Far from home (R5 fan fiction)

Chapter 11 - "Tread carefully"

Chapter 11 - "Tread carefully"

We must have been walking for at least an hour, all I knew is that it was getting darker now. The waves were a distant sound but a new memory. I leaned on the people around me, my shoes were giving me blisters. Both Nina and Maissie were being given piggy backs by there close companions. I watched there expressions, Nina's was one of relief but Maissie seemed unreadable.......I wonder if she had said anything.

Rydel was being dragged along by Rebecca who looked extremely stressed and Marianne stood by me. Riker and Ratliff lead in front. We headed down tunnel after tunnel, a lot of the time n silence.but I had to speak, so I made small talk.

"So....you and Riker, I saw it coming" I smirked and playfully nudged her arm as Marianne went from her average skin tone to a tomato. Yet a smile crept across her face. I think Riker made it pretty obvious that he heard as he swung round to meet Mariannes stare. He dropped back leaving Ratliff up front.

He whispered something in Mariannes ear and they interlocked finger.....

"well......I feel awkward" I stated loudly and moved away to the front. Ratliff was fiddling with his phone case.

"Whatcha doing?" I asked, I was extremely bored at this point and couldn't care to talk about anything.

"I dunno......I'm bored" I nodded in agreement. As we walked I a friendly silence into the in known I remembers something.

I pulled out my phone and check the date, 13th, I whacked Ratliff's arm a little harder than intended to.

"Ow!......what did I do?" He asked pouting, I felt heat rise in my cheeks...

"It's your birthday tomorrow right!!" I said with a smile, he looked up at me sadness was present in his eyes. "It won't be much of a birthday with potential death and it really doesn't help that our parents have gone away for the weekend" he stared at my hand...

"We can celebrate......I mean who gets to say they celebrated there birthday trapped in a cave!!" I said hopping about trying to brighten the mood.

He still stared at my hand, after a while I got frustrated

"What's wrong did I break a nail or something?" He snapped back and looked kinda uneasy,

"Well I wanted to say-" Riker screamed over him.

All of a sudden I was swept forward to an opening leaving Ratliff's sentence to a stand still. The opening wasn't just an opening, it was two ledges and between was a whopping great cazum. Only scattered stones lead a path across. We all stood and stared in amazement but Rocky was first to speak.

"What kind of bloody cave is this.....it's like a never ending nightmare of death!" He wasn't lying there.

I walked to the edge as few pebbles crumbled to the unseen bottom. I took a deep breath,

"Well there's only one way to go" and with that I started my journey across.

Don't look down don't look don't, don't you dare look down. Riker held right to Marianne, as did Mocky and NISS. Rebecca stood steady with Rydel in front and Ratliff shuffled behind me.

"Tread carefully!" I called back as a lump of Rock crashed to the ground. I imbed diatom stopped causing the people behind me to crash into me, jolting me forwards. I steady hand held my arm and helped me regain balance, I turned and thanked him though he still hovered close. I had far to leap to the next rock and struggled to stand.

I finally made my last dive for the ledge, I scrapped my hands and knees but I didn't care, I felt like I had left my soul in the cazum. It's so stupid how u start to imagine your death in a killer situation. I took deep breaths as everyone followed, but Rebecca who was at the back was too scared to jump.

I knew what to do "Riker this time you lean out, Ratliff, Rocky hold his hand"

"Excuse me!" Exclaimed Riker, but the other two did what I said. Riker began to sweat as we lowered him into the cazum, Rebecca stood whimpering with her eyes shut, she was no fan of heights. I clenched my fists as I watched Riker take her hand, he held her tight and together Rocky and Ratliff pulled them in. When on the ledge there was a brief moment where they were string into each other's eyes. I watched Marianne, her face said it all!

"Ahemm!!" I coughed loudly snapping them out of it, Rebecca quickly turned away and Riker stood blushing, well this wasn't good.

Ratliff broke the silence

"Well I think we are far enough, we should stop for the night" he dragged us through a hole on the ledge that opened into a small tunnel/room. "We can stay here" he pointed.

Everyone one agreed we set up what we could.

We cuddled together for heat, it was freezing in the cave especially at night. Everyone had to use there jackets for blankets and everyone leaned on each other for a pillow. Nina cuddled with Ross, Rocky and Maissie did the same but Riker laid within distance of Marianne and Rebecca (things were awkward there) then there was me thrown in between.

Everyone was ready to sleep, though we were exhausted, cold and hungry we made it work. I was gradually drifting off to sleep when I heard voices. Clearly Rocky and Maissie, the others had dosed off already but I now knew Maissie had made her decision. I relaxed wishing her luck. I was almost asleep when I hear his voice, from my right Ratliff mumbled.

"I wish she-" but it was too late I was out. Thought all this fear flooded onto my head, I relived the last few hours and even wondered what I just heard, but the thing that stuck in my head most was......

We were far from home...