him speak because of it. He always had a special way of explaining something.

“I’m glad there’s something about me you find agreeable.”

“What does that mean? It’s not like I hate you or something. I thought we were friends.”

“I thought you put up with me because of Jax.”

“I used to. When we first meet you made me uncomfortable but as the years went on you grew on me. You’re apart of my family now.”

“Thank you, I like knowing you care.”

She smiled against his chest and decided to take his advice and try to get some rest. If they were going to try and find a way out of there tomorrow they were going to need all the strength between them.

As she rested against him he began to hum some song she didn’t know. Soon he added the lyrics. “There used to be a time when I could hold my head up high. My life laid out before me, rives flow with wine. I had my love beside me and everything was fine. But now the ride is over, it’s hard to say goodbye.” He had a lovely voice with the perfect pitch of rasp and deepness.

“That’s pretty depressing, what song is that?”

“As hope and promise fade by Chris Cornell.”