The Essence of Water

NEW VERSION Chapter 25

Spring has arrived.

In the quiet and dark cover of night I hear the melting water drip down the rocks behind the cabin. As the days pass and slowly lengthen the snow falls from the tops of trees and branches snap back up, released from their heavy burdens. Aiden and I sometimes sit on the porch and watch the world slowly change.

We've grown close in all the small ways. We can't go long without touching in one form or another. It doesn't take much but we constantly need to reassure ourselves that we're alive and safe and real. There is still snow on the ground when Aiden and I discover more secrets about the cabin. By pure chance Aiden slips on a wet spot while carrying a stack of wood in. The logs scatter, falling to the ground and when one hits the floor, the sound is hallow. We both look at each other. Aiden forgets about the wood and together we drop to our knees and knock on the floor.

We both forget about the wood and use the water to open the floor from the other side. "A trap door?" I ask aloud and stick my head down inside.

"Let's see where it goes," Aiden jumps down first and I follow. I expect to land immediately but there is a moment of unease in my stomach—like taking an extra step when there isn't one—be ore my feet hit the ground and I stumble backward. I look up to the square patch of light above my head. I would have to stand on Aiden's shoulders to get back out that way.

My vision flips and pull water into an orb above my hand to illuminates our surroundings. "Aiden?" I ask.

"Over here," I push the ball of water to hover our heads. Aiden's face appears out of the darkness.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

"Fine, luckily. We probably should have seen how far it dropped before we jumped," he admits.

"Probably," I agree.

I send the water ahead to light our path as we walk. Cold stone surrounds us and a deep cold settles on my body. "I think the cabin must have been built to cover the entrance of this cave," Aiden slowly makes his way down the crevice. I look up but I can't see where the rocks come together. I feel like we're walking along a crack in a wall. The path is just wide enough for two people to walk together shoulder touching shoulder. The path turns upward until it ends abruptly. "It looks like a door." Aiden reaches up and pushes. It groans and creeks but after some convincing it opens and I follow him out into the sunlight. We're on the other side of the rock face on the top of the mountain. The flat rocks stretch out around us and down below the river roars, full from the melting snows.

"We've been out here before and I've never noticed that door," Aiden shut the door and we both realize why. It's been camouflaged with moss and ivy.

"I'm glad we discovered this," I tell him. "It's good to know my parents were thinking of an escape plan for the worst case scenario."

He stands and takes my hand, "Let's go back, it's cold out here."

Every time I step over the trap door I can't help but wonder what was going through my parent's heads when they built it. I wish I had more memories of them but all I have is what they left me. I've played those short sweet memories over and over in my head.

The snow is disappearing fast now. Aiden keeps his jacket unzipped when he goes outside and we are using less logs to keep warm. We've survived the winter and with soup cans to spare. Soon we will venture back to the town and away from our safe haven. A part of me cannot wait for a change of scenery; the other fears what we might find.

The day the grass reappears under the snow is the day everything changes.

Aiden picks a few of the yellowed stalks and brings them to me like a small child. A stupid grin is on his face and he pretends like they're flowers. "Oh thanks," I say with a chuckle.